Cops question Petacchi
28 July 2010, 19:09
Florence, Italy - Alessandro Petacchi remained silent on Wednesday when questioned in Florence by police investigating whether the Tour de France green jersey winner has committed a new doping offence.
"It's because of a strategy I selected, Alessandro wanted to speak," the 36-year-old Italian's lawyer Virginio Angelini said after the meeting.
Last week, Petacchi announced that he was prepared to cooperate fully with any investigation and wanted to prove his innocence.
The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) has also invited Petacchi to make a statement in Rome next Tuesday, local media reported.
Petacchi received a doping ban in 2007 for the excessive use of the asthma drug salbutamol while police investigators looking into doping in Italian sport searched his house last April although found no banned substances.
The cyclist's Lampre team have made clear they will stand by Petacchi saying they would stick by him as he is innocent until proven guilty. - Sapa-dpa
"It's because of a strategy I selected, Alessandro wanted to speak," the 36-year-old Italian's lawyer Virginio Angelini said after the meeting.
Last week, Petacchi announced that he was prepared to cooperate fully with any investigation and wanted to prove his innocence.
The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) has also invited Petacchi to make a statement in Rome next Tuesday, local media reported.
Petacchi received a doping ban in 2007 for the excessive use of the asthma drug salbutamol while police investigators looking into doping in Italian sport searched his house last April although found no banned substances.
The cyclist's Lampre team have made clear they will stand by Petacchi saying they would stick by him as he is innocent until proven guilty. - Sapa-dpa
Pretoria
