Riccardo Ricco, who is in the process of serving a 12 year doping ban, has called the UCI’s Reform Commission (CIRC) “a joke” at the launch for his book ““A Funeral in Yellow — The Confessions of The Cobra”.

He spoke about how he thinks cycling is cleaner than before, but he still believes that winning a grand Tour clean is not possible.

“It’s cleaner now but not completely clean,” the 31-year-old told Tutto Bici.

“You can [race a grand tour clean]. I did in 2006 at the Tour de France. Winning it clean? A one-day classic, yes. A grand tour, no.”

Ricco won two stages and the Young Riders classification in the 2008 Giro behind Alberto Contador and then taking two stages in the Tour de France that year, before failing a test for CERA-EPO. Ricco was back in 2010 with Vaconsoleil, but almost killed himself after a blood transfusion in his home went wrong. He has rectly spoke about targeting the records on the sport’s toughest climbs, such as Mont Ventoux.

At the book launch in Milan, Riccò spoke about his visit to the ongoing Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC). The commission offers reduced sentences to riders who come in and tell the commission all about doping, in an attempt to help the UCI leanr more about doping and how to prevent it. Ricco however, dooesnt think it will work, calling it laughable.

“The commission? It’s a joke,” Riccò said.

“I spoke for seven hours. I gave first and last names of people that still work in cycling today: doctors, sports directors, cyclists. But I didn’t get a reduction, even if they said that I could cut my ban by more than half. The rules are interpreted and applied differently, depending on who you are.”

Ricco clearly regrets what has happened to him and insists that if he could turn back the clock, he would not dope and would find another way to be successful.

“If I could do it again? I would not make the same errors I made,” he said. “I would not dope gain, or I’d do it in a different way.”