Cyclingnews.com said the other day that Petacchi has refused to answer questions from the Italian Police in relation to doping. He is due to go before the Italian Olympic Committee on the 3rd of August.
From Earth Times on the www:
Florence, Italy - Alessandro Petacchi remained silent 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.This last paragraph does not actually say he is innocent, it just says that until it is proven he is cheating then Lampre will stand by their sprinter. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of confidence
