Di Luca tests positive for EPO

It is with regret that I have to report a second positive test on this year's Giro d'Italia. Sylvain Georges for AG2r-La Mondiale had early tested positive for Heptaminol claiming it was an accident of taking something to aid his recovery.

However, Danilo Di Luca who has featured prominently in attacks on a number of climbs in this year's race and is the 2007 winner has tested positive to EPO. That surely is not something that can be put down to a casual accident that is an injection.

Di Luca has a sorry history with the drug testers. After his win in 2007 he was banned for 3 months as part of the investigation Oil for Drugs and in July 2009 he was given a 2 year ban for use of EPO, his results of coming second in that year's Giro were scrubbed from the records. Only Denis Menchov of that year's podium was not subsequently disqualified as Fraco Pellizotti who was third was also banned.

Di Luca, Menchov and Pellizotti in Rome after the finish of 2009 Giro

He was a surprise sign up for Vini Fantini just ahead of this year's Giro, as many thought the 37 year old who was out of contract would be retiring. While he is provisionally suspended pending the analysis of his B sample, it looks like if that comes back positive he will be facing an enforced retirement under the three strike lifetime ban rule.

Giro d'Italia Stage 5 Cosenza - Matera

This year's Giro yesterday reached it the south and the rain, before today heading north to finish in the arch of Italy's foot. Yet again yesterday it was the mountains that separated the race. The final summit the Croce Ferrata had plenty of action.

A group of five hit the lower slopes ahead of the race, but with that gap coming down as Sky applied the pressure on the front of the peleton one of their number AG2R's Sylvian Georges pulled out a lead of his own. He was soon joined by Vini Fantini's Danilo Di Luca and then Robinson Chalapud of Colombia both bridged across to him in the wet and mist of the tree lined ascent. Georges couldn't hold their wheels for long and slide back into the pack, but these two reached the summit with a 10 seconds gap. There was 7km of downhill and flat wet roads and some of that pavé (cobbles), anything could yet happen.

As it was the two held on, mainly due to the work of Di Luca until the final km, but with Katusha leading the peleton with Paolini in his Maglia Rosa comfortable in second wheel chasing them down, Di Luca launched one final solo attack in the final 700m only to be absorbed by the peleton in the final 300m. The first man across the line was Enrico Battaglin, who shares the same name but is not a close relative of the 1981 champion of the Giro and Vuelta Giovanni. The young Italian on the Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox, lead an Italian 1-2-3 over the line with Felline AND and Giovanni Visconti in his wake, but further down what was meant to be the main pack there were time gaps of over a second meaning that not everyone who crested the Croce Ferrata together clocked the same time. Most significantly for GC may have been that after not just one but 2 splits was Sky's Bradley Wiggins so he clocked a time 17 seconds slower than most of the other serious contenders.

After the mountains of the last two days, today we have a flat stage as the Giro starts to head north once again. Mark Cavendish may be back in his Omega Pharma-Quickstep jersey having lost the red points jersey to Luca Paolini after his efforts over the last two day, but he may well be claiming it back on the line in Matera this afternoon.

There are a couple of sharp bends in the run in, but the last of this is at a roundabout with a km to go. Then it is the sort of sprint that you can expect to see the touch paper under the Manx Missile ignited once again and providing there isn't any unexpected rough stuff, mechanicals or crashes he may very well hit the line at the front once again. If OPQ actually get a lead out for him this time it could be by bike lengths rather than a wheel.