After ex-world champion Alessandro Ballan had a bad start to the season in 2013 due to a fall, 2014 also started anything but positive for him. The Anti-Doping Tribunal of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has banned him for two years for his involvement in the so-called Mantua doping case. The ban runs until January 16, 2016. Ballan was also ordered to pay a fine of 2.000 euros. At the same time, the pharmacist Dr. Guido Nigrelli a lifetime suspension. He is said to have been at the center of the entanglements.
The now 34-year-old Ballan, who suffered a serious crash in training in the winter of 2012 and has hardly raced since, was in the Mantua doping along with several other former Lampre riders, including Mauro Santambrogio, who tested positive for EPO last May -Case involved. The Italian drove for Lampre from 2004 to 2009. He has been under contract with the Swiss WorldTour team BMC since 2010. As a result of the verdict, the team announced that Ballan's contract would be terminated with immediate effect.
The ex-world champion himself stated through his lawyer that he underwent ozone therapy as a result of toxoplasmosis to combat the disease. This treatment has now also led to his suspension. With this, Ballan counters the original allegation that he received blood transfusions in 2009.
The Mantua doping case investigated the involvement of a total of 32 people from Team Lampre's former environment in the trafficking and use of banned substances.