Rome - Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca denied Wednesday using the banned blood-boosting drug CERA when he appeared at a hearing by the Italian Olympic Committee.

The 33-year-old former Giro d'Italia winner said after the one-hour hearing he was convinced he would be cleared of any wrongdoing and hinted he may have been the victim of a "plot."

The hearing was adjourned for a month to give the defence more time to prepare.

The hearings could lead to prosecutor Ettore Torri recommending that the committee's anti-doping tribunal ban the rider.

Rome - Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca has tested positive for the latest generation of the blood booster EPO twice at this year's Giro d'Italia and faces a long ban, the Italian cycling federation FCI said on Saturday.

The FCI said that examinations of the b-samples confirmed the presence of the substance CERA.

The 2007 Giro winner Di Luca, 33, faces a four-year ban as it is his second doping offence, and is expected to end his career.

"I will quit cycling if the b-samples are positive as well," Di Luca had said recently. (dpa)