Matteo Rabottini’s former team manager at Farnese Vini, Angelo Citracca, has called on people to help the troubled Italian rider after he said his life had become hell and he became estranged from his family after he tested positive for EPO in the summer of 2014.
Citracca now manages the Southeast team and revealed to Cyclingnews that he saw Rabottini a few months ago. He has since exchanged messages with him and his father and hopes they can resolve their differences and rebuild their relationship.
Citracca said he would like to help Rabottini if he eventually decided to make a comeback to professional cycling but explained that his hands are tied due to the series of doping cases in his teams in recent years. Citracca's team has lost sponsorship after doping cases involving Danilo di Luca, Mauro Santambrogio and in 2015 Panama's Ramon Carretero, who's father helped secure the Southeast sponsorship.
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“It’s sad what has happened to Matteo. We considered legal action against him at first because his case damaged our team at the time and put the future of the team at risk. However we’ve spoken since and he apologised to us a couple of months ago. I wish him all the best, I know he’s a nice guy really but just made a big mistake in a moment of weakness.”
“I know his dad well and hope they can rebuild their relationship. I hope that Matteo can rebuild his life. I don’t know if that’s by making a comeback in some way or finding a job in cycling. I’d would love to help Matteo on a personal level but it’s not easy for a team like mine to sign him after his ban. My hands are tied. I’ve got to think about public opinion, what the media would write and the position of my sponsors. I’ve also got to think about the other riders and staff in the team. I can’t put their futures at risk because they deserve their place in the sport.”
In a long interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Rabottini revealed that his parents have stopped talking to him and he has split up with his long-term partner.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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