Giro d'Italia holder Basso claimed, however, that he was only guilty of "attempting" to take drugs ahead of last year's Tour de France, an attempt that was uncovered in the Operacion Puerto Spanish doping sting that took place between the Italian and French classics.

"I have never taken doped substances," Basso said at a press conference in Milan, a day after telling the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) he was ready to clear his chest.

"I have admitted to an attempt to commit doping in view of the Tour de France and I'm ready to serve my penalty."

Basso declined to elaborate when quizzed on exactly what " attempted doping" meant.

Basso was excluded from last year's Tour de France after being implicated in Operacion Puerto along with former Tour winner Jan Ullrich of Germany - who recently retired - and 50 other professional riders.

The probe into the activities of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes uncovered steroids, transfusion equipment and bags of blood.

Basso admitted some of those bags of blood were his, but claimed he had never used them.