From ProCycling:
http://www.procycling.com/news.aspx?ID=265
Padrnos and Zanini under threat
A San Remo magistrate has confirmed Pavel Padrnos and Stefano Zanini are
implicated in his investigation. What happens next...?
PICTURE BY TIM DE WAELE
Like a juggler of ticking time-bombs, Tour de France director Jean-Marie
Leblanc found himself with more trouble on his hands tonight, following
reports in Italy that Stefano Zanini and Pavel Padrnos will indeed have to
face trial for doping offences in San Remo, Italy, on October 27.
Wednesday morning's Gazzetta dello Sport referred to a statement issued by
the presiding San Remo magistrate, Paolo Luppi, on Tuesday, which confirmed
that Zanini and Padrnos are among 10 riders and two masseurs due to respond
to doping allegations in October.
Alberto Elli, Ermanno Brignoli, both of whom have now retired, plus Giuseppe
di Grande, Dario Frigo and Giuliano Figueras all face the same accusations,
although none is present at the Tour. The names of the remaining three
riders and two masseurs involved have not yet been disclosed.
The 10 riders are accused of "using medicines likely to enhance sporting
performance with the intent of falsifying the result of a sporting
competition". The allegations relate to the 2001 Giro d'Italia.
Speaking at the finish line in Figeac after stage 15 of the Tour tonight,
Zanini claimed to be "serene". "I haven't received any notice from San
Remo," the Italian maintained.
Leblanc's unwavering recent record of zero tolerance with riders involved in
doping-related police or judicial inquiries suggests that Padrnos and Zanini
will be asked to leave the Tour de France in the immediate future. More than
for the teams of the respective riders involved, this causes a further
headache for Leblanc. Yesterday the Tour supremo spoke publicly of the
reluctance with which on Monday he was forced to dismiss two riders, Stefano
Casagranda and Martin Hvastija, for whom the presumption of innocence, in a
legal sense at least, must apply. Now he could be obliged by his own
precedent to adopt the same hard line with Zanini and Padrnos, both of whom
have already received the backing of their respective teams.
Even more gravely, Leblanc will be asked to explain why, according to Luppi,
the Société du Tour de France is yet to formally ask the San Remo
magistrates for clarification of Padrnos and Zanini's position. This
contradicts claims made by Leblanc earlier in the Tour, and reiterated at a
press conference on Monday, that it was the Société du Tour that was being
kept waiting by San Remo. The revelation also presumably explains why
Leblanc had not sent Padrnos and Zanini packing on Thursday night, and why
they may still be in the race on Friday.
Procycling sources in Italy could only speculate tonight that Leblanc may
have sent his request to Giovanni Maddoleni, the judge from whom Luppi has
recently taken over the administration of the case.
Italian bureaucracy can be blamed for many things in life, but this...?