Carlo Santuccione (23 October 1947 – 4 March 2017) was an Italian sports doctor who was also known as ''Ali the Chemist''. Santuccione worked with

Francesco Conconi Francesco Conconi (born 19 April 1935 in Como, Italy) is an Italian sports doctor and scientist, with disciples such as Michele Ferrari and Luigi Cecchini. Conconi is a professor at the University of Ferrara in Italy where he heads the ''Centro Stu ...

at the

University of Ferrara The University of Ferrara ( it, Università degli Studi di Ferrara) is the main university of the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. In the years prior to the First World War the University of Ferrara, with more than 5 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

at the ''Centro Studi Biomedici Applicati allo Sport'' or Biomedical Research Institute.

History

Santuccione was born in

Cepagatti Cepagatti (locally ''Cipahàttë'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) and town in the Province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southe ...

. During the 1990s, Santuccione worked with Conconi, the man that is said to have introduced Erythropoietin or EPO to the sport of cycling. Santuccione was suspended from acting as a physician from 1995 to 2000 by the

Italian National Olympic Committee The Italian National Olympic Committee ( it, Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI), founded in 1914 and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is responsible for the development and management of sports activity in Italy. ...

. Santuccione's name appeared in the case against Francesco Conconi; and he was subject to additional investigation in 2001. In 2004, the large scale operation

Oil for Drugs The Oil for Drugs case is an Italian doping case against doctor Carlo Santuccione and a number of accomplices, started in 2003. He is accused of administering prohibited doping products to professional and amateur athletes, to enhance their perfor ...

began in 29 Italian provinces against a doping network that Santuccione was suspected to have headed. Doping products such as

Testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondar ...

anabolic steroids Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related and have similar effects t ...

, EPO, Aranesp (

Darbepoetin alfa Darbepoetin alfa (INN) is a re-engineered form of erythropoietin containing 5 amino acid changes (N30, T32, V87, N88, T90) resulting in the creation of 2 new sites for N-linked carbohydrate addition. It has a 3-fold longer serum half-life compare ...

) and blood transfusion equipment (

Blood doping Blood doping is a form of doping in which the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream is boosted in order to enhance athletic performance. Because such blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, a higher concentration in the bl ...

) were found and investigations were opened against 138 athletes (15 of whom were professional cyclists). On 18 December 2007 Santuccione was given a lifetime ban by the

due to his involvement in the Oil for Drugs case and after having already serving a lengthy ban for a previous doping offense.

Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò (born 1 September 1983) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, who is suspended from all competition until 2024. He was previously ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended. Riccò returned ...

who finished second in the

2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto ...

and tested positive for a form of third generation EPO during the

2008 Tour de France The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th running of the race. The event took place from 5 to 27 July. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regu ...

named Santuccione as his supplier of the drug. He died in

Pescara Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...

in 2017.

List of racers

Alessio Galletti Alessio Galletti (26 March 1968 – 15 June 2005) was an Italian racing cyclist. He died from heart failure while he was racing in the Subida al Naranco, 15 km from the finish line. He participated in all three of the Grand Tours of cycling. ...

Mario Scirea Mario Scirea (; born 7 August 1964) is an Italian former racing cyclist. Career Scirea was a professional for 15 years, riding with six different teams throughout his career. He rode in 29 Grand Tours between 1989 and 2004. He also rode in the ...

Fabio Sacchi Fabio Sacchi (born 23 May 1974 in Milan) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer who raced for the , , , and teams. His name was on the list of doping tests published by the French Senate on 24 July 2013 that were collected during ...

Eddy Mazzoleni Eddy Mazzoleni (born 29 July 1973) is a former Italian professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI ProTour Astana Team. Biography He currently lives in Almenno San Bartolomeo, Italy. Mazzoleni is a talented climber and was a h ...

Danilo Di Luca Danilo Di Luca (born 2 January 1976) is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist, best known for winning the 2007 Giro d'Italia, but also for several positive doping tests, the last of which resulting in a lifetime ban from the sport. ...

Alessandro Spezialetti Alessandro Spezialetti (born 14 January 1975 in Lachen, Switzerland) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 1997 and 2012. He was known as a lieutenant, or top domestique in Grand Tours. Majo ...

Ruggero Marzoli Ruggero Marzoli (born 2 April 1976, in Spoltore) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. After a previous four-month ban in 1999, Marzoli was banned for six months in 2008, after being considered guilty for the attempted use of prohibited ...

Giuseppe Muraglia Giuseppe Muraglia (born August 3, 1979 in Andria) is an Italian racing cyclist, who last rode for the Italian team D'Angelo & Antenucci-Nippo. In October 2007 he was ''suspended'' from riding for two years following a positive test after winning ...

Simone Masciarelli Simone Masciarelli (born 2 January 1980 in Pescara) is a former Italian cyclist. Major results ;2001 :2nd Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie :7th Trofeo Matteotti ;2002 :2nd Trofeo Città di Castelfidardo :5th GP Industria & Artigianato Larciano : ...

References

1947 births Living people People from the Province of Pescara Italian sports physicians Italian cycling coaches Drugs in sport in Italy {{Italy-cycling-bio-stub