Unibet Rose Rockets confirm contract termination for rider over biological passport irregularities: “Notwithstanding the presumption of innocence”

Unibet Rose Rockets have confirmed the termination of Italian rider Giovanni Carboni’s contract following irregularities identified in his biological passport, bringing an abrupt end to his time with the team.

The squad, which was founded in the Netherlands and previously raced under the name Unibet Tietema Rockets, announced the decision via social media. The team has since transitioned into a French registered structure.

Carboni, who is 30, had already been provisionally suspended earlier this year after the UCI flagged unexplained abnormalities in his biological passport.

Such irregularities can be indicative of doping related activity, although no final ruling on the matter has yet been delivered by cycling’s governing body.

While stressing that no formal guilt has been established, Unibet Rose Rockets said an internal review led them to end their working relationship with the rider.

“Notwithstanding the presumption of innocence regarding the UCI matter, our internal review confirmed a violation of the rider’s duty of transparency and loyalty. While this decision stands apart from the UCI’s disciplinary process, it underlines our uncompromising commitment to integrity, transparency and open communication, in line with our values and our status as an MPCC member,” the team stated.

The wording of the statement makes clear that the contract termination is not presented as a disciplinary ruling on doping itself, but rather as a consequence of internal standards and expectations within the organisation.

The biological passport irregularities highlighted by the UCI date back to the 2024 season, when Carboni was riding for Japanese continental outfit JCL Team UKYO.

At this stage, no further sanctions or conclusions have been announced by the UCI, and the governing body has not issued an updated timeline on the case.

Carboni’s future in professional cycling remains uncertain while the biological passport case remains unresolved.