Davide Rebellin banned
Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin's doping ban has been finalised by the Monaco Cycling Federation (MCF).
He has been out of competition since he tested positive for CERA, a banned blood-booster similar to EPO, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Italian cyclist had been living in Monaco and had raced in the Olympics under their banner.
“I never used CERA,” said Rebellin to the Gazzetta dello Sport. “There will always be someone who will think that I doped. I respect that everyone has to say what he thinks. But I'm going to hold my head high.”
The 39-year-old cyclist has been provisionally suspended since the original positive test was announced in April 2009. He filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it was announced Wednesday that he has lost the appeal and the MCF has enforced
a ban in effect until April 27, 2011. He will be almost 40 by the time the ban is up, but still plans to return to professional racing.
Now with the case officially closed, Rebellin has been recorded as the first Italian medal winner to fail a drug test. The silver medal he won behind Samuel Sanchez’s gold will be retroactively awarded to bronze-medal winner Fabian Cancellara by the International
Olympic Committee, and the bronze will be given to Alexander Kolobnev, who finished fourth in the original race.
“The day after I heard the news I went out on my bike,” said Rebellin. “And I have never stopped since then. I always say to myself: Why did this thing happen to me? There are many questions. And I'll prove, if I can, that I am innocent.”
The Italian one-day classic specialist holds the distinction of being the only cyclist to win a Ardennes classics hat-trick, with victories in the Amstel Gold Race, Fleche-Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, all held in the same week.
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