The Giro d'Italia could be cancelled after its 18th stage was halted following a series of police raids on hotel rooms of riders. Italian police raided various San Remo hotels last night in the biggest crackdown on doping in the sport since the infamous 1998 Tour de France, which saw the entire Festina team expelled after large quantities of banned substances were found in a team car.
Over 200 officers searched the rooms of all the riders competing in the event and it was reported by the Italian news agency ANSA that police had seized such substances as testosterone, caffeine, adrenal and anabolic steroids and other stimulants.
Three riders have withdrawn from this year's Giro after testing positive for the banned hormone EPO. Pascal Herve of the Alexia team, and Riccardo Forconi of Mercatone Uno failed tests during the race while Lampre's Sergio Barbero pulled out after returning a positive result during the recent Tour de Romandie.
An official statement from the organisers of the race said that the stage had been cut for “logistical and organisational reasons,” and competitors were meeting to decide whether to continue the warm-up to the Tour de France. Race director Carmine Castellano announced today's cancellation after it became clear that riders would not have enough time to complete the 230km stage from Santaurio di Vicaforte to Sant'Anna di Vinadio.
In a separate development, 1998 Tour de France winner Marco Pantani and Rik Verbrugghe, who won this year's Prologue, have pulled out of the race with illness.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
