Stahurskaya charged with trafficking

By Gregor Brown

Former world champion Zinaida Stahurskaya, currently serving a two-year suspension for testing positive to anabolic steroid stanozolol and testosterone, has now been charged with dealing in illegal doping products.

According to tuttobiciweb.com, the NAS (Anti-Narcotics Group) of Firenze, Italy sequestered the 35 year-old Belorussian from her home in Pistoia three weeks ago. They found large quantities of doping products including anabolic steroids, most of which were Russian-origin or bought on the black-market, believing they were intended for sale.

The former world champion and women's Tour de France winner tested positive at three races in 2005, once to anabolic steroid stanozolol and twice to hormone testosterone. Stahurskaya would have been allowed to return to racing in June 2007 after her ban ended, but it is now likely that she will face trafficking charges in Italy under anti-doping law 376/2000, and be issued a life-sentence.