Di Luca doping ban reduced after cooperation

11 comments
By AFP | Friday, Oct 15, 2010 2.39pm

Disgraced Italian Danilo Di Luca is set to return to competition in January 2011 after an anti-doping tribunal at the Italian Olympic Commitee (CONI) reduced a two-year doping ban to 15 months today.

Di Luca, the 2007 Tour of Italy winner, was initially banned for two years after testing positive for the latest generation of the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO-Cera) after finishing runner-up in 2008.

He was handed a 280,000-euro fine and banned until July 21, 2011. However, his collaboration with investigators probing illicit doping methods and practices has allowed him an early return.

Di Luca insisted, however, he implicated no one.

"I gave no names," said the Italian, a former one-day classics specialist. "I did it for (the good of) cycling, not to point the finger at any cyclists. I explained the methods (of doping). My decision to speak was above all to help educate the youth."

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Now hoping to find a team and "return to the classics and the Tour of Italy", Di Luca said he is simply happy to go back to work.

"I'm happy because finally I can go back to work as of tomorrow," he added as he left the tribunal.

"In this last year and a half I haven't stopped training. Now I just have to make up for lost time."

© AFP 2010

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User Comments

There are 11 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 11 of 11 comments

  • ... but he cheated! Maybe my simple mind is missing something !

  • Did the crime served the time. Will be good to see The Killer back

  • Failing to give names should have meant his suspension was not decreased, but increased ..... indefinitely, until he actually confessed fully and gave a comprehensive report on who he had contact with and where he got his dope.

    Until the authorities take these cases seriously and treat the cheats as the criminals they are, the sad state of pro-racing will continue its decline.

    Does this fool really believe that anyone will have trust in any victories he manages to gain if/when he returns to racing?

    Get lost ..... Loser!!

  • Cheaters! Away with you from all that is called cycling!

    Go to hell with you, loser.

  • why do they allow druggies back into the sport???? i dont get it!

    ban em for life. that will stop the loser who need to cheat.

  • WTF!!!! These cheats are laughing at the authorites and us. How carbonfiend can shrug this off so easily just demonstrates how doping/cheating has become a normal part of cycling.

  • LIFE BAN get him out of the sport he continues to dope and always will

  • What are you talking about? The kind of crime can never write off he is loser, cheater! "The Killer" yes he killed himself, as all the other idiots!

  • The Killer is pure class and probably the most aggressive and combative rider of our time. And I think the 'hang him coz he was speeding' attitude of you lot does even more damage coz if you think exessive punishment works for minor crime works then you are frankly deluded and obviously blind.

  • sh*t just realised I made a grammatical error in my previous post, does this mean I should be banned from BR forever or maybe just loose a finger or two

  • "carbonfiend" Are you just trying to wind people up,or do you really believe doping to be a minor crime?

    If the latter is true ,then its you who is "deluded"

    How many of Di Luca's wins do you think he is proud of ?

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