iro . ▁ ▁Just ▁five ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁race ▁began , ▁the ▁U CI ▁announced ▁several ▁rid ers ▁were ▁under ▁susp icion ▁of ▁do ping ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁irregular ▁values ▁in ▁their ▁bi ological ▁pass ports . ▁Among ▁them ▁was ▁Franco ▁P ell iz otti , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁set ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁for ▁the ▁ ▁team ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁pre - race ▁favorite . ▁While ▁team ▁firm ly ▁stood ▁behind ▁P ell iz otti ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁and ▁expressed ▁anger ▁that ▁the ▁U CI ▁un ve iled ▁their ▁find ings ▁so ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁G iro , ▁they ▁oblig ingly ▁pulled ▁him ▁from ▁their ▁squad . ▁He ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁V inc en zo ▁N ib ali , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁planning ▁to ▁ride ▁the ▁Tour ▁of ▁California ▁as ▁a ▁squad ▁leader . ▁While ▁not ▁an ▁overall ▁favorite , ▁Aless andro ▁Ball an ▁intended ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁race , ▁stating ▁in ▁October ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁certain ty ▁he ▁would ▁start , ▁after ▁missing ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁G iro ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁world ▁champion . ▁This ▁was ▁an ▁indic ation ▁well ▁in ▁advance ▁that ▁the ▁ ▁was ▁in ▁line ▁for ▁an ▁inv ite ▁to ▁the ▁race . ▁Ball an ▁was ▁later ▁susp ended ▁by ▁his ▁team ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁an ▁internal ▁do ping ▁investigation , ▁meaning ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁miss ▁the ▁G iro . ▁He ▁was ▁later ▁cleared ▁of ▁any ▁wrong do ing .