Case of Gianni da Ros

Lausanne, 17 August 2010 - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has partially upheld the appeal filed by the Italian cyclist Gianni da Ros against the decision of the Anti-Doping Tribunal of the National Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI) of 23 November 2009 imposing a twenty year ban on the athlete following several violations of the World Anti-Doping Code.

Caught by the police on 11 March 2009 in the framework of an investigation relating to the trafficking of banned substances, the Italian cyclist Gianni da Ros was suspended for a period of twenty years by the CONI Anti-Doping Tribunal on 23 November 2009. The CONI Tribunal found the Athlete guilty of a violation of Articles 2.2 (use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method), 2.6 (possession of prohibited substances and methods), 2.7 (trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or method) and 2.8 (administration or attempted administration to any athlete of any prohibited method or substance) of the World Anti-Doping Code.

On 21 December 2009, Gianni da Ros filed an appeal with the CAS to request that the suspension be fixed at a maximum of two years. A Panel of CAS arbitrators heard the parties’ representatives during a hearing in Lausanne on 18 May 2010.

The CAS Panel has confirmed the existence of the infractions committed by the Athlete, which had already been stated by CONI, with the exception of the violation of Article 2.8 of the World Anti-Doping Code, considering that the elements constituting such infraction had not been sufficiently established. Furthermore, the CAS Panel considered that a twenty-year ban was not justified and has reduced it to a period of four years which corresponds to the standard suspension provided by Article 10.3.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code. Finally, the start of the Athlete’s suspension has been fixed by the CAS at 12 March 2009, namely on the day following his exclusion by his professional team (Liquigas).

For further information related to the CAS activity and procedures in general, please contact either Mr Matthieu Reeb, CAS Secretary General, or Ms Katy Hogg, Media Assistant. Château de Béthusy, Avenue de Beaumont 2, 1012 Lausanne, Switzerland. Tel: (41 21) 613 50 00; fax: (41 21) 613 50 01, or consult the CAS website: www.tas-cas.org