Danilo DiLuca and the case of the disappearing blood bag

Italian news source La Stampa recently reported on a potentially fascinating but muddled story involving Danilo DiLuca. Apparently in 2005, Altobrando DiLuca, Danilo's brother, had some kind of dispute with a guy named Alessio Starnieri. When the police got involved, Starnieri, perhaps in a form of revenge against Altobrando's accusations, claimed that he had possession of a refrigerated blood bag belonging to Danilo that had been entrusted to him by Altobrando (presumably before their falling-out). The police officer who was involved did not immediately seize the blood bag, apparently because he was friendly with the DiLucas. Later when others went to collect the evidence, the blood bag was nowhere to be found and Starnieri refused to answer questions. So the police had no blood bag, a recanting silent witness, and a cycling-fan colleague who refused to do his job. Fit to be a Sherlock Holmes story. No evidence, no witness, no wrongdoing. Deniability is the same as innocence, isn't it? Except perhaps for the iron-fist of CONI's Ettore Torri, who is not so quick to believe the denial-fests that make up 99.9% of all pro cyclists statements about doping.

If all this is really true, it only provides more evidence that blood transfusions are very common among the top riders. With EPO testing more prevalent, riders have to keep their haematocrits up the old-fashioned way, with transfusions of their own blood or, more dangerously, someone else's. With the proven blood doping cases or confessions of Ullrich, Basso, Jaksche, Manzano, Hamilton, Vino, Kashechkin, and now this story involving DiLuca, can there be any doubt that Fuentes was just one of many doctors providing such services to cyclists? How many such networks are still in action, and how long will it be before blood volume tests are required to prevent this practice once and for all? Tomorrow would not be too soon for me. Oh, and just how much do you think that Starnieri was paid to zip his lips and permanently lose the incriminating blood bag? Meanwhile DiLuca rides on, tranquilo as always. Perhaps someday, Torri will find a way to nail him and wipe the Killer's smirk off his pretty face once and for all.