Italian cyclist Emanuele Sella, the climbing revelation of this year's Giro d'Italia, on Monday received a one-year ban for using EPO-Cera.
Sella, 27, tested positive for the third generation of the infamous blood booster in July.
His ban was halved from the usual two years because he collaborated with authorities, anti-doping officials said.
Sella sprang out of obscurity with three thrilling breakaway stage wins plus second place in a killer uphill time trial at the Giro in May. He ended up sixth overall.
Sella's ban is the latest in a series of doping penalties for Italian cyclists including Riccardo Ricco' - thrown off the 2008 Tour de France - and Ivan Basso, who has recently returned to the sport after winning the 2006 Giro.
The women's category has not been immune and in October former World Cycling Champion Marta Bastianelli received a one-year ban for the use of a banned stimulant.
