UCI says Danilo Di Luca tested positive for EPO during the Giro

Danilo Di Luca tested positive for EPO during the Tour of Italy, in which he placed second, the UCI said Wednesday.

The 33-year-old LPR team leader, who is not competing in the Tour de France, won two stages of the Giro and wore the leader’s pink jersey for eight days. He finished second overall 41 seconds behind Rabobank’s Denis Menchov.

Di Luca was due to take part in the Brixia Tour in Italy on Thursday and had been targeting the world championships at the end of September in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

The UCI Press Release:

Danilo Di Luca provisionally suspended

Earlier today, the UCI advised Italian rider Danilo Di Luca that he is provisionally suspended. The decision to provisionally suspend Mr Di Luca was made in response to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Paris indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of Recombinant EPO (CERA) in blood samples collected from him at the Giro d’Italia on 20 May and 28 May 2009.

These adverse findings were a direct result of a targeted test programme conducted on Mr Di Luca using information from his biological passport’s blood profile, previous test results and his race schedule.

The provisional suspension of Mr Di Luca remains in force until a hearing panel convened by the Italian Cycling Federation determines whether he has indeed committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.

Mr Di Luca has the right to request and attend the analyses of both his B samples.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional information at this time.

UCI Press Services