Less than two years ago, Mauro Santambrogio tested positive for EPO and was very close to committing suicide a few weeks after the incident. Now he has signed a contract with the Amore e Vita team and is ready to return to racing.

Mauro Santambrogio has put his EPO positive behind him but will never forget the difficult hours that followed, moments that could have been fatal. In an interview with Il Tirreno, the new Amore & Vita-Selle SMP signing talked about he new adventure and what he has gone through. He is convinced that he won't miss the chance given to him by the Fanini family.

"Having been raised in Luca Scinto's and Angelo Citracca's team to which I will always be grateful for what they have done for me, I eagerly accepted the offer from the Fanini family which will allow me to get closer to raicng after a nightmare," he said. "Now my new cycling life starts with them.

"In 2013, I touched the sky when I won the Giro stage in Bardonecchia but one week later I was already on the ground. Only my family and I know what I went through in the next months. It hurts to remember the times when my life could have ended in a tragical way. I have to thank [RAI journalist] Alessandro De Stefano and some of the her journalist friends at RCS Sport for being here toay as they were able to intervene after a terrible night when they had seen my shocking messages on the web. I just wanted to get away."