DI LUCA EXCLUDED FROM PROTOUR

The Union Cycliste Internationale - cycling's international governing body - have removed Danilo Di Luca's name from the 2007 ProTour rankings.

Di Luca was leading the season-long series consolodated by his overall victory in the Giro d'Italia, but now Australia's Cadel Evans takes over from the Italian at the top of the table.

In a short statement issued today, the UCI announced that Di Luca had been excluded from the ProTour rankings as a result of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) suspending him for three months, starting from October 16. The statement concluded: "The Italian rider is excluded from the UCI ProTour ranking in accordance to the article 1.2.133.1 of the UCI regulations."

Rule 1.2.133 of the UCI regulations reads:

[A rider] is left out from any UCI classification as well as any UCI cups and series classifications in case of suspension until the last event counting for the ranking, the rider is immediately excluded from the classification.

Di Luca's three month ban was served by CONI on Tuesday due to his connections with Dr Carlo Santuccione, who has been banned from contact with the world of professional cycling for five years due to doping infringements and his involvement in the 'oil for drugs' police investigation. Di Luca claimed Santuccione was his family doctor.

RELATED LINKS

Di Luca banned for three months

EXTERNAL LINKS

UCI: www.uci.ch.