Drugs in Sport: Italian cyclist Emanuele Sella confessed to using banned substances at a hearing before the Italian Olympic Committee today.
The reigning Giro d'Italia King of the Mountains tested positive for strains of 'third-generation' EPO, a substance also found in samples given by Manuel Beltran, Moises Duenas Nevado and Riccardo Ricco during the Tour de France.
"Sella fully co-operated with the anti-doping agency in making himself available," said his lawyer Claudio Pasqualin. "Sella admitted the use of a pharmaceutical, explaining the context in which this took place."
No further details have been revealed while the court is considering what action to take. Sella spoke briefly with reporters after the hearing.
"A weight was lifted from me today," the 27-year-old said. "I'm conscious of what happened and for that reason I decided to collaborate."
Sella, a climbing specialist who won three stages of the Giro en route to the maglia verde, is the second CSF Group-Navigare rider to fall foul of doping controls this year.
The Argentinian Maximiliano Richeze produced a positive test for stanozolol prior to the Giro.