Bardiani riders withdrawn from Giro start after testing positive

Stefano Pirazzi and Nicola Ruffoni from the Bardiani cycling team withdrawn from their Giro d’Italia squad after failing out of competition anti-doping tests

Roberto Reverberi, the team manager, said: "We are absolutely shocked by the news. We await the results of further tests planned by the anti-doping rules and reiterate the strongest possible terms the intention of safeguarding the values that our sport".

The UCI announced yesterday evening, that the substance detected was GHRPs, a peptide hormone. The control dates samples are 25 and 26 April 2017.

The Giro d'Italia "firmly reconfirmed its support to the CADF (Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation) UCI in the fight against doping in all its forms. For its part, should also confirmation testing should give a positive result, the same direction and RCS Sport reserve to protect in the appropriate for the image and good name of the Giro d'Italia".

Article 7.12.1 of the Anti-Doping Rules provides for the suspension of the whole team from 15 to 45 days in the case of double positivity within twelve months.

Pirazzi, 30, won the KOM mountains jersey in the 2013 Giro d'Italia, winning a stage in 2014.

Vittorio Veneto Ruffoni, 26, in his fourth year as a professional, won two stages in the Tour of Croatia that preceded the Tour of Italy.