Di Luca was out for 3 but some want more

Well CONI want him out for 2 years, apparently.

Di Luca finished fourth in the 17th stage last year, a climb up the Monte Zoncolan, and was tested directly after the stage. A surprise doping test later that evening showed hormone levels below normal, or equivalent to those of a child, but did not show any banned substances. CONI speculated that he received injections between the end of the stage and the tests, which altered his hormone level. Di Luca, who signed a one-year contract with Team LPR for this season, served a three-month suspension over the winter for his involvement in the "Oil for Drugs" scandal. He has indicated that he will appeal any conviction to the Court of Appeal for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne.

What CONI is saying is that Di Luca's hormone levels were way too low to be believed. They are speculating that he took "something" to mask what were really elevated levels. Presumably these were elevated levels of testosterone, cortisol and Human Growth hormone, or perhaps anything performance-enhancing really. (If I find the list I'll let you know.) Hormones basically control (directly or not) everything from recovery rate to red blood cell production, so to manipulate these values is a big performance advantage. There's no such advantage in having "child-like" values, indeed it would lessen your riding ability, not increase it. So either Di Luca was "sick" or "tired" which suppressed his hormones excessively to these low numbers or he was playing a dangerous game with masking agents.

Of course the testing may be in error. It's a good fall-back but it may be true. However there is one other alternative - if you spend enough time on artificial levels of these hormones your body will shut down most of its own production and become reliant on the supplementary levels. If you reduce this artificial level of input suddenly you fall back to what the body is producing naturally - which would be a suppressed, "child-like" level. After a few days you recover to normal levels as your body senses the lack of hormone. This is also a dangerous game as low levels of various hormones will have undesirable side-effects like passing out, getting the shakes and so on; it can certainly kill you in extremis. It certainly wouldn't enhance your riding.

I personally don't know how Di Luca could ride at his level with "child-like" levels of key hormones. Even just one day of that would knock you back severely. The truth remains "out there" somewhere.

Di Luca quite appealing

Well he's certainly appealing his 3 month ban. From CN: Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca has appealed his three-month suspension relating to the Oil for Drugs investigation. The 31 year-old Italian from Abruzzo, accused of using the services of Doctor Carlo Santuccione, appealed the Italian cycling federation (FCI) Disciplinary Commission's decision of last October to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Di Luca out for 3

3 months, that is. For collusion, I guess, rather than anything more substantial. Still it sends the message, don't just test clean; look clean as well. Or 'pick your friends carefully', perhaps?

From Cyclingnews.com: Giro d'Italia winner and ProTour leader Danilo Di Luca has been handed a three month suspension by Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) for his involvement in the "Oil for Drugs" doping affair. Di Luca was accused of working with Italian doctor Carlos Santuccione, who has been under investigation for several years for allegedly supplying banned doping products to athletes in Italy. The Liquigas rider was removed from the World Championships because of his implication in the scandal.

Allegations: Sinkewitz denies Bettini involvement despite reports

What is it about Germany and doping? Jan has never been caught, possibly because he's innocent. T-Mobile apparently had a few problems keeping EPO away from their riders for a while. And German TV keeps on threatening pullouts from major events if anyone else gets caught. (But isn't getting caught a good thing?) Worse still for cycling fans who just want to see some racing, the World Champs are on in Germany this year. So let the fun begin.

Firstly, let's ban a few people from attending and even looking on. Via CN: The organizers of the Worlds in Stuttgart had already asked previous ambassadors Rudi Altig and Erik Zabel not to attend, later adding the names of Gianni Bugno and Eddy Merckx. Cyclingnews confirmed Bugno to be in Stuttgart, where he won his first Worlds' title 16 years ago.

Now let's ban some more people who may actually win the road race. From CN: Paolo Bettini and Patrick Lefevere have both denied alleged statements by Patrik Sinkewitz that Bettini supplied the Italian with testosterone products while they were both on Lefevere's Mapei/Quick.Step team. The charges were made public yesterday by the German TV sender ZDF, which claimed to have notes from an interrogation of the German rider. Sinkewitz' attorney has also denied that his client said that.

So Sinkewitz (who was a doper and got caught) is quoted as having said something that he now denies saying, apparently. On that basis let's exclude Bettini from the race, despite his denials, and Di Luca too as he has had abnormal hormone readings this year. Again from CN: Italian ProTour leader Danilo Di Luca withdrew from the World Road Race Championships on Thursday, calling his treatment "a scandal". The Italian bowed to pressure from the Stuttgart organisers who objected to the participation of the Giro d'Italia Champion who has been the subject of two separate doping investigations this year.

And on with the racing.

Old dope: Clean, but still pursued: Di Luca

Who knows the truth here? Danilo Di Luca is clean, he's not proven to have doped, but he is pursued.

Via Cyclingnews.com:
"Di Luca faces further inquiry.
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said in a statement on its website Friday that Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca will be subject to further inquiry for alleged doping charges and may be sanctioned following the review of new evidence.

No details were available about the nature of the evidence, the case, or where it might be heard.

"It's news to me," Di Luca told the ANSA news agency on Friday according to the Associated Press. "I know absolutely nothing."

Di Luca's lawyer, Federico Cecconi, also told ANSA he did not yet know the subject of the investigation. "At the moment, we haven't received any communication on proceedings other than those thrown out by the Pescara prosecutor's office."

At present, Di Luca is awaiting a decision from CONI regarding his alleged involvement in a case with Carlo Santuccione, a doctor who accused of supplying doping products to athletes. The "Oil for Drugs" case was dismissed by the Italian judicial system in early July; however, Di Luca will have to wait awhile for any final decision from CONI; according to Reuters, CONI's doping unit is closed from August 10 to September 2."