Pro Tour 2007 - Italian rider Michele Scarponi faces an 18-month ban for his involvement in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the Italian Olympic Committee announced.

CONI's doping prosecutor requested the punishment for the Acqua & Sapone rider as he deferred the case to the disciplinary commission of the Italian Cycling Federation.

Operacion Puerto was launched last year after police raids in Madrid and Zaragoza found large quantities of anabolic steroids, blood transfusion equipment and more than 200 bags of blood.

Ivan Basso, the 2006 Giro d'Italia champion, is waiting for his 21-month ban to be approved after he told authorities he had been implicated in the Spanish scandal and had intended to dope.

However, the former Discovery Channel rider denied ever taking performance-enhancing drugs or using blood transfusions.

REUTERS