Santambrogio faces lifetime doping ban from UCI

Cycling,-Mauro-Santambrogio

Mauro Santambrogio celebrating as he crosses the finish line to win the 14th stage of the Giro d'Italia. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/AP)

AIGLE, Switzerland — Italian rider Mauro Santambrogio faces a lifetime ban after testing positive for doping shortly before a previous ban expired.

The International Cycling Union says the 30-year-old Santambrogio tested positive for testosterone on Oct. 22 and is provisionally suspended.

Santambrogio was serving an 18-month ban, which expired Nov. 2, for using the blood-booster EPO at the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

He was stripped of his win in a Giro mountain stage and disqualified from the race.

Santambrogio reportedly received a reduced 18-month ban this year after giving evidence to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission.

That panel was launched by new UCI leadership to investigate doping in the Lance Armstrong era and alleged complicity by the governing body. It is due to report in February.

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