Rome (dpa) - The professional cyclists Alessandro Ballan and Mauro Santambrogio, who are suspected of doping, will not be competing in the Giro d'Italia.
The American-Swiss professional cycling team BMC withdrew the 2008 road cycling world champion and his team-mate from the Tour of Italy starting in Turin on Saturday due to their involvement in the doping investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Mantua.
As reported by the "Gazzetta dello Sport", Ballan is said to have practised EPO blood doping and used growth hormones at least ten times during his time with the Lampre racing team in 2009. Investigators overheard Ballan's conversations with pharmacist Guido Nigrelli. Nigrelli is suspected of being the centre of a doping network.
According to information from the public prosecutor's office in Mantua, Ballan underwent blood transfusions with the doctor Fiorenzo Bonazzi. Bonazzi worked together with Nigrelli. 16 Lampre riders had frequented Nigrelli's pharmacy "as if it were a sacristy of doping", as the "Gazzetta" wrote.
The professionals were supplied with anabolic steroids, EPO and hormones and advised on how to take the preparations and how to prevent detection. "Ballan would never have become anything without chemicals," the newspaper quoted the pharmacist, who is said to be a good friend of the ex-pro and former Lampre team boss Giuseppe Saronni.
Ballan and Santambrogio have been provisionally suspended by their team, as they have been before in this matter. "Both professionals are co-operating in this investigation and - as last year - the BMC Racing Team assumes their innocence and continues to expect their full co-operation with the authorities in their investigation," read the team's official statement.
Alessandro Ballan is under investigation on suspicion of doping.
