Snow Brings Giro d'Italia to a Halt -19th Stage is Cancelled
& Di Luca's Suspended for Positive Drugs Test
By Daily Mail UK, 24 May 2013
Friday's 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello has been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, race organisers have announced.
Two of the major climbs on the stage had already been axed due to snow, and officials were forced to admit defeat in their fight to keep the rest of the stage open.
This year's race has been hit by bad weather, with torrential rain interrupting a number of previous stages, and organisers now have to re-organise the culmination of the race which is due to end on Sunday.
Snow joke: The peloton winds its way through to Ivrea
Italian Vincenzo Nibali extended his overall lead to four minutes and two seconds by winning the Stage 18 mountain time trial yesterday.
Australian Cadel Evans and Team Sky's Rigoberto Uran are fighting it out for second place.
Meanwhile, Vini Fantini-Selle Italia rider Danilo Di Luca has been provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs for the second time in his career.
A surprise doping test carried out at the 37-year-old’s home on April 29 revealed erythropoietin (EPO) in his system.
Tough going: The course on stage 18 of the race was covered in snow
Di Luca was previously handed a two-year ban - later reduced to nine months - after testing positive for CERA during the 2009 edition of the Giro d’Italia.
Delay: There was no racing on Friday
A UCI statement read:
Quote:
“This morning the UCI advised Italian rider Danilo Di Luca that he is provisionally suspended.
'The decision to provisionally suspend this rider was made in response to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Koln indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of EPO in a urine sample collected from him in an out of competition test on April 29, 2013.
'The provisional suspension of Mr. Danilo Di Luca remains in force until a hearing panel convened by the Italian Cycling Federation determines whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.
'Mr. Danilo Di Luca has the right to request and attend the analysis of his ‘B’ sample.
'Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional information at this time.'
|
Di Luca, who was 26th in the general classificiation at the weather-affected Giro before today’s suspension, was also disqualified for three months after winning the 2007 Giro for his association with banned doctor Carlo Santuccione.
The decision to sign the rider to Fantini-Selle on April 26 reportedly sparked much debate in the Italian team and today sporting director Luca Scinto told the Gazzetta dello Sport:
'Di Luca is an idiot, I never wanted him.'
.