PARIS (AFP) - Tour of Italy winner Danilo Di Luca, currently suspended by the Italian Olympic Committee over his connection with a doping scandal, on Tuesday signed a one-year contract with the LPR team.

The 31-year-old was last month suspended for three months following a scandal in Italy in which he was accused of having worked with Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione, who is under investigation for allegedly supplying banned substances to Italian sportsmen.

"My aims will be the classics in the first half of the season and the Giro if we're invited," said Di Luca, winner of this year's Liege-Bastogne-Liege race.

LPR have already recruited Italian Paolo Savoldelli, the 2002 and 2005 Tour of Italy winner, for next season.

"We couldn't dream of anything better," said team manager Fabio Bordonali.