Italian fans favour legalising doping

MILAN, July 25 (Reuters) Italian cycling fans believe making doping legal is the best way to save their troubled sport, according to a popular survey today.

The Astana team pulled out of the Tour de France on Tuesday after Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov tested positive in the latest in a string of doping scandals to rock cycling.

Italy has especially suffered, with 2006 Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso serving a two-year ban for attempted doping and several other riders being implicated in probes.

A survey on www.gazzetta.it, Italy's most popular sport Web site, showed 19.5 percent of respondents wanted doping to be legalised while a press ban on covering cycling was the second most popular proposal with 18.3 percent of the vote.

Halting the sport for one or two seasons to drive out cheats was the third most backed suggestion among nearly 4,000 people who voted, with six other proposals gaining smaller percentages.

Reuters BJR GC2023