Targeted for testing due to suspicious biological passport results, Massimo Giunti has been provisionally suspended by the UCI after being judged non-negative for EPO.
The Italian Androni Giocattoli rider was informed earlier today that he is sidelined from the sport following a positive A sample, and will remain so until the Italian Cycling Federation determines if he has indeed committed an anti-doping rule violation.
He has the right to request a B sample analysis and to attend the procedure.
The UCI clarified details in a statement released several minutes ago. “The decision to provisionally suspend Mr Giunti was made in response to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Lausanne indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of Recombinant EPO in a urine sample collected from him at an out-of-competition test on 23 February 2010,” it stated.
“This adverse finding was a direct result of a targeted urine test conducted because of an unusual blood profile in Mr Giunti’s biological passport.”
Giunti previously raced with teams such as Fasso Bartolo and Miche Silver Cross. The 35 year old was second in the 2007 Route du Sud and last season took a number of solid results, including third overall in the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi-Bartali, fourth in the General Classification Settimana Ciclista Lombarda, fifth in the Giro dell'Appennino and third in the GP Città di Camaiore.
This season, he was fourth and ninth on stages of the Giro di Sardegna.
Team manager Gianni Savio has expressed his displeasure with the news. “It not acceptable that these things happen again. It is a bitter and ironic story," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Last year, Savio’s Diquigiovanni team lost Davide Rebellin after the Italian was deemed to have used CERA while with his previous squad, Gerolsteiner. It also saw Francesco De Bonis suspended for EPO use.