 Belgian champion Freddy Maertens cast doubt on whether Garzelli was guilty of choosing to doping, likening the incident to the 1974 world championships, in which Martaens was deliberately sabotaged by the soigneur of his rival Eddy Merckx.Garzelli was able to mount a comeback for the 2003 Giro d'Italia and was able to challenge eventual winner Gilberto Simoni in the race.In December 2012, Garzelli signed a one-year contract with the team for the 2013 season, and retired thereafter.