EF Education-EasyPost announced on Friday that the team had terminated Andrea Piccolo's contract shortly after the rider was stopped by Italian authorities during entry "on suspicion of transporting human growth hormone."

The 23-year-old, who joined the US team from Androni Giocattoli in 2022, had been subject to an internal suspension at EF on May 3.He "was found to be receiving sleep assistance that is legal but not approved by the team.""

Piccolo's contract has now been terminated after an incident with the Italian authorities on Friday, June21, the team said they were unable to terminate the contract back in May

EF said the team "will fully cooperate with any investigation on the matter and encourage Andrea to be open and truthful with the anti-doping authorities.""

"Trafficking or attempted trafficking of a prohibited substance or prohibited method by an athlete or another person" constitutes an anti-doping rule violation under Section 2.7 of the WADA Code. If convicted, the athlete or "other person" who committed the violation will face a WADA-mandated suspension from a minimum of four years to a lifetime suspension, depending on the severity of the violation.

"EF Pro Cycling has terminated Andrea Piccolo's contract and is now in effect immediately," EF said in a post on Twitter on Friday. 

"Piccolo was suspended internally without paying for a month after taking a sleep aid that was not approved by the team despite being legal. The team immediately reported the usage to uci, but due to legal reasons surrounding the uci Standard rider contract, it was unable to terminate the contract at the time. After his retirement, he returned to the Giro d'Italia.

"6/21, Piccolo was suspended by the Italian authorities upon entering the country on suspicion of the transport of human growth hormone. Our organization will fully cooperate with any investigation on the matter and encourage Andrea to be open and truthful with the anti-doping authorities."

This season, Piccolo raced for 34 days at EF, including trips to Tour Colombia and Paris-Nice. Last month he completed the 18th stage of the Giro d'Italia, finishing fourth in Stage 6 and abandoning it after a hard crash in Stage 19.

According to his Twitter account, Piccolo has been training in Colombia recently but was riding near Lake Maggiore in Lombardy, near the northern border with Switzerland in Italy, on Friday.Instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrams. He was expected to travel to Tuscany to ride the Italian National Championship, but now he has no team and is facing big questions.

Piccolo has not responded to the EF education announcement.