Cycling:Italian cyclist Ivan Basso is likely to avoid charges of doping after investigating officials asked for his case to be dropped.
The Giro d'Italia champion was placed under investigation by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) after being implicated in a Spanish police probe into blood doping by a group of doctors in Madrid.
CONI said in a statement today that they would ask the Italian Cycling Federation to drop their case against Basso.
Basso was one of nine riders withdrawn from July's Tour de France on the eve of the race and he was suspended by his CSC team.
The Italian has always denied any links with the doctors arrested in Madrid.
Basso, who still has two years left on his contract with CSC, could take part in the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday.
"This is good news," Basso told Gazzetta dello Sport's website. "Although I don't know yet if I will race on Saturday. I need to speak with (CSC chief) Bjarne Riis and then we will decide."