Giro D'Italia champion Danilo Di Luca should been banned for two years for a doping offence, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said on Wednesday.

The ban was the second brought against the Italian rider in months following a doping test he took after the 17th stage of last year's Giro.

CONI made the announcement on its web site (www.coni.it) after months of wrangling over whether Di Luca's results from the test last May had broken any doping rules.

Officials said his results showed abnormal hormone levels, which would usually be seen in a child.

Di Luca, 32, who joined Team LPR from Liquigas in November, said that he had nothing to hide and was willing to cooperate.

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2008)