THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING »

Get the VeloNews Email Newsletter FREE

  Learn More | Archive
Home » Top Stories » News and Features »

Italian doctor given life-time suspension

By VeloNews.com
Published: Dec. 17, 2007

Italy’s Olympic committee has handed down a life-time ban to Carlo Santuccione, the doctor at the center of the “Oil for Drugs” investigation that has involved several high-profile athletes, including Giro d’Italia winner Danilo Di Luca.

A disciplinary panel of Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Monday ruled that Santuccione could no longer associate himself with athletes, sporting events or organizations for the remainder of his career because of his involvement in the distribution of performance-enhancing substances. Santuccione had already served a five-year suspension from cycling, starting in 1995.

Santuccione was named by several witnesses and investigators as the organizer of the four-year-old “Oil for Drugs” conspiracy that allegedly supplied drugs to several of Italy’s most high-profile athletes, including Di Luca and former world pole vaulting champion Giuseppe Gibilisco.

Earlier this year, Di Luca was given a three-month suspension for his association with Santuccione. Gibilisco is currently serving a two-year ban for doping. Both men have denied doping and neither man had tested positive for drugs.

The CONI panel reveal few details about its reasons for the decision on Monday, however Santuccione’s name was central in documents released earlier this year by Italian anti-narcotics investigators. Those documents included summaries of audio and video tapes that showed Di Luca and former Astana rider Eddy Mazzoleni meeting with the doctor.

For his part, Santuccione has denied the allegations, suggesting that much of the investigation is based on anonymous tips motivated by the “jealousy” of athletes who were regularly beaten by his clients.