[ire]

I'm curious to see if they'll ban him, nearly three years after the initial raid.

http://www.velonews.com/article/87585/italians-summon-valverde-on-puerto-doping-suspicions

Italians summon Valverde on Puerto doping suspicions
2008 Tour blood sample matched Puerto blood
By Agence France Presse
Posted Feb. 11, 2009

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Wednesday summoned Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde to face charges of doping or attempting to dope in relation to the infamous Operación Puerto affair.

The Caisse D'Epargne rider has been asked to appear before CONI at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Monday.

CONI said it had also informed the rider's team and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) of the summons.

The summons relates to a blood-urine sample given by Valverde on July 21, during the 2008 Tour de France after a stage in Italy.

Italian news agency Ansa reported that DNA tests on this sample matched those of blood samples seized from the laboratory of tainted doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the central figure in the Puerto scandal.

Although the sample Valverde gave during the Tour did not fail any dope tests, follow-up DNA tests matched the sample to others seized during the Puerto investigation. Valverde has been summoned to answer to charges related to the test.

Valverde has long come under suspicion of doping after being implicated in the Puerto affair although nothing came of Spanish investigations into his alleged involvement.

The UCI initially banned the two-time ProTour winner from the 2007 World Championships due to his originally being implicated in the investigation, but he took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which re-instated him.

He is currently the subject of an open case at CAS brought by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after Spanish authorities washed their hands of the whole Puerto affair.
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Valverde is a one-day specialist who has three times finished on the podium at the World Championships and was second in the 2006 Vuelta a España.

 

[JRogers]

I wonder what the consequences will be considering the time after the initial raid and the apparent jurisdictional issues that might arise (CONI summons a Spanish rider about samples from a French race...).

To be honest, I almost don't care if he's guilty because I'd rather see him race (I bet he's cleaner now that he's gotten a good scare) than read about (more) appeals and suspensions.

 

[maddog17]

how do the italians ask a spaniard to answer questions based on samples taken from a french race??? what business is it of CONI? his license isn't issued because he's italian so he doesn't or shouldn't fall under their jurisdiction. i'm confused which really shouldn't surprise me or anyone at this point.

 

[SteezyWeezy]

racing would be tighter if they allowed doping

 

[ire]

how do the italians ask a spaniard to answer questions based on samples taken from a french race??? what business is it of CONI? his license isn't issued because he's italian so he doesn't or shouldn't fall under their jurisdiction. i'm confused which really shouldn't surprise me or anyone at this point.

The test occurred on a stage of the Tour that finished in Italy, so the Italians have jurisdiction.

 

[James]

The test occurred on a stage of the Tour that finished in Italy, so the Italians have jurisdiction.

I think also the Italians are pissed that Basso had to bench it for 2 years, and Piti didn't have sh!t happen.
Personally, I don't really like the guy, and if he's dirty "Valv-Piti" is a pretty bad nickname honestly, then he should get the boot for 2 years, plus another 2 from a ProTour team (not that it matters much anymore).

 

[maddog17]

The test occurred on a stage of the Tour that finished in Italy, so the Italians have jurisdiction.

ok but still, wouldn't him being suspended fall on the hands of the UCI and not CONI? if his license is Spanish then i would imagine he could just tell the italians to f off he's not answering any questions.

 

[James]

ok but still, wouldn't him being suspended fall on the hands of the UCI and not CONI? if his license is Spanish then i would imagine he could just tell the italians to f off he's not answering any questions.

VN had a pretty decent writeup about it:
http://www.velonews.com/article/87593/the-explainer---whose-blood-is-it-anyway

Kind of interesting, their motives. I hope it goes somewhere, and not the night before the big show either...

 

[James]

Buh-bye.
http://www.velonews.com/article/88189/valverde-faces-coni-hearing-court-inquiry

At the very least, his team needs to can his ass, at the most, he needs to be suspended.
Hopefully this will shut up the "I'm going to win the Tour!" BS that he keeps spouting, despite falling on his face every year.

 

[ire]

Buh-bye.
http://www.velonews.com/article/88189/valverde-faces-coni-hearing-court-inquiry

At the very least, his team needs to can his ass, at the most, he needs to be suspended.
Hopefully this will shut up the "I'm going to win the Tour!" BS that he keeps spouting, despite falling on his face every year.

I rather enjoyed watching him not live up to the hype

 

[ire]

From Cyclingnews.com. I think Schumacher is a spineless piece of sh!t
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/feb09/feb20news

Cycling News Flash, February 20, 2009

Edited by Sue George
French suspend Schumacher for two years

By Susan Westemeyer
Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)
Photo ©: AFP (Click for larger image)

The French National Anti-Doping Agency AFLD has suspended German rider Stefan Schumacher for two years after testing positive for CERA, a new generation of EPO, during the Tour de France. Schumacher confirmed the suspension Thursday evening, calling the decision "a shock" and the process a "farce".

The 27-year-old, who last rode for Team Gerolsteiner, said in a statement that, "I did not dope."

He added that there can only be one reaction to this "unprecedented investigation and unbelievable verdict: I have told my attorney to file an appeal of the investigatory practices and the scandalous verdict with the Conseil d'Etat, the highest French court of appeals."

Schumacher said that he was sure that the court would "prove his innocence".

Earlier in the day, the Belgian and Dutch media had reported that the UCI had ordered the suspension, but Schumacher's lawyer, Michael Lehner, called the story a "fake".

On Thursday afternoon, UCI spokesperson Enrico Carpani told Cyclingnews, "I can confirm UCI didn't communicate at all on this so far. We are still waiting in fact for the AFLD decision."

Cyclingnews will stay on this breaking story.
Valverde under criminal investigation

By Shane Stokes

Alejandro Valverde arrived in Rome, Italy on Thursday to appear before the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) only to be informed he was now also under criminal investigation. The Spaniard was informed that the separate probe had been opened when he arrived at Rome's Olympic Stadium for his hearing with CONI's anti-doping prosecutor.

Valverde refused to speak to reporters following the hearing. His lawyer, Federico Cecconi, said that his client attended the meeting to 'clarify that he had no part' in the doping scandal.

Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri announced on Thursday that the organisation possessed DNA proof plus additional evidence that Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde was involved in the Operación Puerto doping scandal.

"We can say with certitude that the blood in bag number 18 belongs to Valverde," he said according to AFP, referring to seizures made by Spanish police at a Madrid laboratory in May 2006. He confirmed claims earlier made by Italian media that DNA comparisons between this and a blood sample taken from Valverde during last year's Tour de France matched, proving his involvement.

Torri spoke at a press conference held after the doping hearing held today in Rome's Olympic Stadium. He said that CONI had the authority to rule on the case, rejecting assertions to the contrary by the Spanish judge investigating Operación Puerto. Valverde's blood sample was taken after stage 15 of the Tour, a stage to the summit of Prato Nevoso in Italy.

"We confident that we are qualified to deal with this case and that we also have the jurisdiction to deal with foreign athletes," he said. "Valverde's case is identical to that of (Ivan) Basso." The Italian rider was suspended in June 2007.

"We have documents referring to Valverde both for sums paid to Fuentes and for the substances (purchased). However, these documents require interpretation. For now, though, we haven't examined the possibility of a precautionary suspension for Valverde. His lawyers have two weeks to prepare the defence case."

He added that Valverde declined to speak during the hearing, and was unlikely to be called again. However he suggested that other sportsmen might be summoned to Rome.

"If one refuses to answer there's no point in returning," he said. "There's another 90 bags of blood and not just those of cyclists."