Di Rocco praises CONI's battle

"Ivan has done exactly what was asked of Pantani," said Italian cycling federation (FCI) President Renato DI Rocco. He referred back to the case against Marco Pantani and believed that Ivan Basso has done what the late-cyclist could not. Yesterday, Basso signed a 10-page confession that was presented to him by Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) antidoping prosecutor Ettore Torri.

DI Rocco now hopes for more riders to step forward, "Not only Ivan Basso."

He is pleased with the work of CONI. He believes that it showed that the Italian system does work. "I am not able to say how much appreciation I have for the sincerity and the worked that was done to the fullest by CONI's prosecutor and for the availability of Ivan Basso as a collaborator. I restate the need of respect for all of the rules and the trust in the organisations that carry them out.

"The Italian antidoping road has demonstrated that, without unnecessary force and respect for the rules, it can obtain concrete results. For this I urge the athletes to understand that they are involved in a complex situation. There is always a weak link in the long chain. We also need its contribution to confront the true problem points and conduct the battle with coherency and clarity.