Olympic cycling silver medalist Davide Rebellin has rejected allegations that he tested positive for doping at the Beijing Games, saying the result was "a mistake."
"I don't know what may have happened. It is certainly a mistake," Rebellin told La Stampa in an interview published today. "It is impossible that I tested positive."
He added that he had "nothing to hide."
The Italian news agency Ansa identified Rebellin as one of six athletes who tested positive for doping after samples from the Beijing Olympics were retested.
On Wednesday, the Italian Olympic Committee and the Italian cycling federation declined to confirm the athlete was Rebellin.
The International Olympic Committee said a total of seven positive tests involving six athletes came back positive for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO. The IOC did not name the athletes or sports involved.
The 37-year-old Rebellin won silver in the Olympic road race in Beijing. Last week, he won the Walloon Arrow cycling classic in Belgium for the third time.
A specialist at long single-day races, Rebellin won the Amstel Gold Race, Walloon Arrow and Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2004.
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