Nailed with a prohibited stimulant prior to the Olympics Italian cyclist Marta Bastianelli was handed a 1 year ban from cycling. The verdict indicates that the court meted out some leniency in her case. The cyclist claims she was unaware the drug was in the weight loss supplements she used in training. (To the AP)
Italian cyclist Marta Bastianelli was banned for one year by the Italian Olympic Committee on Thursday for testing positive for a banned stimulant.
Bastianelli, who won the women's road race at last year's world championships, was kept out of the Beijing Olympics after testing positive during July's under-23 European championships in northern Italy.
Bastianelli was questioned by the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor in August. The 21-year-old rider has said she did not knowingly use the drug but has acknowledged taking a slimming product that contained the banned substance.
Spain and Italy's top women's riders, Italy's by the way, the woman's World Champion were banned from the Olympics. That shows you how much doping there is in Cyclist because Spain and Italy are among the top cycling nations as well. Both seem to get riders caught where I don't quite trust say, the Spanish rider who won the Tour De France.
At least in the Olympics, there is the appearance of trying to clean up and it seems they are having some success.
But cycling is a pro-sport, pro teams, so it looks like there is'nt much of anything that is going to clean it up.
Posted by: ernest | 10/15/2008 at 12:18