Danilo Di Luca, banned for failing a drugs test at the 2009 Giro d'Italia, returned to cycling with Russia's Team Katusha on Monday.

A team statement said the Italian had signed a one-year-contract.

Di Luca won the 2007 Giro and fought off allegations he had abnormal hormone levels but served a three-month ban at the end of the year for frequenting a doctor accused of supplying drugs to athletes.

After finishing second in the 2009 Giro with LPR he tested positive for CERA and was given a two-year suspension.

Di Luca later had the ban reduced to nine months because he helped authorities probing doping in Italy.