Rome - Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca will find out on April 16 whether he will be banned from cycling for doping. Di Luca failed to appear at the first day of a hearing Tuesday before the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), which is investigating the test taken on May 30, 2007 after the 17th stage of the Giro showing Di Luca had irregular hormone levels in his system.
Although no banned substances were reported, CONI suspect that some kind of manipulation was involved as the hormone levels returned were consistent with those of a small child.
Prosecutors claim that Di Luca underwent a blood transfusion and have demanded the maximum punishment of a two-year ban. A guilty verdict would also see the rider stripped of his Giro title, which would be handed to runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.
Judge Francesco Plotini adjourned matters until later this month to allow for further scientific analysis.
The rider's legal team said the 32-year-old was unable to attend the hearing as he was competing in the Settimana Lombarda race in northern Italy.
The Italian's lawyer, Federico Cecconi, claimed Tuesday that the abnormal hormone levels were due to the fact that on the day of the doping test Di Luca drank lots of liquids during the climb up Monte Zoncolan, considered the toughest in the race.
However, prosecution lawyer Fabio Filocamo dismissed Cecconi's claims, saying the evidence pointed to a blood transfusion.
"Di Luca must have had a blood transfusion before our surprise test at 2100 (local time) and after the obligatory test immediately following the stage, which produced nothing unusual," said Filocamo.
"There is no other explanation. When the winner of the Giro d'Italia shows hormone levels of a child, one can not simply say: 'I drank water'."
Di Luca, who joined the LPR team from Liquigas in November, was handed a three-month ban by CONI last October for a doping matter involving Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione, who allegedly provided athletes with banned substances.
