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Italian police believe the mafia was behind Pantani’s exclusion from 1999 Giro

  • 15-03-2016 1:27pm
    #1
    letape
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,931 ✭✭✭


    Interesting article on cyclingnews:

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/italian-police-believe-the-mafia-was-behind-pantanis-exclusion-from-the-1999-giro-ditalia/

    Extract below:
    "The Forli police thoroughly investigated the allegations that the Naples ‘Mafia’ - the so-called Camorra - was involved as they attempted to avoid bankruptcy due to huge illegal bets on Pantani’s victory at the Giro d’Italia. A phone tap from a Camorra member confirmed initial accusations made by his cell mate, and Milan mobster Renato Vallanzasca and the Forli police have reportedly secured confirmation from leading members of the Camorra in Naples that the medical staff were bribed to alter Pantani’s blood value".

    and:
    "As a result of the new details, the Forli police believe it is possible that the medical staff who carried out the blood test in Madonna di Campiglio had been corrupted, with the deplasmation technique used to change Pantani’s blood values despite it being difficult to control the eventual blood volume. Deplasmation apparently alters the level of platelets in the blood, leaving a sign of manipulation. This was seen in Pantani’s blood sample taken at Madonna di Campiglio, but his platelets had returned to normal in a private test carried out several hours later in Imola".

    Undoubtably at this stage we will never know what led to Pantani's disqualification at Madonna di Campiglio.

    I am not naive and know that Pantani's 1998 Tour blood samples were found to have contained EPO when retrospectively tested... but I could never understand how he has not tested positive (or above 50%) in any of the preceeding 19 days and had led the Giro from the first day of the race and had effectively the race won at this point. He also seemed absolitely stunned when presented to media after the 1999 positive.


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