“I never doped in my life - I never even considered it” - Vincenzo Nibali reveals he's been at the centre of secret investigation since retirement

One of the leading Grand Tour riders of his generation, Vincenzo Nibali ended his career at the conclusion of 2022 with two Giro d'Italias, a Tour de France and a Vuelta a Espana on his palmares among numerous other successes. Although the Italian was never convicted of doping during his career, since retirement he has been a victim of some intense scrutiny.

Although, as mentioned, Nibali has never tested positive for any doping substance during his professional career, 'The Shark of Messina' felt the effects of the sport's dark side on numerous occasions during his career, missing out on some big wins to riders who eventually failed a test. “I've probably lost a lot,” he admits in an interview with Corriere della Sera, citing the examples of Maxim Iglinskiy, a convicted doper who edged out Nibali at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2012, and Ezequiel Mosquera, who rivalled Nibali at the 2010 Vuelta before later seeing his results annulled nearly a decade later.

“Racing felt like going to war," Nibali explains, although he insists that not all were willing to do anything and everything it takes to win, such as the aforementioned Iglinskiy and Mosquera. “If you didn’t want to dope, you didn’t have to.”

That doesn't mean Nibali has been free from suspicion though. As he explains, after retiring without a failed test to his name, suspicion of himself has ramped up to an almost crazy level. “I never doped in my life, and I never even considered it. They can analyse my samples a hundred years from now. They won’t find anything,” says the 40-year-old defiantly, although that hasn't stopped some going to some extreme lengths in an attempt to dig up some dirt on the former Astana leader.

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“They followed me, opened my car, went through my phone — and I’m convinced they entered my home looking for proof that wasn’t there,” reveals Nibali, believing he knows the reason for the doubt. “I was winning, I was Italian, and my team boss, Vinokourov, had a murky past like many others.”