April 21, 2000 5:36 AM Reuters

MILAN, April 21 (Reuters) - Former Tour de France winner Marco Pantani has been sent for trial on doping charges even though Italy's Olympic Committee cleared him of the accusations.

The investigating judge in the case in the northern Italian town of Forli had ruled there was sufficient evidence to take the case to court, Italian newspapers reported on Friday.

The decision came as a surprise because public prosecutors had recommended the case be shelved and the Italian Olympic Committee decided to drop it last April. The official charge against Pantani is "sporting fraud" and the investigation dates from his disqualification from last year's Giro d'Italia after failing a blood test.

He insists he never used peformance enhancing drugs.

The Italian was expelled from the Giro two stages from the finish when a repeat victory was within his grasp. Blood tests showed he had a haematocrit (red blood cell) level two percent over the 50 percent limit.

Investigators have also looked into the occasion in 1995 when Pantani was taken to hospital after an accident in training and blood tests showed his haematocrit level was 58 percent.

Pantani, one of Italy's best loved sports personalities, said in March he was taking an indefinite break from cycling after pulling out of the Tour of Murcia with back problems.

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