Rome - Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca denied Wednesday using the banned blood-boosting drug CERA when he appeared at a hearing by the Italian Olympic Committee.

The 33-year-old former Giro d'Italia winner said after the one-hour hearing he was convinced he would be cleared of any wrongdoing and hinted he may have been the victim of a "plot."

The hearing was adjourned for a month to give the defence more time to prepare.

The hearings could lead to prosecutor Ettore Torri recommending that the committee's anti-doping tribunal ban the rider.

Di Luca, who won the 2007 Giro, tested positive for CERA in samples taken on May 20 and May 28 during this year's race, where he won two stages and finished second overall.

He is at present suspended from competition pending investigation into the positive test results. (dpa)