The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), several team representatives (including Simoni, Pantani and Cipollini) met the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) yesterday, to discuss the doping chaos resulting from last weeks Giro raid. The meeting ended with CONI chairman Gianni Petrucci calling for an indefinite suspension of all cycle racing in Italy until the doping problem is “substantially reduced”.
With nearly 90 riders and team support crew being investigated after the Giro raids and previous event testing the sport is obviously in big trouble, espescially as it seems many of the products found were experimental drugs that would pass clean through current screening tests.

Both Giro winner Gilberto Simoni and Italian Cycling Federation chief, Giosue Zenoni, opposed the ban, the latter commenting “There would be no reason for it and it would be illogical and unjustified…It would have devastating consequences.” But with Italian media sources saying that only two teams are looking completely clean after the raid, this obviously has massive implications for next months Tour De France and the sport as a whole.

For more information on the latest doping products seeping out of the labs and into the legs of the peloton check out Bicycling, for the latest on this situation as it develops, check out the Antipodean cycling oracle Cycling News. Otherwise we’ll keep you up to date with any significant developments as they happen.