"Oil for drugs?" Huh? Can anyone explain the Di Luca situation beyond a summary "they're all dirty" argument?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/oct07/oct16news2

"Oil for drugs?" Huh? Can anyone explain the Di Luca situation beyond a summary "they're all dirty" argument?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/oct07/oct16news2

I believe they got Di Luca on the phone talking to Chemical Ali about doping so they gave him a little slap on the wrist. I'm pretty sure the transcripts are out there, they might even have been posted here before.

Of course I'm sure Di Luca never actually doped, just like Basso :)

I'm guessing it's as the above post says...circumstantial evidence, enough to sanction but no blood/urine or confession that would merit a significant suspension. IMO DiLuca's performances are typical of someone "hitting above their weight class." He was always known as sort of a Bettini type...punchy one-day rider with a nice sprint, but then in the 05 (04?) Giro he went nuclear. Just totally unexpected and frankly, unexplainable.

It' s really hard to follow the Italian doping stance...i think it has a lot to do with their bureaucracy in general. From what riders like Joe Papp and Justin Spinelli say, it seems that doping is just systematic from juniors/espoirs on, even on amateur teams.

Offhand I can't even think of a top Italian rider i think is clean...does Davide Frattini count?

very curious. the 3 months he's getting suspended for is meaningless, unless the UCI treats it as a doping violation and takes further action against him. so, and Im just speculating wildly, perhaps it's an effort on coni's part to try and get him to roll on santuccione.

the 3 months he's getting suspended for is meaningless,...
Italian, Lombardy, meaningless?

Italian, Lombardy, meaningless?

it's all vacatoin time with the exception of that, but you're correct-I hadn't considered the implications of missing lombardia on this:


Oct 14 - ProTour standings after the Paris-Tours classic on Sunday

Individual standings
1. Danilo Di Luca (Italy / Liquigas) <b>242 points</b>
2. Cadel Evans (Australia / Predictor - Lotto) <b>227

Di Luca has been hyped as the next great Italian GT rider all the back since he won the Baby Giro in 98. In 2000 he was a team leader and considered an outside favorite. By 2005 he matured to a real contender.

Oct 14 - ProTour standings after the Paris-Tours classic on Sunday

Individual standings
<strike>1. Danilo Di Luca (Italy / Liquigas) <b>242 points</b> </strike>
2. Cadel Evans (Australia / Predictor - Lotto) <b>227

it's taken on some new meaning now, Di luca <a href="http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13536.0.html">DQ'ed</a>.

There are a few recordings and videos of Dr. Carlo Santuccione and Di Luca

In a recorded conversation from March 3, 2004, five days before Milano-Sanremo, Santuccione expressed the need to inject Erythropoietin immediately since, at the time, the drug was only detectable for a few days. "You have to pass by. You have to hurry because you need to do it today," said the doctor. Di Luca responded that he would come by with Alessandro Spezialetti at 19.00.

"Doctor Carlo Santuccione enters the office. Takes with him, in his hands, two disposable syringes," reads the video description recorded at 19.21. According to the paper Santuccione is seen preparing the vials with the blood boosting hormone Erythropoietin (r-EPO) and then exiting the office where Di Luca and Spezialetti are waiting outside. Both riders were part of the Saeco team in 2004.

CONI also found hormone levels in Di Luca's system that normally correspond to a child in a surprise test taken during his Giro win in June

Oh yeah, he is innocenti

There is a lengthy explanation of the Oil for Drugs scandal and Santuccione's slimy career here (http://cyclingfansanonymous.blogspot.com/2007/10/carlo-santucciones-poisonous-legacy-oil.html)

it does not make for happy reading.

Thanks for the link. I usually just skip all those boring details and fire away on the Web. But this actually is pretty easy to follow.