Ballan receives two-year ban for doping

The Italian Olympic Committee’s national anti-doping tribunal announced that Alessandro Ballan has been suspended for two years for an infraction back dated to 2009. The 2007 Tour of Flanders winner and current BMC rider was found guilty of violating Article 2.2 of the WADA code, which specifically refers to the use or attempted use of a prohibited substance.

Ballan’s case refers to the Mantova anti-doping inquiry when Ballan was then a member of the Lampre team. The Mantova inquiry exposed that Lampre had been involved with blood transfusions in 2009.

Ballan’s defence was that he had undergone ozone therapy not for performance enhancement but rather for the treatment of an ailment known as cytomegalovirus. Ballan’s lawyer stated that his client is not being accused of a blood transfusion; he is being tried for an infusion of ozone. Ozone can be used to treat a number of viruses, which formed the backbone of Ballan’s defence.

Nevertheless, on Friday morning CONI, the Italian anti-doping authority, suspended Ballan with a two-year ban and a fine of €2,000. Additionally, pharmacist Guido Nigrelli has been banned from cycling for life after his role in assisting the Lampre team with doping. Also, Dr. Fiorenzo Egeo Bonazzi has been banned for four years.

To add further adversity for Ballan, he also faces criminal charges as the Mantova anti-doping case continues. Ballan is one of 28 others named in the investigation of the entire Lampre team in 2009. The court case is set to resume on Jan. 24.