Francesco Reda

Francesco Reda at the 2009 Tour Down Under

Francesco Reda (born November 19, 1982 in Cosenza ) is an Italian racing cyclist .

Career

After Francesco Reda won a stage at the Giro Ciclistico della Provincia di Cosenza in the 2006 season , Reda was in 2007 with the Italian Professional Continental Team OTC Doors-Lauretana . His first good result as a professional was fourth place in the Tour du Haut-Var . During the season Reda was able to take second place in the Italian semi-classics Trofeo Matteotti and Giro di Romagna and third place in Coppa Agostoni .

In 2008 Reda switched to the Belgian ProTeam Quick Step and has not been able to build on these individual successes since then. Between 2009 and 2011 he competed three times in the Giro d'Italia and once in the Tour de France . He finished the Giro twice: in 2009 as 139 and in 2011 as 134.

Reda received a doping ban from June 21, 2013 to June 20, 2015 because he missed several training controls. The ban was reduced to nine months, so that he was allowed to start again after the decision was announced in September 2014. He tested positive for EPO during the Italian Championships in July 2015, just months after his comeback. In February 2016, Reda was banned from the Italian Anti-Doping Tribunal for eight years.