CAS confirms Valverde's ban

[Flying_Monkey]

The Court of Arbitration is Sport has rejected Valverde's appeal, meaning that the UCI surely must now act and extend the ban, originally imposed by the Italian authorities, worldwide... of course, Valverde is claiming they were biased against him.

 

[mangaman]

Good stuff.

I'm still baffled how CONI got hold of the blood from Operation Puerto to match the blood they took from him in Italy. Did the Spanish authorities give it to them?

If so will they investigate the rest of Fuentes' clients including the tennis and football players (ho ho)

 

[raindog]

If so will they investigate the rest of Fuentes' clients including the tennis and football players (ho ho)

ha ha - now wouldn't that be something

 

[Will1985]

If so will they investigate the rest of Fuentes' clients including the tennis and football players (ho ho)

Sadly it'll never happen as the Spanish authorities are weak, and apparently protective of their countrymen.
I don't think it really matters from where the evidence was obtained as professional sport is so international. Fair play to the Italians for making an effort to catch people who are doping and competing in the country.

 

[mangaman]

Sadly it'll never happen as the Spanish authorities are weak, and apparently protective of their countrymen.
I don't think it really matters from where the evidence was obtained as professional sport is so international. Fair play to the Italians for making an effort to catch people who are doping and competing in the country.

Too right. It's a shame CAS can't use this (with WADA) to force the Spanish hand and make the details of Puerto available to them for independent review.

It appears pretty clear by the way the case was dropped in Spain, that some powerful figures may have been caught in the net....

 

[rich p]

I can't remember how the Italians got hold of Puerto samples either. Did they have other rider's too?

 

[Keith Oates]

Even with this decision the UCI still have to study the results and then must be careful on what they do in the future regarding Valverde. From what has been reported it seems that McQuaid would like to give him a two year ban from now and also remove his win records for the time the case has been going on but he has to tread carefully not to break any rules or laws!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[raindog]

I think Puerto was a missed oportunity and was badly handled by Spain. If all samples had been made available to various authorities alot of people would've had bans but it would've cleared the air and there would've been less of this doubt and suspicion we have over certain riders and Spain in general. It's a shame.

 

[mangaman]

I think Puerto was a missed oportunity and was badly handled by Spain. If all samples had been made available to various authorities alot of people would've had bans but it would've cleared the air and there would've been less of this doubt and suspicion we have over certain riders and Spain in general. It's a shame.

Agreed, but this ruling implies the evidence still exists, it's just being swept under a large Spanish carpet.

As you say if independent authorities were given free access to all Puerto data now, I think there would be fireworks.

Unfortunately they would be in football / tennis / athletics (which Spain are also strangely good at) and the vested interests are too powerful in those sports compared to cycling.

 

[jontee70]

it is sad that a sport i love , is so tainted and been destroyed by the politics the money and the chemists and the need to win at all costs.. time to draw a line in the sand start again, with all competitors left in no doubt if you cheat and get caught your out for life and all prize monies returned and all records removed. and no appeals. I KNOW!!!! IM LIVING IN CLOUD CUCKOO LAND BUT WE CAN DREAM.

 

[maurice]

I'm amazed Spain has been allowed to get away with it, surely the international governing bodies should be threatening sanctions.

 

[raindog]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/446948/valverde-better-late-than-never.html

 

[andy_wrx]

it is sad that a sport i love , is so tainted and been destroyed by the politics the money and the chemists and the need to win at all costs.. time to draw a line in the sand start again, with all competitors left in no doubt if you cheat and get caught your out for life and all prize monies returned and all records removed. and no appeals. I KNOW!!!! IM LIVING IN CLOUD CUCKOO LAND BUT WE CAN DREAM.

But cycling has always been like this : drugs, doping, cheating.

Arguably it's cleaner today than it has been for decades

 

[mangaman]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/446948/valverde-better-late-than-never.html

Thanks raindog - that's interesting.

In case you can't see the link, the bit I didn't know was

"The Italian authorities used an international accord between police services to obtain access to the blood bags seized in the Operacion Puerto investigation"

Couldn't they do the same for all the bags and test all the Spanish footballers at the next Champions League game in Italy, and all the tennis players at the Rome Masters