BMC suspend Ballan

Reuters - Fri, 09 Apr 15:00:00 2010

Former cycling world champion Alessandro Ballan has been suspended by BMC Racing because of his implication in a doping investigation in Italy, the American team said on Friday.

CYCLING 2009 Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) - 0

Ballan, 30, and Mauro Santambrogio, who has also been suspended, are both former members of the Lampre team which has been targeted by the investigation.

"It has come to our attention that two of our riders, Alessandro Ballan and Mauro Santambrogio, are the subject of an investigation by Italian authorities stemming from incidents that took place more than two years ago," BMC team president Jim Ochowicz said in a statement.

"The BMC Racing Team and its members were not aware of this investigation until a few days ago and we hope to obtain more information about the proceedings.

"However, we have already made the decision to withhold the two from competition, in accordance with the BMC Racing Team's own policy and the UCI's Code of Conduct."

Italian media reported that there were 35 riders, doctors and team managers being investigated with Ballan, who won the world title in 2008, saying on Wednesday he was being probed.

"This should not be seen as pre-determination of guilt in connection with the Italian investigation," Ochowicz said of the suspension. "Both will have to personally address the accusations."

Italy's Lampre have denied any wrongdoing but said members of their team were being investigated and they are awaiting further clarification before taking any action.

"We have had no notification from the prosecutors. Our riders will keep racing for the moment," a spokesman said.

"The prosecutors have said in the press that many of the people under investigation will probably not be charged. We hope to have notification soon and then we'll decide. For now we have so little information."

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Reuters

Comment 1 - 5 of 5

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  1. Phone home...

    From CR, on Sun 11 Apr 8:17

  2. once a team suspends a rider you pretty much know which­ way this is heading

    From ai, on Sun 11 Apr 0:31

  3. Yeah, I know Terry, I'm sure they're doing the­ right thing, I just think it's a shame that they­ needed to labour the point about being with Lampre when­ the accusations say the doping took place, and how, in­ case we hadn't worked it out, Lampre are­ unaffiliated with lovely shiny BMC. Maybe I'm­ just a cynic, and of course the articles are limited,­ but it just seems that BMC are more interested in­ self-preservation than about cycling or their riders,­ and the protective statement you describe is therefore­ just a safeguard against litigation from Ballan etc. if­ and when their innocence is proven.

    I don't blame­ anyone in this really - except of course the guilty­ people, if there are any - more that it's just a­ shame that doping has clouded our sport so that any­ whiff of indiscretion has to be met with such a­ response, and as I say, being guilty until proven­ innocent. Even if Ballan is innocent for example,­ after this there will be plenty of people now who will­ see him as a doper who just got away with it. S**t­ sticks, especially in cycling at the moment.

    From James, on Sat 10 Apr 3:57

  4. James, I read in the article 'This should not be­ seen as pre-determination of guilt', such a­ statement is supportive of the riders. 'Witholding­ from competition' was known by all parties to be­ the team's policy on such matters.

    From Terry, on Sat 10 Apr 3:23

  5. Hmmmm, guilty until proven innocent? I think the­ intentions are good, BMC clearly have a strong code of­ action which is positive in principle, but not­ supporting their riders and rushing to distance­ themselves from any controversy does smack a bit of­ self preservation, instead of a healthy anti-doping­ attitude.

    From James, on Sat 10 Apr 2:43
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