No leniency from Italian anti-doping investigators
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Danilo Di Luca was a late addition to the Vini Fantini team(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) takes a drink(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) on the attack late in stage 4.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Italian anti-doping investigators have requested that Danilo Di Luca is given a life ban for his positive test for EPO that emerged during this year's Giro d'Italia.
The Italian Procura Anti-doping has judged that Di Luca violated article 2.1 of the WADA code, testing positive for EPO in an out of competition test ordered by the UCI.
The former Vini Fantini-Selle Italia rider has already been banned for using the blood boosting drug CERA in 2009 and for his involvement in the Oil for Drugs investigation and his links with Dr. Carlo Santuccione.
The 37 year-old Italian tested positive for EPO on April 29, just days after he joined the Vini Fantini-Selle Italia team and a few days before the start of the Giro d'Italia. The Tuscan team signed Di Luca after pressure from Vini Fantini, which is based near Di Luca home in the Abruzzo region. The team also signed Mauro Santambrogio after he left the BMC team. He tested positive during the Giro d'Italia after winning a stage.
The Italian Procura Anti-doping also called for Di Luca's results after his anti-doping test be declared invalid. He finished in the top ten four times during the Giro d'Italia before quitting the race in shame on the morning of stage 20.
Di Luca's 2009 ban was reduced from two years to nine months after he helped investigators with information about doping. The Procura offered little leniency this time.
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
