Andrea Piccolo, whose contract was previously terminated by EF Education-EasyPost after he was suspected of transporting human growth hormone, has been arrested on suspicion of possessing counterfeit Euro bank notes.
Piccolo, who wore the leader's jersey at the Vuelta, became an OnlyFans model after being fired by his former team in 2024. Back then, he was searched as part of an Italian police and anti doping authority action.
Now he has been arrested, with two other men, by the police in Naples due to the alleged counterfeit bank notes.
Italian media reports state he was in his Porsche Macan, with a San Marino licence plate, when the distinctive car and reg plate piqued the attention of police in the area. They engaged with Piccolo, and two men who were passengers in the car, before searching the vehicle.
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It is alleged €20 counterfeit notes, to the value of about €2,000, were found hidden in the steering column of the car, along with a telescopic baton. Piccolo and the other men were then arrested on suspicion of possessing the notes and baton.
In June, 2024, the UCI confirmed EF Education-EasyPost had terminated Piccolo's contract "due to suspicion of transporting human growth hormone".
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"The search conducted on the rider is the result of an investigation led by the International Testing Agency (ITA) and its close collaboration with the National Anti-Doping Organisation of Italy (NADO Italia) and Italian law enforcement authorities (NAS Carabinieri)," the UCI said at the time.
Piccolo had earlier in 2024 taken a sleeping aid and, though it was not banned, he consumed it without the team's knowledge, resulting in a period of suspension without pay. Due to legal conditions around rider contracts, EF Education-EasyPost was unable to fire him at that time.
However, when it emerged he was being investigated on suspicion of transporting human growth hormone, the team was free to fire him and immediately did so.
As a junior, Piccolo was Italian and European champion in the TT and claimed the bronze medal at the Worlds in the discpline. During the 2022 season he became a stagiaire for EF Education-EasyPost.
Regarded as a very promising young rider, he immediately took some impressive results, including 5th at Maryland Cycling Classic (1.Pro), 11th at Il Lombardia and 2nd at the season-ended Japan Cup (1.Pro).
He then started his contract proper with EF Education-EasyPost, riding for the team in 2023, when he led the Vuelta for a day after going on the attack on stage 2 and taking time bonuses. However, he came to the attention of his team and the authorities for the wrong reasons in 2024, and the Giro that year was his last ever race.
