ROME, ITALY (JULY 2, 2007) REUTERS -  Italy's Alessandro Petacchi will miss this year's Tour de France
after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned him until August 31 for
testing positive for excess salbutamol in the Giro d'Italia last year.
    In a statement on Tuesday (May 6), CAS said it had imposed a one-year
ban but had backdated the start to Nov. 2007 and had also taken into account
two months in which he did not race following the test.
    Top sprinter Petacchi, who had a medical certificate to use a set
amount of salbutamol in his asthma inhaler, will skip this month's Giro in any
case because of bronchitis but will miss July's Tour de France and August's
Beijing Olympics.
    The Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) anti-doping prosecutor charged
Petacchi with doping in July but the 34-year-old argued that any overuse of
salbutamol during the Giro had been human error.
    The Italian Cycling Federation backed the Milram rider's stance and
refused the prosecutor's request for a one-year ban, meaning the case went to
CAS.
    "The arbitrators were satisfied that the adverse analytical
finding in this case was the result of A. Petacchi taking too much salbutamol
on the day of the test but that the overdose was not taken with the intention
of enhancing performance," the CAS statement said.
    Petacchi's five stage wins during the 2007 Giro have been annulled and
he loses all prize money, but he can retain results obtained between May 23
2007 and Oct. 31 2007.
    Results gained after Oct. 31 and during the period of ineligibility
will be disqualified, Swiss-based CAS added.
    A Milram spokesman said the team would be making no comment. Petacchi's
lawyer, Maria Laura Guardamagna, said they may appeal.
    "It is such an absurd decision that we are weighing up the
possibility of challenging it infront of the Swiss federal court or the Court
of Human Rights in Strasbourg," she told Italian radio.
    CONI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked for a two year-ban
when appealing to CAS.
    Italy has been especially hit by doping scandals in cycling.
    Danilo Di Luca, who won last year's Giro, was cleared of doping during
the race by a special commission last month.
    But last week CAS upheld a three-month ban, which Di Luca had already
served, imposed by CONI after he frequented a doctor accused of supplying
doping products.
    The 2006 Giro winner Ivan Basso was banned for his role in the
Operacion Puerto doping scandal in Spain and returns to action in October.