[ire]

They have been hounding this poor guy for a while now. Seems like his fate has been on a roller coaster ride most of the year.

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13525.0.html

Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca was hit with a three-month racing ban Tuesday that will force him out of this weekend's ProTour showdown at the Giro di Lombardia.

Di Luca received the suspension for alleged links to controversial Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione, who is the center of an ongoing investigation dubbed "Oils for Drugs," which dates back to 2003.

Police believe that Santuccione is the ringleader of an alleged doping ring involving cyclists and other athletes. Di Luca was heard in telephone taps conversing with Santuccione, but has denied all wrong-doing.

Di Luca was hounded by media as he entered the 90-minute hearing before Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI) on Tuesday, saying he was "very calm, as always."

The Liquigas captain has been under fire on and off since 2004 for alleged links to Santuccione and was forced out of the 2004 Tour de France when the first suspicions made headlines.

Di Luca pulled himself out of last month's world championship when CONI threatened him with a four-month suspension. That ban was reduced to three months, which won't amount to much more than a slap on the wrist coming at the end of the racing season.

It could cost him a shot at a second ProTour individual title in three years, however. He will be forced out of Saturday's running of Lombardia, the season-closer and final ProTour event.

Di Luca holds a slender 15-point lead to second-place Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto), who's made a late-season surge with a strong fourth-place run at the Vuelta a España.

Erasing the 15-point difference certainly isn't beyond reach. With 50 points for the winner, 40 for second, 35 for third, 30 for fourth, 25 for fifth and 20 for sixth, the Australian will need to be among the top 6 to snatch away the leader's white jersey.

Even if Di Luca isn't there to defend his lead, it could be a fitting reward for Evans, who's had a season full of close calls, including second at the Tour de France, second at the Dauphiné Libéré and fourth at the Vuelta.

 

[Heidi]

Yah, they have been after that guy forever!

 

[ire]

I hope Evans does well and wins the Protour

 

[James]

I hope Evans does well and wins the Protour

Yeah, me too. This guy has had such an "almost, but not quite" season, it'd be nice to see him take this win.

 

[reflux]

Part of me thinks that I should care.

 

[ire]

Part of me thinks that I should care.

nah, just another doper ejected from the peleton

 

[SPINTECK]

it makes me wonder if everyone still is really dirty. kind of sad to think another doper wins because the 1st doper got caught.

 

[ire]

Looks like Evans is going to get it, Di Luca kicked out of Protour ranking:
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13536.0.html