 Di Luca at the2005 Tour de Pologne | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Danilo Di Luca |
| Nickname | The Killer fromSpoltore |
| Born | (1976-01-02)2 January 1976 (age 49) Spoltore, Italy |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 61 kg (134 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Suspended |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All rounder |
| Professional teams | |
| 1998 | Riso Scotti |
| 1999–2001 | Cantina Tollo–Alexia Alluminio |
| 2002–2004 | Saeco–Longoni Sport |
| 2005–2007 | Liquigas–Bianchi |
| 2008–2009 | LPR Brakes–Ballan |
| 2011 | Team Katusha |
| 2012 | Acqua & Sapone |
| 2013 | Vini Fantini–Selle Italia |
| Major wins | |
| Grand Tours Other | |
Danilo Di Luca (born 2 January 1976) is a former Italian professionalroad racing cyclist, best known for winning the2007 Giro d'Italia, but also for several positive doping tests, the last of which resulting in a lifetime ban from the sport.
Di Luca is also one of six riders to have won each of the threeArdennes classics; he won theAmstel Gold Race andLa Flèche Wallonne in 2005, andLiège–Bastogne–Liège in 2007. During his career, Di Luca rode for the Riso Scotti,Cantina Tollo–Acqua & Sapone,Saeco,Liquigas,LPR Brakes–Farnese Vini,Team Katusha,Acqua & Sapone andVini Fantini–Selle Italia squads.[1][2][3]
Di Luca's career was also dogged by numerous infractions, involving three suspensions in relation to doping. In 2007, Di Luca was suspended for three months towards the end of the season, for visiting previously banned doctor Carlo Santuccione, which later escalated into theOil for Drugs case.[4] In 2009, at theGiro d'Italia, Di Luca tested positive on two occasions[5] forCERA,[6] and was given a backdated – to July 2009 – two-year ban in February 2010, which was later reduced to nine months.[7][8] His third positive test came just before the2013 Giro d'Italia, when he tested positive forerythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test.[9] Di Luca expressed surprise at the test results,[10] but he was given a lifetime ban in December 2013.[11]
Danilo Di Luca wrote his autobiographyBestie da Vittoria, which means "Beasts for victories". Such book is also a denunciation of the use of doping substances among cyclists and the use of anti-doping controls as a way to manipulate competition results.
Born inSpoltore,province of Pescara, Di Luca began his professional career in 1998 in the Riso Scotti team. He showed talent by winning the under-23 version of the Giro D'Italia. His first pro win was in 1999, when, moving toCantina Tollo-Alexia Alluminio, he won the first stage of theGiro d'Abruzzo. He remained in the team taking wins in 2001 such as the fourth stage of theGiro d'Italia and theGiro di Lombardia. Then, he transferred toSaeco-Longoni Sport.
During his time at Saeco-Longoni he lost theVuelta al País Vasco on the last stage, a mountain time trial in whichAndreas Klöden took the lead and the win. Combined with injuries and lack of confidence of the team directors, his performance suffered. In 2004 Italian officials investigated Di Luca for doping. Cyclingnews.com said: "Di Luca was recorded in several phone conversations withEddy Mazzoleni in which he allegedly talked aboutdoping products, the investigation led to Di Luca's non-participation in the 2004 Tour de France."[12][13]
In 2005, Di Luca switched toLiquigas–Bianchi, withMario Cipollini,Dario Cioni,Stefano Garzelli andMagnus Bäckstedt. He led the team for the spring classics. His first victory came in the first stage of theUCI ProTour raceVuelta al País Vasco, which he won overall after defeatingAitor Osa in the final time trial. He won theAmstel Gold Race andLa Flèche Wallonne, taking the ProTour leader's white jersey.
Di Luca was seen as suited to races lasting only a few days. His success in the2005 Giro d'Italia came as a surprise. Here he won two stages and finished fourth. He finished fifth in theTour de Pologne. With a fourth in the2005 Züri-Metzgete, he became2005 UCI ProTour champion.
Di Luca was forced to retire from the2006 Tour de France, due to a urinary infection. He recovered to compete in the2006 Vuelta a España, winning the fifth stage and holding the lead (ceding it toJanez Brajkovič). Di Luca's performances in the classics, the Giro, and other races, were a letdown from the triumphs of 2005.
Di Luca wonMilano–Torino in March andLiège–Bastogne–Liège in April. He took stages 4 and 12 en route to the victory in the2007 Giro d'Italia. After the Giro, it was revealed that Di Luca had unspecified low hormone levels. Italian authorities are determining if they are a consequence of racing at a high level for three weeks or some kind of masking agent.[14] On 28 September, Di Luca withdrew from theUCI road championship calling his treatment "a scandal" after doping allegations.[15]
Di Luca was leading the2007 UCI ProTour when he was suspended before the final race, theGiro di Lombardia, due to alleged involvement in theOil for Drugs case, for which he was suspended for three months through the close season.[4]
In 2008, Di Luca had a quiet year as his new team,LPR Brakes–Ballan, were not invited to many races. In 2009, they received a wildcard entry to theGiro d'Italia and Di Luca won the fourth stage.[16] He then came second on the fifth stage, gaining thepink jersey as race leader, and extended his lead by winning the tenth stage. He lost time on the two time trial stages and finished second overall, winning thepoints classification.
On 22 July 2009, it was announced that Di Luca had tested positive forCERA on 20 and 28 May 2009, during the Giro d'Italia. He was provisionally suspended with immediate effect by the UCI.[6][17] He had been targeted for testing using information from hisbiological passport's blood profile, previous test results and his race schedule.[18] On 8 August, his positive tests were confirmed. On 1 February 2010, the Italian Olympic committee (CONI) suspended him for two years (effective as of 22 July 2009) for the Giro doping incident. Di Luca must also pay a€280,000 fine, as well as the costs incurred in both the analysis and counter-analysis of his Giro samples: Di Luca indicated his intention to contest the decision.[7]
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On 15 October 2010, CONI announced that Di Luca's ban had been reduced to nine months and seven days, allowing Di Luca to return as of that very day (though the season was nearly over). This was due to his reported cooperation with investigators, detailing doping methods. CONI also announced the reduction of Di Luca's fine, from €280,000 to €106,400,[8] but the UCI contends that he will still have to pay the full amount based on when his doping incident occurred.[19] His results from the 2009 Giro were stricken from the record.[20]
In the 2011 season, he competed forTeam Katusha, and his performances were somewhat mitigated since he held no victories. His notable results were fourth of the Giro d'Italia's 6th stage and fourth in the Tour de Suisse's first stage.[21]
After the season, Di Luca signed a contract for the 2012 season with Acqua & Sapone.[2]
In April 2013, Di Luca signed for theVini Fantini–Selle Italia team, who were subsequently awarded a wildcard place to race in theGiro d'Italia. On 24 May, while Di Luca was riding in the Giro, the UCI announced that he had had an adverse finding in an out-of-competition doping test at his home on 29 April. Di Luca was fired by his team who instructed him to leave the race by his own means.[22] He was banned for life byCONI on 5 December. He also had his results stripped from 29 April and ordered to pay €37,985 in fines and costs.[11][23][24]
OverallGiro della Lunigiana
Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
OverallGiro Ciclistico d'Italia
OverallGiro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia
Road race,UCI Road World Under-23 Championships after Stages 4–7
after Stage 2 OverallGiro della Liguria OverallBrixia Tour
UCI ProTour OverallTour of the Basque Country Points classification after Stages 5 & 7–10
after Stages 5, 7–9 & 14
,
& after Stages 5 & 6 OverallGiro d'Italia after Stages 4, 5 & 10–14
OverallSettimana Ciclistica Lombarda
Mountains classificationTour of BritainPoints classification after Stages 5–11 after Stages 4–9| Grand Tour | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia | — | DNF | DNF | 24 | — | — | — | 4 | 23 | 1 | 8 | — | 69 | — | DNF | |
 Tour de France | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 / Vuelta a España | — | — | DNF | DNF | 20 | — | DNF | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Monuments results timeline | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monument | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | ||
| Milan–San Remo | — | 96 | — | 119 | DNF | 80 | 54 | 27 | — | — | 58 | 41 | — | — | 63 | — | ||
| Tour of Flanders | Did not contest during career | |||||||||||||||||
| Paris–Roubaix | ||||||||||||||||||
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — | — | 34 | 8 | DNS | 26 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | ||
| Giro di Lombardia | — | 2 | DNF | 1 | 45 | 41 | — | DNF | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | ||
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| DNS | Did not start |
| UCI Road World Cup | |
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| UCI ProTour |
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| UCI World Tour | |
| UCI World Ranking |
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