Michele Ferrari Archives

Lampre-ISD has suspended Michele Scarponi, last year�s Giro d�Italia winner, for visiting Michele Ferrari the discredited doctor implicated in the sordid Lance Armstrong affair. Although Scarponi�s association with Ferrari pre-dates his time with Lampre the Italian pro outfit felt it a �violation of the internal code of the team�� Scarponi had been somewhat forced into admitting his past involvement with the doctor after Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport published a report on a Padua-based investigation into Ferrari, who the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accuse of helping to mastermind the Armstrong doping ring. For his part Ferrari continues to declare his innocence.

Scarponi has previously served an 18-month suspension after being implicated in the doping network of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in 2006 which was uncovered by Spanish police in their �Operation Mountain Pass� investigation. Ironically the 2011 Giro d�Italia crown was awarded to second-place Scarponi after Alberto Contador was stripped of the title for doping.

Dr Michele Ferrari has been given a lifetime ban for doping offences dating back more than a decade, but has called the charges against him �false and ridiculous�, claiming he has never witnessed doping within pro cycling teams. In fact to clarify � although this makes things more complicated � the ban was given because: �he had not responded to or contested the charges�, whilst the Italian claims he never received any official communication from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and only learned of their decision from the media. Further confusion comes as cycling�s governing body the UCI claim that Ferrari didn�t even hold a current training license.

Dr Ferrari enjoyed a long and close relationship with Lance Armstrong � the seven-time Tour de France winner calling him �a friend and a trusted adviser� � but all formal links were reportedly broken after Farrari was convicted (though later acquitted) of sporting fraud in 2004. Amongst the �new� charges were that he conspired with two other doctors (Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral and Jose �Pepe� Mart�) along with Armstrong to ��cheat by trafficking and administering performance enhancing products� � including the use of olive oil to mask the presence of testosterone. In a statement on his website Ferrari claims that the use of olive oil is purely mythological, stating, �This is an old legend that has circulated for years in the peloton, a sort of magical mixture to fantasise over while sipping a beer�

The debacle continues and Cyclo, as always, will keep you posted�