Following the verdict of the Italian Olympic Committee to hand him the two-year suspension announced in January, the former BMC and Lampre-Merida rider Alessandro Ballan decided to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against that decision, insisting he underwent an ozone therapy.

Ballan’s case, directly linked with Mantova investigation, refers to activities taken by the rider in the first part of 2009 season. The World Champion from 2008 had a terrible beginning of the 2009 as he had been diagnosed with Cytomegalovirus and as a consequence was forced to skip targeted spring classics and the Giro d’Italia. He managed to return to competition for the Tour de France and won the Tour de Pologne before he signed a contract with BMC for 2010.

Repeatedly, Ballan claims that he underwent the ozone therapy during the break instead of any form of performances-enchanting blood transfusions, however that argument has been rejected by CONI during the hearing in January.

Ozone therapy includes taking out blood, treating it with ozone and the re-injecting it. However, any form of blood transfusion is prohibited by the WADA code.

“I had the Cytomegalovirus; I’d been in hospital and was suspended by the team. I had the rainbow jersey, wanted to ride the Giro d’Italia and they told me that the treatment would have helped me recover more quickly. I did an infinite number of controls and my biological passport speaks clearly. Do you think it’s right that I’ve been massacred because of this?” Ballan told Gazzetta.

“I underwent ozone therapy at the time, but I was ill and I had been withheld from racing for 45 days by my team doctor,” Ballan told Tuttobici on Tuesday, confirming his appeal to CAS.

“I’ll only say that the penalty inflicted on me is an enormity. I know that right is on my side and above all, I still believe in sporting justice.”

The former World Champion will turn 36 when his suspension comes to an end in January 2016. However, he intends to return to competition as a professional cyclist and claims that he has recently resumed his trainings.

“The bike has given me a lot and I still feel that I can give something,” Ballan said.

“One thing is certain: I don’t want to leave a world that I love deeply in this way.”