Alessandro Petacchi had tested positive for a controlled substance (salbutamol), but was later exonerated by the Italian Cycling Federation. Now there are appeals to this decision.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has joined the Italian Olympic Committee in appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against cyclist Alessandro Petacchi being cleared in a doping row.

It’s a bit suspicious that Alessandro has used the substance, but if he does indeed have asthma and needs the medication; he probably needs to take it.

The Milram rider missed the Tour de France but the Italian Cycling Federation then cleared him after he argued he had used the substance in his asthma inhaler and any overuse was human error.

I don’t know enough about asthma, but would it be possible for a professional cyclist to compete on long road races with asthma?

Read a bit more here.