Maximiliano Richeze

Maximiliano Richeze

Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (born March 7, 1983 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine professional cyclist who rides for Team Nippo.

In his first season as a professional racer, he obtained the second position in the last stage of the 2006 Giro d'Italia, finishing some centimetres behind Robert Förster. He is considered to be the Argentine cyclist to obtain the best result in any of the three main cycling tours (the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España), since nationalized Lucien Petit-Breton raced for France, Argentina born Juan Antonio Flecha raced for Spain, and Alejandro Borrajo only achieved a third place, also at the Giro.

In the 2007 Giro d'Italia Richeze placed 3rd on Stage 3 and 2nd on Stage 18 and 21, all of which were won by Alessandro Petacchi. But, after the disqualification of the Italian in May 2008 by doping, Richeze was declared the winner of stages 18 and 21 of that Giro.

Among his other achievements are the first position of the Stage 1 and other second positions in the 2006 Le Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia, and the 2005 Trofeo Arvedi of the Circuito del Porto in Portugal. Also in 2005 he won the Panamerican under-23 Championship, and in 2003 he became the Argentine under-23 champion.

Before the start of the 2008 Giro d'Italia Richeze tested positive for a steroid named stanazol which resulted in his expulsion from the race. Despite being initially cleared by the Argentine Cycling Federation he was banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for two years.