Clearance of the day: Piepoli

From CN: Piepoli cleared Leonardo Piepoli has been cleared of doping charges by Monaco's cycling federation. The Saunier Duval rider had tested positive for the asthma medication Salbutamol during the Giro d'Italia, a medication for which he has a medical exemption. CONI, the Italian Olympic committee, had pressed the charges against Piepoli, and did not have an immediate reaction to his acquittal.

Dope of the Day: Kashechkin

It's still a closely fought battle, the Dope of the Day. Just when you think it's slowing down, along comes a new name to add to the list. From CN: "Astana suffered another blow Wednesday when Kazakh Andrej Kashechkin tested positive for a homologous blood transfusion following an unexpected control on August 1 in Belek, Turkey. Astana issued a statement saying Kashechkin was suspended effective immediately while waiting for the analysis of the B sample."

But wait, from the same source... "Freshly crowned Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is scheduled to issue a public statement Friday along with Discovery Channel Team director Johan Bruyneel at the offices of Spain's Superior Council for Sports according to the International Herald Tribune.

The rider has been tied to Operación Puerto, the Spanish doping investigation. He is expected to make a statement, but not answer questions. No information was provided about the content of the upcoming announcement."

The mind is boggling. Of course it's a denial, but why now? Why again?

Diggin' the dirt: Rasmussen and CSC, 2002

If you look long enough and hard enough you start to see stuff you missed before. Reported via CN:

"Danish broadcasting company DR Sporten and newspaper Jyllands-Posten have reported that Michael Rasmussen had slightly irregular blood profiles in 2002 when he was still with Team CSC. He had been scheduled to take part in the Giro della Provincia di Lucca but he was sent home by DS Johnny Weltz after an internal blood test showed irregularities. Back then, Rasmussen told Danish news agency Ritzau that his withdrawal was due to stomach troubles and a fever.

The wheels are turning for AC

We really don't know who AC is, or was. He could be anyone. Jorg Jaksche doesn't know. The UCI doesn't know. But WADA would like to know... from CN: "WADA opens Contador investigation. The World Anti Doping Agency has opened an investigation on Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel), winner of this years Tour de France, and his alleged involvement in Operation Peurto. WADA is working with ex-Liberty Seguros rider Jorg Jaksche, who admitted that he worked with the Spanish doctor while he was a team-mate of Contador at Liberty Seguros, after it received documents from German Professor Werner Franke that supposedly links the Spaniard to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. Documents seized in the case are said to contain the letters A.C., which is allegedly the initials of Alberto Contador."

Of course it's denied by Contador and the matter was settled once before. It's opened up not because of new evidence but because of renewed publicity for the allegations. It had to be re-opened, surely, for the sake of our peace of mind.

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."