Carlo Santuccione


Carlo Santuccione was an Italian sports doctor who was also known as Ali the Chemist. Santuccione worked with Francesco Conconi at the University of Ferrara in Italy at the Centro Studi Biomedici Applicati allo Sport or Biomedical Research Institute.

History

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 1995-2000 by the Italian National Olympic Committee. 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 began in 29 Italian provinces against a doping network that Santuccione was suspected to have headed. Doping products such as Testosterone anabolic steroids, EPO, Aranesp and blood transfusion equipment were found and investigations were opened against 138 athletes. On 18 December 2007 Santuccione was given a lifetime ban by the Italian National Olympic Committee 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 who finished second in the 2008 Giro d'Italia and tested positive for a form of third generation EPO during the 2008 Tour de France named Santuccione as his supplier of the drug.

List of racers