Everyone is farked; Spanish Courts re-open Puerto - here we go again...

whiteboytrash

MADRID, Spain (AP) — A Spanish court ordered the reopening of Operation Puerto, a widespread doping probe that has implicated some of cycling's biggest stars.

Spain's Provincial Court on Thursday decided to re-examine the case after investigative magistrate Antonio Serrano had closed it a year ago without issuing any indictments because Spain's new doping law was not in force when the case broke. The investigation will now likely be sent back to Serrano.

The probe started when Spanish police raided clinics in Madrid and Zaragoza in May 2006 and found bags of blood, blood transfusion equipment and anabolic steroids. More than 50 cyclists have been implicated.
At the heart of the case is sports doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who was arrested in Madrid along with several other people on suspicion of providing doping services to cyclists.

Several top riders have been linked to the case, including 2006 Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso and 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich, who were among nine riders excluded from the 2006 Tour on the eve of the race after being implicated in the scandal.

Basso was initially cleared of involvement, but his case was reopened after bags reportedly containing his blood were uncovered.

Last year's Tour champion Alberto Contador has also been linked to the case, but has denied involvement.

The case — along with several other doping scandals — has helped cast a shadow over the sport and both the International Cycling Union and the International Olympic Committee had criticized the decision to drop the probe.

IOC president Jacques Rogge has said he wants the case files to be made public to his organization and any other international federations that request it.

In March, a Spanish judge ruled that no doping crimes were committed in Operation Puerto under existing Spanish law. Spain has since passed legislation that carries prison terms for doping offenses.

Prosecutors appealed the ruling, arguing that doctors administering blood transfusions could have led to health problems for athletes and constituted criminal behavior

whiteboytrash

Sounds like ASO knew what was coming.......

thunder

Basso and Hamilton could be in trouble.

Basso pleaded guilty to attempted doping. So he took the hit for the blood in the fridge. If it comes out he took hormones, and hgh and the rest, he is fucked too.

This will be good for the Rcok and Cok team.

Leafer

Damn if Alberto isn't having a rough week.

whiteboytrash

Valverde just re-organised his race calender..... other riders are putting down their dogs as we speak.......

thunder

hahahahahah

TheDarkLord

This is a good thing. If the Spanish authorities conduct a thorough investigation and convict/acquit riders in a transparent fasion, then OP will cease to be a Damocles sword hanging over the necks of Spanish riders. Fingers crossed though, as some parties will fight tooth and nail to protect other sports involved with Fuentes, and this will probably mean no transparency in any proceedings...

helmutRoole2

Will Hamilton start the ToC? If race organizers stand by their invitation guidelines, which state something to the effect that any rider under investigation is not welcome, then no.

__________________
"Bait in 08" --nns1400

thunder

think Cock and Rupeublic fixed this, Balls UP sponsored the Tour of Cali as one of their headliners.

kennf

I wonder if they'll actually turn on Fuentes's computer this time. I know it's asking a lot, but still ...

helmutRoole2

I know, but you think he can pull that off?

Really?

So, any other RR riders on the OP list?

Botero, right? He was cleared by Columbian cycling, but with the case reopened...

Anyone else?

__________________
"Bait in 08" --nns1400

kennf

Is the Spanish gov't doing this because they don't want to be embarrassed when CONI starts connecting the dots with the same evidence?

Cobblestones

I agree. OP has been the dark shadow looming over cycling for too long. It all should have been over by winter 2006/7. I don't care about soccer, tennis and all that except maybe that the connection cycling-doping will be replaced by something else such as baseball-steroids in the US media.

One has to wonder whether the Giro and TdF organizers might have known beforehand. If so than apparently the Vuelta either doesn't give a damn or wasn't in the loop, which would be remarkable.

thunder

Botero, Sevilla,

Pena might also be an outside chance. Does he own a dog.