Operation Puerto: case reopened

Kléber

According to an article in Spanish daily El Pais, the Puerto affair is about to be reopened and it will eventually go to court.

Should evidence be presented in court, it becomes public information and can be reported on in full and cycling governing bodies will be free to act on it, indeed to pursue riders and "doctors" with civil court cases.

Just in time for the new season. This is the problem with so many doping scandals, we have had rumour but they are not pursued to exhaustion, leaving a "sword of damocles" hanging over the sport. The same can be said for the 2008 Giro samples which apparently remain in storage in case the UCI changes its mind and asks for CERA tests to be conducted on them.

Are you calm?

iainf72

I wonder if we'll get to the bottom of Frank S now?

Who's the biggest name linked who's not had punishment yet? Valv.piti? I suppose Contador but the link to him (which is public) is very very flimsy.

So Basso, Jorg J, the other Italian fellow and Hamilton are probably immune to any further action

Anyone else?

suspectdevice

Could have been a smart move on Basso's part.

I suppose it will be too much to hope that we get to hear about the other sports and sprts people involved in this, but i think it will be a case of cycling dragged through the mire again.

leguape

It's all going to be journeymen who were doping just to keep up and get that two year contract to keep them in the sport a bit longer and maybe pay for that house they'd promised their family if the team do well, isn't it?

stagehopper

The other sports are meanto to hold names which would blow any cycling story out of the water - so we'll not hear any more of them then.

blazing_saddles

Personally, I can't be arsed with this, yet again. It's become as seasonal as Christmas.
Anyone for tennis?

afx237vi

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Personally, I can't be arsed with this, yet again. It's become as seasonal as Christmas.
Anyone for tennis?

GOOOOO RAFA!

'Cos we all know tennis players don't cheat.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7834539.stm

DaveyL

3 months. Does that even count as a slap on the wrists?

blazing_saddles

DaveyL wrote:

3 months. Does that even count as a slap on the wrists?

Certainly not in cycling terms.
Didn't want to know about OP in 2006 and are only paying lip service to sanctions, cos they know what a doping scandal or two costs, in commercial terms. ( we've shown the way there :oops: )
When did cycling stop handing out 3 month bans?.........Ooops, I've just looked at my avatar! :shock:

Kléber

Tennis is very poor. Look at the real reasons behind the sudden retirements of Hingis and Henin for example, or see just how few players are subject to out of competition testing.

But we're not here to debate other sports, if they can't look after their athletes, that's their problem. It takes the police instead and that's just what's happening in Spain. It's just been confirmed today that investigating judge Antonio Serrano is to reopen the Puerto file. Something tells me Armstrong is thinking "I could be team leader in July" if this goes on.

Martin Van Nostrand

All sports 'cheat'. The press just concentrates on cycling, but even Snooker and Bandy players have been caught.

My guess is that opening OP will affect the other sports figures Fuentes worked for.

Armstrong as team leader? 'ol Lance spent all his time training in Spain in the past (along with Hamilton and Landis). I'm sure the lack of doping laws had nothing to do with this.

teagar

I've never heard of scores of tennis players dying in their sleep from heart attacks or waking up in the middle of the night to run/cycle for an hour in order to keep their heart pumping...

teagar

I've never heard of tennis players dying in their sleep of heart attacks as a result of doping or stories of them waking up in the middle of the night to exercise for an hour to in order keep their heart pumping...

Puerto just seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.

phil s

Kléber wrote:

Tennis is very poor. Look at the real reasons behind the sudden retirements of Hingis and Henin for example, or see just how few players are subject to out of competition testing.

Have I missed something? What was trhe 'real' reason for Henin retiring?

moray_gub

phil s wrote:

Kléber wrote:

Tennis is very poor. Look at the real reasons behind the sudden retirements of Hingis and Henin for example, or see just how few players are subject to out of competition testing.

Have I missed something? What was trhe 'real' reason for Henin retiring?

I am quite intrigued as to what the REAL reasons are for her retirement. I am sure the reasons given by her are not the REAL reasons..........so come on Kleber tell us what you really really know ?

MG

stagehopper

A google search reveals the usual gossip-mongerers immediately guessing with "she retired early she must have been on drugs" rumours, and other conspiracy theories that the WTA hushed it up. However they didn't hush up Hingis' failed drugs test around the same time as Henin's retirement so logic sort of flies out the window there.

Could it simply be she'd had enough of the game? She'd already earnt a fortune, had struggled with her injuries and endured a series of poor results, won 7 Slams, ended the year as World number 1 three times, and had an extremely convoluted private life breaking up with her husband the year before.

Most of these tennis players are in "full" training from just past the toddler age. Burn-out is an oft mentioned problem in the women's game and there's plenty of examples of players retiring early - Clijsters, Austin, Capriati, Hingis the first time, Barker, Jaegar, even Graf could have played on for years.

dave_1

Kimmage said that in his Times interview with Rafa Nadal he found Nadal did not gve very satisfactory answer to his questions re allegations of Nadal having links to Operation Puerto.

Martin Van Nostrand

teagar wrote:

I've never heard of tennis players dying in their sleep of heart attacks as a result of doping or stories of them waking up in the middle of the night to exercise for an hour to in order keep their heart pumping...

Puerto just seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.

Puerto is about blood transfers, not EPO.

steve2021

I thought at least some of the blood was 'enhanced' with EPO.

Kléber

Martin Van Nostrand wrote:

Puerto is about blood transfers, not EPO.

Puerto is about the suspicious activities of Dr Fuentes. Blood transfusions were the favoured method of riders but other sports will require other methods.

dave_1

EPO was detected in some of the blood at Fuentes facility was it not? I hope Ivan Basso told everything or else he will be a worried man if there is evidence pre June 06...also Tyler?

jimmythecuckoo

So in theory could Basso get banned again? His last one was for an Italian offence was it not?

Kléber

If people find there's a gap between Basso's statements that he was involved in an "attempt" and actual doping, he's going to have a lot to answer for.

emadden

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

So in theory could Basso get banned again? His last one was for an Italian offence was it not?

oh my God... in a perverted sorted way I am hoping Basso could and does get banned again... Not that i get off on seeing our sport on its knees but I just hate that ***t and everything to do with him.. he is just pigeon scour on my rear tire

iainf72

Dave_1 wrote:

EPO was detected in some of the blood at Fuentes facility was it not? I hope Ivan Basso told everything or else he will be a worried man if there is evidence pre June 06...also Tyler?

Tyler can't get banned again so I don't even know why anyone bothered with it originally. You can look that up in the WADA rules.

I'm pretty certain it would be a similar situation for Basso.

dave_1

iainf72 wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

EPO was detected in some of the blood at Fuentes facility was it not? I hope Ivan Basso told everything or else he will be a worried man if there is evidence pre June 06...also Tyler?

Tyler can't get banned again so I don't even know why anyone bothered with it originally. You can look that up in the WADA rules.

I'm pretty certain it would be a similar situation for Basso.

interesting to learn that....Pat was calling for a lifetime ban for Tyler 18 months ago after Tyler's doping bill was found and proven to have been faxed to his then wife at a fax number of a hotel in Girona. Also, the name Nicky came up on Tyler's invoice...doesn't take much homework to know which current Riis recruit that may well have been...

I want to see Valverde taken down as I have not the slightest doubt his 03 Vuelta was drug induced...a career wrecked like Ricco's as an example to the younger generation

iainf72

Actually WADA have revised their code so it's a bit different now so they could go after Tyler.

But it would be difficult.

The code used to say if an offense predated one the athlete was already being punished for they could not be punished for that as it formed part of the same offense. This has now changed and is a bit more complex.

aurelio_-_banned

Dave_1 wrote:

Pat was calling for a lifetime ban for Tyler 18 months ago after Tyler's doping bill was found and proven to have been faxed to his then wife at a fax number of a hotel in Girona. Also, the name Nicky came up on Tyler's invoice...doesn't take much homework to know which current Riis recruit that may well have been...

I want to see Valverde taken down as I have not the slightest doubt his 03 Vuelta was drug induced...a career wrecked like Ricco's as an example to the younger generation

If you want to see Valverde 'taken down' on the basis of such evidence you must be positively raging to see Armstrong get 'taken down'! Or are you yet another of those people who applies an entirely different set of values when judging Armstrong as opposed to everyone else in the peleton? You know the sort of thing; anyone who was in any way associated, even by nothing more than a possible nickname, to 'doping doctor' Fuentes is by default guilty, whilst having a 6 year relationship with the acknowledge foremost expert in the use of Epo for doping purposes, Michael Ferrari, in no way allows anyone to assume that 'you know who' doped. :roll:

dave_1

aurelio wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

Pat was calling for a lifetime ban for Tyler 18 months ago after Tyler's doping bill was found and proven to have been faxed to his then wife at a fax number of a hotel in Girona. Also, the name Nicky came up on Tyler's invoice...doesn't take much homework to know which current Riis recruit that may well have been...

I want to see Valverde taken down as I have not the slightest doubt his 03 Vuelta was drug induced...a career wrecked like Ricco's as an example to the younger generation

If you want to see Valverde 'taken down' on the basis of such evidence you must be positively raging to see Armstrong get 'taken down'! Or are you yet another of those people who applies an entirely different set of values when judging Armstrong as opposed to everyone else in the peloton? You know the sort of thing; anyone who was in any way associated, even by nothing more than a possible nickname, to 'doping doctor' Fuentes is by default guilty, whilst having a 6 year relationship with the acknowledge foremost expert in the use of Epo for doping purposes, Michael Ferrari, in no way allows anyone to assume that 'you know who' doped. :roll:

Operation Puerto needs concluded. LA never rode to wins under suspicion like Valv rides every season. the past is done...

LA is not involved and ferrari was not caught with bags of blood and LAs name. I am sure LA doped...everyone did...but puerto needs solved and those doping in it sanctioned...are you not down in Oz? here...some good video links for you www.thepaceline.com

aurelio_-_banned

Dave_1 wrote:

Operation Puerto needs concluded. LA never rode to wins under suspicion like Valv rides every season. the past is done...

Your views seem to be rather inconsistent, even on this point.

Is not Operation Puerto now part of 'the past'? Also, Armstrong certainly did race with the suspicion of doping hanging over his head. Those positives for Epo (you know the ones that even the UCI's own doping expert believes are scientifically valid) came to light in 2003, L.A. Confidentiel came out in 2004. Armstrong did not 'retire' until after he 'won' the 2005 Tour...

blazing_saddles

Like it or not, that's more than a bit subjective. From the weight of circumstantial evidence, surrounding both men, you should feel compelled that both men get taken down.
Ironically, this just in, from elsewhere:-

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... gpair=auto

What then of Contador? What of the other riders, almost entirely Spanish, who had the book closed on them, while the Italian and German feds were sanctioning their riders?

The fact is, we know so little about the "guts" of Peurto, that is impossible to place the pieces of the jigsaw, together.

Now, on a non-related OP story, that is bound to raise the temperature around here:-

What on earth's going on? From today's CNs.

Schumacher ready to ride
Stefan Schumacher has applied for his 2009 license and expects to receive it momentarily, so that he can ride for Team Quick-Step this season.
This isn't followed by the usual UCI retractions; none in fact. Even the AFDL appear about to close the case. :?
So if QS and Leferve honour his contract.....