Valverde out of Le Tour b4 it even starts... does the Puerto circus begin again?

Hot on the heels of Boonen's cocaine bust (the count now up to 3, by the way) comes another star losing his shine. We may have thought this one a foregone conclusion, indeed he can't say the Italians weren't communicating their intentions... Alejandro Valverde received a two-year suspension from the Italian anti-doping tribunal today in Rome for his connections to the 2006 doping investigation Operación Puerto. The decision prohibits the Spaniard, 29, from racing in Italy and the Tour de France, which passes through the country this year.

He will most likely appeal against this Italian ruling and does claim innocence in any case. The bigger question is what does the UCI do, faced with a Spanish rider banned not by his own governing national body, but by another? Do they take this further and resolve it - which would seem logical - or let it rest? I suspect they'll wait until their hand is forced, either by the appeal itself or pressure from the parties concerned. But they'd be better advised, surely, to get to grips with the broader issue of the DNA evidence that this case rests on and act now. With Operation Puerto festering like an open wound the Italians have clearly telegraphed their intent to test and pursue those accused as soon as they step onto their territory. If the blood bags and the connected DNA evidence are available, and if the case is legally and ethically strong, why not pursue it?

Valverde's Spanish DNA found in Italian swoop on Le Tour? #cycling

It's getting to be ridiculous (IMHO) but Operation Puerto staggers on... it's shut, then its open. Then it shuts again. Now the Italians allegedly use the Puerto DNA to allegedly pin Valverde to the alleged wall for a doping test on Italian soil during the (alleged) 2008 Le Tour. Is it legal? Will it stack up? Is it a witch-hunt?

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) requested a two-year suspension on Wednesday in Rome for Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde. CONI reportedly used DNA evidence to connect the 28-year-old Caisse d'Epargne rider to the Operación Puerto investigation.

Let the 2009 Le Tour doping scandal season begin! (Don't forget that Puerto promised alleged links with soccer and tennis stars, too. It's not just about the bike!)

Schumacher cops 2 year ban, Valverde investigated again

The process can't really get any slower or messier, surely? We all remember Stefan Schumacher's tireless attacking efforts in Le Tour '08 and wished we could all back up and fly again like that. We also remember the positive test for CERA, and Stefan's denials. Now he has (finally) been given a 2 year ban for doping: The French National Anti-Doping Agency AFLD has suspended German rider Stefan Schumacher for two years after testing positive for CERA, a new generation of EPO, during the Tour de France. Schumacher confirmed the suspension Thursday evening, calling the decision "a shock" and the process a "farce". In between times he has been in limbo, expecting to get a licence to race in '09. At least he now has some certainty, pending appeal.

Less certain is Valverde's future. Alejandro Valverde arrived in Rome, Italy on Thursday to appear before the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) only to be informed he was now also under criminal investigation. The Spaniard was informed that the separate probe had been opened when he arrived at Rome's Olympic Stadium for his hearing with CONI's anti-doping prosecutor. Once implicated and cleared of involvement in the Fuentes blood-bag fiasco, the whole kettle of fishy activities has been reopened; Valverde's DNA has allegedly been identified (via an Italian-initiated blood sample taken during the 2008 Tour de France, no less) and matched to one of the blood bags in question. He denies any involvement. Yes, these are Italian investigations into a Spanish rider over a Spanish-originated allegation. Go figure.

The main problem appears to lie in the differences between countries, their specific criminal legislation and their local sporting bodies' treatment of doping. Whilst the UCI has a process, it's become clouded by where the offence takes place and the country under which the rider races. Now it's a global sport and a global problem but surely if we are to set and enforce doping regulations we must get a consistent banned list and set process together, act quickly and decisively and stop messing around like this... surely it's not that hard? Evidence suggests it's almost impossible to be fair and transparent at the moment.

For the record, on Armstrong and Valverde

There's always more, isn't there? I wondered why Lance Armstrong would want to fund yet another testing service when there are so many others already provided. OTOH it seemed like a good way to display commitment. OTOOH it looks like a bad move when he has to back down on that commitment. OTOOH it never really mattered, it was for show. He could just get a feed of data from the other testers, like Team Astana, surely, and post that on the web?

And now to more disquieting news: Valverde.

The Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) has summoned Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde to face charges of doping or attempting to dope in relation to the infamous 'Operation Puerto' affair.

OK, no big deal, we've been through this a few times now - except that there's an alleged DNA match between last year's Tour stage sample (taken on Italian soil) and soem DNA extracted from one of those infamous Spanish bags of blood. Whilst it's all sounding very forensic, it's also very serious if proven.

The Tour speculation starts NOW!

It's nowhere near July but it's already started: the drug-bustin' scandalisin' name-dropping that suggests that this is going to be yet another speculation-fest.

From CN: In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said he could make no promises over the participation of defending champion Alberto Contador or Alejandro Valverde in this year's race, after the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) recently re-opened its enquiries into Operación Puerto. "Today I cannot say that Valverde or Contador will not be in the Tour," said Prudhomme, speaking at the Tour of Qatar in Doha. "It is still early, we are not going to exclude individual riders, but instead not invite an entire team."

Meanwhile, over in the US, there's more...
Rock Racing's now former director Frankie Andreu's 2006 mea culpa about his involvement with doping during his time on the US Postal team made him a credible mentor to younger cyclists about the dangers of doping. And Andreu felt that his previous mistakes warranted him to speak to his group of young riders, frequently. But with the revelation that one of the riders on the team during his tenure, which Andreu confirmed is Kayle Leogrande, is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA), Andreu could only say that he did his due diligence to prevent it.

Kayle's beef is that his A-sample was allegedly negative, so why is USADA asking for the B-sample to be tested anyway? Why that sounds like harassment to Leogrande's lawyers, who happen to be the Landis legal team, too. Now there's a team with some success in these matters, eh?

Trouble for Valverde?

Operacion Puerto, take 2. From CN:
Following the lead of German organizers, who have said they did not want Alejandro Valverde competing in the UCI World Road Championships in Stuttgart, the UCI announced in a statement Wednesday that it was not only prohibiting the Spanish rider from starting the championship event, but that it was also starting disciplinary proceedings against him. Saying that it was acting in accordance with its regulations, the UCI requested the Spanish cycling federation RFEC "to open disciplinary proceedings against the rider as soon as possible." "During the meticulous studying of the 6,000-page Puerto dossier, the International Cycling Union (UCI) has concluded that several documents may show the involvement of Alejandro Valverde in the affair," said a statement from the UCI.