MILAN (AP) — At least 15 more cyclists are being linked to Lance Armstrong’s banned Italian sport doctor in an intricate scheme of money laundering, tax evasion and widespread doping.
The Gazzetta dello Sport reports that former Giro d’Italia winners Michele Scarponi and Denis Menchov, and this year’s Olympic champion Alexandre Vinokourov, are under investigation for doping under the supervision of Dr. Michele Ferrari.
Citing documents from an inquiry led by Padua prosecutor Benedetto Roberti, the Gazzetta details how Ferrari allegedly masterminded a $40 million operation whereby riders and teams avoided taxes by recycling money through Gibraltar, Monte Carlo, Switzerland and South America.
Ferrari was barred for life by the Italian Cycling Federation in 2002.
Ferrari and the cyclists deny wrongdoing.
