Eddy Mazzoleni has been handed a two-year ban by the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) for his involvement in the Oil for Drugs affair. The FCI also banned 28 year-old former Ceramica Flaminia rider Domenico Quagliariello for life for his involvement in the same affair.
Mazzoleni, third in last year's Giro d'Italia, was initially suspended by his Astana team in June 2007 before having his contract terminated a few days later. Both men have 10 days to lodge an appeal with the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).
The Oil for Drugs inquiry, looking into a suspected EPO doping network, was launched in 2004 and was based on relationships of several athletes with Dr. Carlo Santuccione. Santuccione had been suspended from 1995 to 2000 in a doping affair. His involvement in the illegal doping practices was found out after investigators bugged his surgery and recorded several phone conversations which implicated him in the affair.
Other riders who have been implicated in the affair include 2007 Giro winner, Danilo Di Luca, who received a three-month suspension for his involvement.
