CAS gives Italian rider Matteo Priamo 4-year doping ban for supplying drugs to teammate

Priamo banned 4 years for giving drugs to teammate

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Italian cyclist Matteo Priamo was banned for four years Thursday for supplying doping products to a teammate.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Priamo last year provided the endurance-booster CERA to CSF Group Navigare teammate Emanuele Sella, who cooperated with authorities and served a one-year ban.

Priamo cannot race until February 2013.

The Italian Olympic committee appealed to CAS after its own anti-doping tribunal cleared the 27-year-old Priamo for lack of evidence.

“Sella confessed to using CERA — the latest version of the banned hormone EPO — provided by Priamo,” CAS said in a statement.

The court said its panel of three lawyers considered Priamo’s doping violation “was sufficiently established.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s code allows four-year bans in trafficking cases instead of the standard two for a first doping offense.

Priamo won a stage of the 2008 Giro d’Italia, while Sella won three stages and the classification as best climber.

Four Italian riders who won a total of seven stages at last year’s Giro have since been involved in doping cases.

Riccardo Ricco earned two stage victories and was overall runner-up behind Alberto Contador. Ricco tested positive for CERA during the 2008 Tour de France and was kicked out of the race after winning two stages.

Ricco was stripped of the French wins and will return to racing next March after serving a 20-month ban.

Gabriele Bosisio also won a Giro stage last year and wore the leader’s pink jersey for one day. He tested positive for EPO while training in September. The International Cycling Union has suspended him while the Italian federation prepares a disciplinary case.