The doping control van is hard to miss. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Two days after a call from the Italian Olympic Committee president for "strong action" against doping in cycling, Tuttobiciweb.it reports that an anti-doping operation by Italian police is taking place across Italy.
It appears the investigation is being coordinated by the public prosecutor in Padova, Benedetto Roberti, and is focused on the activities of a cycling coach.
The Italian Nucleo Antisofisticazioni (NAS) from Brescia, the equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration in USA, has carried out key parts of the operation and has begun confiscating riders' medical records.
The Brescia NAS refused to confirm the news of the operation to Cyclingnews, but described reports that 1000 officers had been involved as 'absurd', suggesting the number was in dozens.
The Katusha team has confirmed that it was visited by two NAS officers but denied their offices near Lake Garda were searched. The team were asked to hand over the records of five Russian riders to the police but were informed that the team is not at the centre of the investigation.
For legal reasons the team cannot name the riders but Cyclingnews understands one of them no longer rides for Katusha. All five live in Spain.
More to come as the story unfolds.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
