Liquigas rider Gianni Da Ros has been banned for 20 years for doping, the Italian Olympic Committee said in a statement on Monday.

Da Ros, who only recently turned professional, was one of 11 people arrested by police in March after a long-running investigation into doping across Italian sport.

Top riders Danilo Di Luca and Riccardo Ricco were also among a raft of Italian cyclists to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in recent years.