Di Luca wins Settimana Lombardia

ROME, April 6, 2008 (AFP) – Controversial Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca won the Settimana Lombardia race here on Sunday following the sixth and final stage over 162.7km around Bergamo.

LPR teammates Paolo Savoldelli and Daniele Pietropolli finished second and third respectively.

Italy’s Francesco Failli of the Acqua e Sapone team, who have not been invited to compete in the Tour of Italy from May 10 to June 1, won the stage in a sprint finish.

It was the 43rd career win for 32-year-old Di Luca, the reigning Tour of Italy champion.

Di Luca is currently embroiled in an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have a three-month suspension he served for a doping offence last year overturned.

He is also involved in another doping case with the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) requesting a two-year ban against Di Luca for providing an abnormal doping test during last year’s Giro.