Cycling News Flash, February 15, 2008

Operación Puerto reopened in Spain

By Gregor Brown

The Spanish Guardia Civil inspecting blood bags during the initial May 2006 raids
Photo ©: AFP

The biggest doping investigation in international cycling – Operación Puerto – was called to be re-opened on Saint Valentine's Day, February 14, in Madrid. A Spanish court ordered that the blood doping investigation, which first hit the headlines in May 2006 and was shelved by Judge Antonio Serrano in March 2007, be re-visited according to Spanish paper El País.

Operación Puerto centred around Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, his assistant Merino Batres and the then-Team Manager of Liberty Seguros-Würth, Manolo Saiz, who were investigated after around 100 blood bags were found by the Spanish Guardia Civil in different locations believed belong to Fuentes and Batres. Code names, such as Birillo, Zapatero and Hijo Rudicio, and numbers were linked with some of cycling's biggest names, and the doctors were also believed to be involved with not only cycling, but also football and tennis.

Ivan Basso shortly after being heard in Roma by the Italian cycling federation's (FCI) disciplinary commission
Photo ©: AFP

To date only Italians Ivan Basso and Michele Scarponi, and German Jörg Jaksche have been issued a suspension due to the Puerto investigation, while other cyclists believed to be involved have escaped, such as 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich, who retired. However, the case was also believed to involve several other cyclists, including Alejandro Valverde, 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador, Francesco Mancebo, Constantino Zaballa, Santiago Botero and Tyler Hamilton.

Earlier this month, the shelved case was pushed to be reopened by the International Cycling Union (UCI), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Spanish public prosecutors representing Spain's Superior Council of Sports (CSD) and the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC). The pressure stemmed from a World Conference on Doping in Sport meeting in November.

Code numbers on the closing Operación Puerto, March 8, 2007
Photo ©: Fundación Miguel Indurain

Operación Puerto will be actively investigated on two fronts, as it is not only opened in Spain, but in Italy, as the Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) head anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri has opened an investigation.

The investigation started off slowly but the was brought to the greater public attention only days before the 2006 Tour de France Grand Départ in Strasbourg. Then Basso and Ullrich, as well has significant members of Team Astana, were sent home as Puerto documents were made available to the race organiser, ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation).

Please stay with Cyclingnews for more news and reactions as this story develops.

Cyclingnews' recent coverage of 'Operación Puerto'

May 18, 2009 - Valverde to start Catalunya
May 15, 2009 - Valverde not welcome in Denmark
May 14, 2009 - Spanish federation wants proof in Valverde case
May 13, 2009 - Spanish Olympic Committee defends Valverde
May 12, 2009 - Valverde responds to sanction
May 11, 2009 - Italian tribunal delivers Valverde two-year suspension
May 8, 2009 - Valverde case: Italian Olympic Committee defends Torri
May 7, 2009 - Valverde to take legal action against CONI prosecutor
May 5, 2009 - WADA and Spanish federation join CONI and UCI on Valverde
May 1, 2009 - International Cycling Union joins in on Valverde's hearing in Italy

Cyclingnews' complete coverage of Operación Puerto

Previous News    Next News

(All rights reserved/Copyright Future Publishing Limited 2008)