“The team has always believed in me and I am grateful" - Michele Gazzoli tastes victory on second day of racing after year-long doping ban
Cycling
Returning to racing for the first time since a year-long suspension for doping, Astana Qazaqstan Team's Michele Gazzoli took just two days to get that winning feeling.
"This is a dream,” he told Wielerflits in his post-stage interview. “I have worked so hard for this goal. For the past year I have thought about this moment every day, every workout and every second. I am completely back.”
The 24-year-old Italian was demoted to Astana's development team upon his return but the Kazakh-based outfit has largely supported him throughout a tough twelve months and Gazzoli is delighted to reward them with a win, so soon after returning.
“The year was long. I kept training to improve myself. That gave me the motivation to keep going. I went to Livigno twice on a training camp with my friends. The fact that it succeeds right now makes me emotional, but also very happy," he says. “The team has always believed in me and I am grateful to them for that.”
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— Arctic Race of Norway (@ArcticRaceofN) August 18, 2023
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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