Well, it's not just a black day for the sport of cycling, but a pitch-black day for Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team. I really feel sorry for them, and especially for Sergey Lagutin.

Already from the beginning, when the team said they would hire Riccardo Riccò, I said that I don't want the Italian to be near the fantastic Uzbek.

Yes, I can accept that people wanted to give him a second chance, but I was still worried.

Last week, Italian police searched the home of Riccardo Riccò and found around 50 unidentified tablets, according to Italian newspaper Leggo.

“I think it’s old news from a couple of weeks ago,” a member of Vacansoleil's team management said when talking to Cyclingnews today. “At this moment he’s at Franco-Belge and racing. I want to wait for a formal statement from the police or investigation in Italy before we do anything because at this time it’s just rumours but we’ll do what’s necessary. Until then he will race in Frano-Belge.”

Those pills may not be doping substances and hopefully they aren't. But the police found stimulants and cortisone at the home of Donato Cannone (Ceramica Flaminia) and Enrico Rossi of the same team was arrested in connection to the investigation named “Cobra-Red.

Enrico Rossi is the brother of Riccò's ex-girlfriend Vania Rossi, who tested positive for EPO CERA in January.