Mauro Santambrogio drew negative headlines when it was announced that he had failed a EPO test during the Giro d'Italia. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, his B-sample may now be declared negative and so the Italian may escape suspension.

Mauro Santambrogio had a remarkable Giro d'Italia, winning the big mountain stage to the top of the Jafferau and finishing 9th overall. His performances raised eyebrows and it didn't create too much surprise when it was announced that he had tested positive for EPO during the Italian grand tour.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, he may now be cleared to race again. The Italian newspaper reports that his B-sample contained amounts of EPO that were too small to declare the test positive. If the news are confirmed, the Italian may escape suspension. According to the paper, the reason behind the low levels may be the use of micro-dosing which is much more difficult to detect and has been described as a clear challenge for the anti-doping systems.

Santambrogio wasn't  the only Vini Fantini rider to test positive during the Giro. The news of Danilo Di Luca's positive broke during the race and the former winner of the Italian grand tour left the event in disgrace. Unlike Santambrogio, he hasn't requested the analysis of his B sample and is likely to be handed a 12-year suspension, this being his third anti-doping rule violation.

The anti-doping authorities still haven't confirmed the news on Santambrogio's B-sample.