Italian Olympic Committee seeks punishment, could apply further sanctions
Almost two and a half months after Filippo Pozzato was handed a partially-backdated three month suspension for working with the banned doctor Michele Ferrari, the Italian Olympic Committee CONI has requested the same sanction for two other Italian riders accused of doing the same.
The 2011 Giro d’Italia winner Michele Scarponi and former national champion Giovanni Visconti are both accused of breaking Article 3.2 of the anti-doping regulations through their collaboration with Ferrari. The doctor has been accused of doping many riders in cycling, including Lance Armstrong and several members of his US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.
Italian riders have been banned from working with him for the past decade, although it appears that has not stopped Pozzato, Visconti, Scarponi and many others from doing precisely that.
The latter two were summoned to face the anti-doping prosecutor of Italian Olympic Committee CONI in June.
He was following up on media reports relating to the investigation carried out by the prosecutor of Padua.
Even if it is granted, the brevity of CONI’s three month ban means it is unlikely to play a significant dissuasive effect on other riders considering the same. If the sanction runs over the winter months, neither rider will face any significant disruption to their racing programme.
Scarponi has already served a lengthy doping ban due to his part in Operacion Puerto. He was suspended by his Lampre ISD team earlier this month. If he is given a three month ban and it runs from that point, he will be eligible to race in early February.
CONI has reserved the right to take further disciplinary action if it is warranted by the ongoing Padua investigation.