In a brusque statement the UCI has announced that the entire Bardiani-CSF team is suspended from international competition for 30 days.
In a statement, the governing body said: ‘The Union Cycliste Internationale announces that the Disciplinary Commission has decided to suspend the UCI Professional Continental Team Bardiani CSF for a period of 30 days from 14th June to 14th July 2017 in accordance with article 7.12.1 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) providing for a “Team Suspension”.
'For the duration of its suspension, the Team Bardiani CSF is suspended from participating in any international event. The UCI will not make any further comment on the case.’
The move comes after Bardiani-CSF riders, Nicola Ruffoni and Stefano Pirazzi, tested positive for banned growth hormones.
The discovery came the day before the start of the 2017 Giro d’Italia, to which the UCI continental level team had been invited on a wildcard entry.
The UCI waited until now to take action against the squad despite the announcement that both riders' B-samples had also come back positive on 19th May.
The riders, who were fired by the team, had hoped the second samples would prove them innocent. The month long ban will see the remaining riders miss the Tour of Austria at which they were scheduled to compete.
At 30 days the punishment delivered by the UCI is exactly in the middle of the 15-45 days suspension allowed for the offence.
In a statement released by the team they stated their intention not to appeal against the ban. They did however express their dissatisfaction at its duration, claiming it unfairly penalised the team who it said ‘have no responsibilities for the deplorable actions of foolish people.’
Somewhat illogically they also suggested the UCI should have considered the damage suffered to the team’s image, along with the difficulty of having to compete at the Giro d'Italia with only seven riders as mitigating factors against handing down a lengthy ban.