 In June 2010, Riccò was handed a two-year suspended sentence by a Toulouse court, which was upheld on appeal in November 2011.In August 2010, Riccò terminated his contract for , and signed a two-year contract with Dutch Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team.On 6 February 2011 Riccò was admitted to a hospital in critical condition, with sepsis and kidney failure, allegedly due to a blood transfusion he performed on himself with 25-day-old blood.