Valverde - puerto
FROM REUTERS:
Leading Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde has denied he is implicated in the Operation Puerto doping investigation and remains confident that he will be allowed to ride in this year's Tour de France.
The 27-year-old Caisse d'Epargne rider, who is amongst the favourites for this year's Tour, had been linked with the investigation because one of the bags of blood confiscated by Spanish police during their raids last year bore the name of his dog 'Piti'.
``I don't know who is behind all these rumours, but if they are trying to unsettle me they aren't going to succeed.'' Valverde told Spanish sports daily Marca on Friday.
``My conscience is clear and although these things are disagreeable, I'm not going to lose sleep over them.
``I imagine the Tour wants to avoid another scandal, but they can be sure that they won't have one with me. I wasn't, I'm not and I will not be involved in Operation Puerto. I can say it louder, but I can't say it any more clearly. I'm not involved in Operation Puerto.''
Valverde admitted that he knew Eufemiano Fuentes, the doctor at the centre of the investigation, when he rode for the Kelme team, but said he had nothing to hide. He also said that the name ``Piti`` could not refer to his dog.
``They say that there are papers from the year 2004 bearing the name 'Piti'. But how can they be mine when my dog wasn't even born then? .... We need to be more serious and if people are going to make accusations they need to have proof.''
Last month Italian rider Ivan Basso admitted to attempted doping after being implicated in the Operation Puerto investigation. One of the bags of blood found by police during their raids bore the name of his dog 'Birillo'.
Leading Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde has denied he is implicated in the Operation Puerto doping investigation and remains confident that he will be allowed to ride in this year's Tour de France.
The 27-year-old Caisse d'Epargne rider, who is amongst the favourites for this year's Tour, had been linked with the investigation because one of the bags of blood confiscated by Spanish police during their raids last year bore the name of his dog 'Piti'.
``I don't know who is behind all these rumours, but if they are trying to unsettle me they aren't going to succeed.'' Valverde told Spanish sports daily Marca on Friday.
``My conscience is clear and although these things are disagreeable, I'm not going to lose sleep over them.
``I imagine the Tour wants to avoid another scandal, but they can be sure that they won't have one with me. I wasn't, I'm not and I will not be involved in Operation Puerto. I can say it louder, but I can't say it any more clearly. I'm not involved in Operation Puerto.''
Valverde admitted that he knew Eufemiano Fuentes, the doctor at the centre of the investigation, when he rode for the Kelme team, but said he had nothing to hide. He also said that the name ``Piti`` could not refer to his dog.
``They say that there are papers from the year 2004 bearing the name 'Piti'. But how can they be mine when my dog wasn't even born then? .... We need to be more serious and if people are going to make accusations they need to have proof.''
Last month Italian rider Ivan Basso admitted to attempted doping after being implicated in the Operation Puerto investigation. One of the bags of blood found by police during their raids bore the name of his dog 'Birillo'.
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Comments
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It would be funny if it wasn't so sad... I can't believe we are discussing dog names here!!
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Pas de progrŠs sans peigne.=====================
Pas de progrŠs sans peigne.0 -
It's been said many times before but still holds true IMO, why don't the papars and media wait until there is undoubted proof before circulating stories and rumours!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Keith Oates</i>
It's been said many times before but still holds true IMO, why don't the papars and media wait until there is undoubted proof before circulating stories and rumours!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
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Rumours are good for business, that's why the media report it. The media will decide who rides the TDF, not ASO...
________Our behaviour is a function of our experience.0 -
Dave_1, I strongly suspect that ASO and the French media work hand in glove on the rumours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Keith Oates</i>
Dave_1, I strongly suspect that ASO and the French media work hand in glove on the rumours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
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yeah, i think the French, a rather proud nation, are very unhappy at how poorly they do in bike racing. Mind you, Lance Armstrong still has some jabs at the French http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytZkRFRf0Do
________Our behaviour is a function of our experience.0 -
That was well worth watching and very funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy0 -
yeah yeah yeah!
<font size="1">Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!</font id="size1">0 -
The French resent the fact that they have far stronger controls than other countries and their riders suffer accordingly. We really should give them some credit - all of their accusations / innuendo and tests have turned out to be true.
Armstrong moved to Girona from Nice once the French testing regime tightened up and he benefited from the Spanish regime. His anti-Frenchness is no different to his anti-Simeoni aggression and threats and his pure hatred of David Walsh. No one crosses LA and survives and his "humour" is about as humorous as Bush laughing about tortured Iraqis. He's a nasty and sleazy individual and I don't think you should give him support.0 -
<i>Originally posted by sylvanus</i>
The French resent the fact that they have far stronger controls than other countries and their riders suffer accordingly. We really should give them some credit - all of their accusations / innuendo and tests have turned out to be true.
Regardless if the above is the case or not it has been a really long time since I warmed to a French rider. I find the current french peloton is lacking charisma and character. Personalities if they exist are lost in a monotone regiment, how often do we see French riders escaping in breaks compared with the Italians, Spaniards, Russians... I fear they are often tto conservative to gamble...
I appreciate I am making huge generalisiations and admit there are thankfully some exceptions. I am not any French either- I speak French and admire the culture...but the national peloton does not inspire the passion of the erratic and emotional Italians
Now luxembourg- some real class[^][:p]
White knight Scleck for another white jersey this year[?]0 -
What about David Moncoutie - widely acknowledged to be completely clean and very attacking - usually bags a stage or two in the Tour.
Thomas Voekler seems pretty ballsy too. Presumably racing clean does make it harder to break off the front of a doped peleton thats moving at 45kph?0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sylvanus</i>
The French resent the fact that they have far stronger controls than other countries and their riders suffer accordingly. We really should give them some credit - all of their accusations / innuendo and tests have turned out to be true.
Armstrong moved to Girona from Nice once the French testing regime tightened up and he benefited from the Spanish regime. His anti-Frenchness is no different to his anti-Simeoni aggression and threats and his pure hatred of David Walsh. No one crosses LA and survives and his "humour" is about as humorous as Bush laughing about tortured Iraqis. He's a nasty and sleazy individual and I don't think you should give him support.
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Is it fair to assume that LA is not on your Christmas card list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Keith Oates</i>
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sylvanus</i>
The French resent the fact that they have far stronger controls than other countries and their riders suffer accordingly. We really should give them some credit - all of their accusations / innuendo and tests have turned out to be true.
Armstrong moved to Girona from Nice once the French testing regime tightened up and he benefited from the Spanish regime. His anti-Frenchness is no different to his anti-Simeoni aggression and threats and his pure hatred of David Walsh. No one crosses LA and survives and his "humour" is about as humorous as Bush laughing about tortured Iraqis. He's a nasty and sleazy individual and I don't think you should give him support.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Is it fair to assume that LA is not on your Christmas card list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ride Daily, Keep Healthy
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That would be a fair assumtion I think.
________Our behaviour is a function of our experience.0
