Puerto News: 05.10.07

By Jessica | Permalink | No Comments | May 10th, 2007 | Trackback

There’s enough Puerto-related news that I’m just going to smoosh it all into one post here so I can pretend it’s over and done with and I can get on with my day. All of this comes from this news report.

• All 190-some-odd riders who will be starting the Giro d’Italia on Saturday got a visit from the UCI anti-doping squad. I don’t know if there’s a precedent for every single rider in a race being tested before the start, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a new thing.
• In an about-face move from their stance last year, the Spanish riders implicated in OP are now trying to work out a deal with the authorities and with Vuelta organizers so that if they spilled the beans about what they know/did now, they’ll be able to come back and race the 2008 Giro. I’m not sure what they’re missing about how time passes and everything, but two year suspensions don’t pass in a single year.
• Basso’s 10-page signed statement is now out - that’s the thing where he confessed to doping before he confessed to not doping. Which now reminds me of Sen. Kerry’s “I voted for it before I voted against it.” So, Basso has succeeded in reminding me of both a classic Pres. Clinton line and now Sen. Kerry - what is it with these comparisons to American politicians? I can’t decide if that says something worse about the politicians or Basso…
• German authorities want to question Basso, too, to see what he knows about Dr. Fuentes’ German connection - presumably to further bolster the case against Ullrich.
• Vuelta organizers are apparently pretending not to notice the whole “he might be implicated in OP” thing, as they’re hoping Valvarde decides to participate in the Spanish tour this year. Umm, yeah - we’re all hoping he could do that. Except, of course, if he’s guilty of doping. No biggie.

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