Suspended Italian prefers to be riding than making coffee
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Stage winner Giuseppe Muraglia (CDC Cavaliere), right, spreads the good news.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Giuseppe Muraglia (CDC Cavaliere) wins stage three in Catanzaro.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Day three of the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria-Challenge was a homecoming of sorts for Giuseppe Muraglia, who won the 171.4km stage from Crotone - Catanzaro after prevailing in a 15-man break.
The 30-year-old from Andria, in Italy's south, won the stage in Catanzaro, Regio di Calabria, about 400km from his home region. It was his first victory since returning to the sport in October last year.
Muraglia served a two-year suspension for testing positive to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and explained that he was just happy to be racing again after a testing time on the sidelines.
"I made mistakes for which I take all the responsibility," said Muraglia. "At the beginning of last year I found that only CDC-Cavaliere was ready to believe in me. I was a bartender in Pescara and I admit that serving coffee in a room for twelve hours a day is less pleasant than riding."
Muraglia won the second stage of the 2005 Giro del Trentino and spent two seasons at Swiss-registered squad LPR before moving to Acqua e Sapone - Caffè Mokambo in 2007, during which time he won the Clasica de Almeria and subsequently returned a positive urine sample which led to his suspension.
He says that this win has helped put a very trying period behind him and he's now focused on clearing his name in the best way possible - by proving he doesn't use performance-enhancing substances.
"A lot of champions in cycling have been given a chance: it's [through] my own little programme but I do not want to leave any question marks. I have already made three doping tests since last summer and I'm motivated to prove my credibility," he explained.
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