With the recent revelations that Italian Davide Rebellin along with German Stefan Shumacher have tested positive for CERA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Giro d’Italia organization has announced that they will be taking further steps to ensure that when the peloton start on May 9th it will be clean.
“There will be more conventional and targeted testing,” race director Angelo Zomegnan told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
The recent discoveries were made when retroactive testing for CERA, the new breed of EPO, was done on samples given by the riders. At the time of the Olympics there was no test available for the drug.
Rebellin and Shumacher have both continue to proclaim their innocence in the matter. “I have a clear conscience, I have taken nothing,” said Rebellin. Both riders were part of the now defunct Gerolsteiner team, where Austrian Bernard Kohl also tested positive for the substance. Kohl has admitted to doping and started a major effort for doping reform in his country.
But one can only wonder if there are any connections between the riders. Perhaps another doping ring could be uncovered and bring another stain to the sport.
These are different times now, and perhaps the now 37-year-old Rebellin figured he had nothing to lose as he tossed respect for the sport itself aside. As cycling works to turn the page towards its next chapter, the story will be littered with those that refuse to change their ways. Two things are certain; cycling has chosen to get rid of the cheats, and in time a new and cleaner chapter will be written.