Italian cyclist Christian Murro is free to race after being cleared of doping charges, but will continue working as a sports director. A court in Pordenone in northeast Italy acquitted him on Thursday, nearly three years after his positive doping test.
"It wasn't personal revenge on my part, though both the UCI and the [Italian] federation left a bitter taste in my mouth," Murro told Italy's Tuttobiciweb. "The test was out of place and time, in January 2008 and I was only given the reasons for my suspension a good five months later."
Murro raced with team Lampre when he tested positive for the diuretic Furosemide during a UCI out-of-competition on January 15, 2008. Furosemide helps weight loss and can be used as a masking agent for artificial testosterone. Murro said that he mistakenly ingested it by drinking herbal tea.
The 32-year-old became a father of twins since the drug test and gave up training to become a sports director. This year, he directed cyclists with Team Named and Aurora, and will continue next year with Casati-Named
"I've been completely cleared of the doping charges," Murro said, "but now, who can give me back that lost time?"
Murro started riding professionally in 2005 with team Tenax. In 2007, he won an epic, rain-soaked edition of the Tre Valli Varesine and finished fourth at the national championships. The following year, he switched to team Lampre and raced through the first stage of the Volta a Catalunya, 19 May.