Di Luca out of world’s, organizers ask court to bar Bettini
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Sep. 27, 2007
Giro d’Italia winner Danilo Di Luca announced late Thursday he was pulling out of the cycling world championships.
Di Luca’s withdrawal from Sunday’s elite men’s road race came after calls that he be handed a four month suspension for his connection with a drugs scandal by Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI).
“It’s a scandal, the procurer has done everything so that I don’t compete at the championships,” said the Italian.
Di Luca’s withdrawal out came after a dramatic day at the world championships in which world road champion Paolo Bettini was reported to have been interviewed by police in Stuttgart.
The claim was made by International Cycling Union (UCI) spokesman Enrico Carpani, but was later denied by sources close to the 33-year-old who is accused by sacked cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz of supplying the German with doping products.
Bettini’s participation in Sunday’s race is in doubt.
Earlier Thursday the world champs’ organizing committee sought an injunction at Stuttgart’s regional court to prevent him from starting.
The organizers insist Bettini signs the full UCI anti-doping agreement which makes it compulsory for every rider to provide a blood sample before Sunday’s race.
Bettini says demanding a sample is a breach of his human rights and has also refused to sign any agreement because of a clause which demands the repayment of a year’s salary after a positive drugs test.
Susanne Eisenmann, the president of the organizing committee in Stuttgart, told German television channel ZDF on Thursday morning she wants every rider to sign the agreement to ensure the event is as drugs-free as possible.
But UCI president Pat McQuaid insisted the organizers did not have the right to prevent Bettini competing in Stuttgart.
“The signing of the agreement is only a moral obligation, that is something the Stuttgart organizers must accept,” said McQuaid.
Eisenmann met journalists at Stuttgart’s world championships early Thursday and underlined her determination to have Bettini sign the full agreement.
The Italian signed a partial agreement in July which excluded the providing of a blood sample.
“The court is checking whether the document signed in July is legally binding,” said Eisenmann.”If that is the case, we will then have the legal power to say to the UCI that Bettini does not have the right to compete.”
The court’s decision is expected on Friday.
To add to the tension, the relationship between the Stuttgart organizers of the World Road Championships and the German Cycling Federation (BDR) has become frosty.
BDR vice-president Udo Sprenger has been made persona non-grata by the organizers who want Sprenger to leave the championships and have his accreditation removed, said Eisenmann.
Sprenger was accused last June of being involved in doping by an anonymous source.
BDR president Rudolf Scharping had backed Sprenger, who filed a slander complaint against the allegation but Eisenmann insists the source is credible and reliable.
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FILED UNDER: Road