After finishing third overall in the 2009 Giro, he won the polka dot jersey in Paris as the best climber of the 2009 Tour de France (which has been cancelled), as well as named the Most Combative (Aggressive) Rider on Stages 9 and 17. At the start of each race, Pellizotti was seen making the sign of the cross and kissing a crucifix around his neck.
Doping ban
On 3 May 2010, Pellizotti's name was released by La Gazzetta dello Sport as being one of several riders under investigation by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for "irregular blood values". Pellizotti was reported to have had "suspicious values" on the eve of the 2009 Tour de France and request has been made by the UCI for investigation.[2] This was confirmed later that day in a UCI press release.[3] He was due to be one of Liquigas–Doimo' team leaders at the 2010 Giro d'Italia, but was immediately pulled from the squad and replaced with Vincenzo Nibali. His team said they have faith in the explanation put forward by Pellizotti and are conducting a further investigation.[4] Shortly after the end of the season, the suspension was lifted on the grounds of lack of evidence, and Pellizotti declared a wish to seek financial redress from the UCI.[5] Liquigas–Doimo declined to re-sign Pellizotti after the 2010 season. Pellizotti's case reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2011. After asking the court for a speedy verdict, he was suspended for two years after it upheld the UCI's appeal. His ban lasted until May 2012. The Court also annulled all results from 17 May 2009, meaning that Pellizotti lost a stage win and third place overall in the Giro d'Italia and a stage win and overall victory in the mountains and combativity classifications in the Tour de France.[6]
Return
Following the conclusion of his ban, Pellizotti signed with the Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela team.[7][8]
In August 2013, it was announced that after two years with Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela, Pellizotti was to join Astana for the 2014 season.[9] However, Pellizotti would have only been able to compete from May 2014 due to Astana being a member of the Mouvement pour un cyclisme crédible (MPCC),[10] and that Pellizotti had previously served a two-year ban for a UCI biological passport violation.[11] Further talks between Pellizotti and Astana resulted in his contract with the squad being nullified,[12] and Pellizotti was able to return to Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela for a third season, in 2014.[13]
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