Pozzato questioned by CONI in Rome

Filippo Pozzato was questioned for over two hours by the Italian Olympic Committee’s (CONI) anti-doping tribunal in Rome on Tuesday following the publication of allegations that he was a client of Dr. Michele Ferrari.

On emerging from the meeting, the Farnese Vini-Selle Italia rider described himself as calm and said that he would wait and see what action, if any, is taken by CONI.

“We spoke, they asked me a lot of things. I’m not the one who will judge so we’ll see what they tell me,” Pozzato told the ANSA news agency on leaving the meeting.

Pozzato was called before CONI after Saturday’s edition of La Repubblica published extracts from a telephone conversation intercepted by investigators from Padova in the summer of 2009, in which he allegedly speaks of working with Ferrari.

Ferrari was banned for life by the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) on the back of rider testimony relating to his activities. In February 2002, the body announced that it would hand down suspensions of up to six months to riders who were found to have consulted with Ferrari.

Last week, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) formally charged Ferrari with doping, along with Lance Armstrong, Johan Bruyneel and three other trainers at the US Postal team. It is understood that some of their case has been built thanks to evidence from investigators in Padova.

Pozzato is in line to lead the Italian team at the London 2012 Olympics and underwent medical tests on Monday as part of the selection process. He said that he didn’t know if his Olympic place was now at risk.

“I’m not the one who will judge, we’ll see what they say,” said Pozzato, who now travels to Trentino for a training camp with Paolo Bettini’s Italian team before riding in the national championships on Saturday. “From tomorrow, we have the training camp and then we’ll see how things go.”

Pozzato raced in the Tour of Slovenia last week but pulled out of the race ahead of Sunday’s final stage. Nonetheless, he insisted that he was making a full recovery from the broken wrist he sustained at the Giro d’Italia in May.

“I’ve taken off the cast and I’ve been training without it since yesterday evening,” he said. “I’m tranquillo.”
 

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