Valverde summoned by CONI

andyp

It looks like Operacion Puerto has come home to roost finally for Valverde;

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... feb11news3

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Val ... 76855.html

Sometimes the wheels of justice turn very slowly.

Bronzie

"Come in number 18, your time is up".

What jurisdiction does CONI have over a cyclist with a Spanish (presumably) licence?

Ricardo H

none, they'll just pass the findings on to the UCI.

dave_1

that looks fairly serious for Valverde's 09 season...they have obviously compared DNA and found him...., I hope he admits it, takes his ban like the others...

afx237vi

Bronzie wrote:

"Come in number 18, your time is up".

What jurisdiction does CONI have over a cyclist with a Spanish (presumably) licence?

Just what I was thinking.

It seems ludicrous to think that some riders have already done a 2 year ban for OP and are back riding, while the investigation into others is only just beginning.

blazing_saddles

It seems ludicrous, in this context, to think that other riders who failed tests during this race, could actually ride, this season.
Don Alejandro's samples were strickly "low octane" at the Tour, I'd guess. So, it must be DNA.

Just how did CONI get their hands on number 18 and where have they been, until now?

andyp

Valverde undertook a blood test after the Tour stage to Prato Nevoso (sp?) last year. CONI have taken that sample, got the DNA then done a match against the DNA from Puerto. There is a match.

It shows how little the Spanish Federation have done to investigate Puerto and adds credibility to the rumours that Valverde has been protected by his own Federation.

andyp

Here's a translated version of the Gazzetta article;

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate ... n&ie=UTF-8

Interesting to note that Frank Schleck, as yellow jersey wearer after the stage, was also tested. I bet there are some furrowed brows at the Saxo Bank hotel in California today.

eh

This is all getting so stupid I don't know where to start. So how many of last years 'clean' TDF stage and podium winners have been caught or in trouble?

I hate to say it but cycling would be better following other sports examples and just sweep it all under the carpet. Bring back the glory years of the 60's when we knew they were all at at it and who gives a damn.

moray_gub

andyp wrote:

Valverde undertook a blood test after the Tour stage to Prato Nevoso (sp?) last year. CONI have taken that sample, got the DNA then done a match against the DNA from Puerto. There is a match.

It shows how little the Spanish Federation have done to investigate Puerto and adds credibility to the rumours that Valverde has been protected by his own Federation.

Are you saying there is a match or are you speculating that there is a match ?

MG

andyp

Moray Gub wrote:

Are you saying there is a match or are you speculating that there is a match ?

I'm saying that Gazzetta says there is a match. They've published it so they must be very confident that it will bear up under any possible legal challenge.

timoid.

andyp wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

Are you saying there is a match or are you speculating that there is a match ?

I'm saying that Gazzetta says there is a match. They've published it so they must be very confident that it will bear up under any possible legal challenge.

But will it stand up to the Gub and Noward challenge?


Valverde has been the elephant in the room of cycling for a while. It was inevitable that he would be called out at some point. However I actually like the guy (in as much as you can like some remote person you've only seen on tv (no this is not a bro-mance)) and have no particular desire to see him dragged over the coals.

I would however sh1t myself laughing if Saxo Bank was rumbled for the sham it is.

Murr X

eh wrote:

I hate to say it but cycling would be better following other sports examples and just sweep it all under the carpet. Bring back the glory years of the 60's when we knew they were all at at it and who gives a damn.

YES absolutely of course it would... however it would have the catastrophic knock on effect of giving half the members of this forum nothing to do in their spare time.

Kléber

What a Piti. I bet Alejandro ain't so calm tonight.

We'd have nothing to talk about if Puerto was properly investigated, the loose ends tied up and those involved actually confessed instead of lied.

All the doping investigations drag on for years simply because we get rumour on top of hearsay. If the UCI demanded rigorous investigations - including threatening the Spanish Federation with removal from the UCI, so no Olympics etc - then this would help fix things.

Instead, people seem to sit on files and sweep inconvenient facts under the carpet. This weak and inconsistent approach results in endless scandal and a tarnished image for the sport.

Sadly it could see Caisse d'Epargne pull out of the sport entirely.

phil s

I wonder if the Italian authorities have any blood/urine samples from other sporting events, e.g. the tennis Rome Masters?

DaveyL

Valverde will be OK. He can just say he was only planning to dope. Or does that only work for guys who've just romped a Grand Tour by 9 minutes?

don key

Well, at least he's still alive. He will be happy enough with that.

moray_gub

Timoid. wrote:

[quote="
But will it stand up to the Gub and Noward challenge?


.

Well unlike some im not going to condemn the man based on a Coni press release as much as it doesnt look good for him . Lets wait and see how it turns out too many round these parts are happy to jump to wild conclusions when it comes to these things.

MG

moray_gub

don key wrote:

Well, at least he's still alive. He will be happy enough with that.

?

MG

andyp

Wild conclusions? Really? :shock:

So here we have someone who has consistenly been linked with Operation Puerto; an investigation that has seen many, many cyclists convicted due to their involvement; where evidence of EPO has been found in the blood that is linked to him, and who now has had his DNA linked to that blood. And we're jumping to wild conclusions?

If it looks like shit, smells like shit and tastes like shit then it's shit.

leguape

phil s wrote:

I wonder if the Italian authorities have any blood/urine samples from other sporting events, e.g. the tennis Rome Masters?

Obviously there's no need for blood samples in tennis because as we know there's no evidence of doping in the sport :roll:

blazing_saddles

Kléber wrote:

Sadly it could see Caisse d'Epargne pull out of the sport entirely.

That thought came to me, as soon as I saw this story. If AndyP is right and Frank Schleck also gave a blood sample.......
Saxo Bank would surely be left with no alternative, given the circumstances.

I'm not sure that the overall effect would be good for the sport.
It would leave Columbia and Astana both with little opposition and the standard bearers of yet another "new dawn".

Without wishing to be contentious, I wonder if Contador may also be thrust back into the OP spotlight, given his Giro appearance?

dave_1

was schleck tested in Italy? Would be a disaster if sponsors were lost...Caisse is basically legacy of the Reynolds and Banesto teams from 1983, 84, 88...never been a break...just went from Angel Arroyo, Delgado, indurain, Olano,zulle, valv-piti...

should old guys who managed team wide doping be running the sport ? I think not...riis, bruyneel and the management who will surely have to do the same during the banesto years should leave the sport

andyp

According to Gazzetta, Schleck was one of 6 CSC riders tested at Prato Nevoso. He took the yellow jersey on that stage so by UCi rules he'd have been tested. I'm not sure ff the AFLD or CONI testers were working to the same rules though.

dave_1

andyp wrote:

According to Gazzetta, Schleck was one of 6 CSC riders tested at Prato Nevoso. He took the yellow jersey on that stage so by UCi rules he'd have been tested. I'm not sure ff the AFLD or CONI testers were working to the same rules though.

assuming Coni has DNA from each bag of blood found at Fuentes storage facilities, this will clear him or not by the same process as Valverde appears caught. Contador won the Giro, have they checked his DNA?

iainf72

Echoing the Caisse d'Epargne worry here. They've got a clause in their contract which means they can pull out in the event of a doping scandal.

Before we all get too excited, AFAIK, there are no blood bags linked with either Contador or Schleck. #18 and Valv.Piti were always attributed to Valverde.

andyrac

phil s wrote:

I wonder if the Italian authorities have any blood/urine samples from other sporting events, e.g. the tennis Rome Masters?

Possibly, but will they do anything about it? Isn't Tennis clean, I was on a Tennis forum recently and most of them are convinced it is?

Belokki

Just when it was starting to get a bit better
I'm starting to fear for Conti :? ...even though don't like the little whiner, it would be bad for the sport now if one of its biggest stars would fail...

Even Lance couldn't heal that wound ...

off the back

Interesting that none of the codenames "cracked" in Puerto have been incorrect so far. Where does that leave Bartoli, Hamilton, Sevilla, Manchebo ...?!

My first though is perhaps someone better take Dr.Fuentes to see Angels and Demons for some ideas on improving his codes!!

At this stage the UCI IF they had an ounce of credibility should sanction the Spanish fed for not investigating the affair/bringing the sport into disripute/ gross incompetence!! They should force them to disband and form a new organisation.

There will be some PR spin coming from Aigle on thurs .... trying to say after catching Pati we are hard on drugs but Lance dont have to answer to anyone and is a hero we can all believe in ....

teagar

Real shame. I really enjoy watching punchy riders like Valvarde.

Maybe that just means I like juiced riders.

moray_gub

andyp wrote:

Wild conclusions? Really? :shock:

So here we have someone who has consistenly been linked with Operation Puerto; an investigation that has seen many, many cyclists convicted due to their involvement; where evidence of EPO has been found in the blood that is linked to him, and who now has had his DNA linked to that blood. And we're jumping to wild conclusions?

If it looks like shoot, smells like shoot and tastes like shoot then it's shoot.

I prefer to wait until all the evidence has been heard and officlai conclusions drawn rather than indulge in the wild speculation that is so very very prevalent in this forum when it comes to doping issues .

MG