Mayo is Clean

Iban Mayo
Originally uploaded by meredithfitz

Good news, Basque rider Iban Mayo has been cleared from the doping scandal.

Now he can go back to getting back into shape, and despite not riding for Euskaltel Euskadi, win a few more medals.

Here you have the note from Yahoo News:

Mayo cleared of doping as UCI probes Petacchi, Piepoli

Thu Jun 14, 3:02 PM ET

Spanish climber Iban Mayo, one of three riders whose urine samples were reported to have shown traces of drugs during the recent Giro d'Italia, has been cleared of doping by the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Thursday.

But cycling's world governing body confirmed that Italian pair Alessandro Petacchi and Leonardo Piepoli were still under investigation.

The Gazzetta dello Sport reported Thursday that the three cyclists returned 'non-negative' tests at the first major Tour of the season, which ran from May 12-June 3.

The paper said sprinter Petacchi and climber Piepoli tested positive for salbutamol, a substance primarily used to treat asthma.

Salbutamol is a banned substance, but riders with asthma may use it to certain levels if they possess a medical certificate.

Mayo was reported to have tested positive for testosterone, the banned male sex hormone which snared Floyd Landis on his way to victory in last year's Tour de France.

But the UCI said in a statement that Mayo, who was tested following his victory on the 19th stage to Terme di Comano, had not breached doping rules.

"The UCI has noted press reports about three purportedly abnormal analysis results linked to the last Giro d'Italia," the UCI said in a statement.

"While regretting the premature publication of this news item, the UCI wishes to clarify the following points.

"No breach of the UCI antidoping rules was committed by the Spanish rider Iban Mayo of the Saunier Duval team.

"A further examination conducted by IRMS has enabled any possibility of testosterone administration to be ruled out.

"This further analysis was requested by the UCI following the notification by the Rome laboratory of a T/E value in excess of the norm laid down in the rules; that finding made further examinations necessary.

"The history of this particular case shows the vital need to await the closure of the relevant investigations before reaching conclusions.

"In the other cases, the analyses requested by the UCI are still in progress."

Petacchi, who won the Milan-San Remo classic in 2005 and four stages at the Tour De France in 2003, rides for Milram while Piepoli rides for Saunier Duval. The Italian sprinter also won five stages on this year's Giro.

According to the Gazzetta, neither team was informed of the positive tests by the UCI.

Saunier team manager Mauro Gianetti was left confused about the fate of his two cyclists.

"I called the UCI and they said to me 'If you haven't heard any news, it's because there isn't any.' This is absurd," he said.

Piepoli reacted to the news prior to the start of the Dauphine Libere's fourth stage in France, saying: "It's true that I take salbutamol to treat my allergy.

"Mauro (Gianetti) asked me how much I had taken. But I don't know how many puffs I took. I take it each time I need it. It depends on the seasons."

The Gazzetta reported that further examination of the three urine samples were being carried out at a laboratory in Rome, and that they may be taken to Barcelona, Spain for more tests.

In his prime as part of the Basque Euskaltel team, the 29-year-old Mayo was one of the few riders capable of challenging the dominance of Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich on the Tour de France mountain stages.

He won the stage to Alpe d'Huez in 2003, and won the Dauphine Libere stage race, an important build-up to the Tour, in 2004.

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