Valverde Put Under Italian Police Investigation

Valverde`s representative said the 28-year-old had agreed to go to Rome to clear his name.

Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde was put under investigation by Italian police on Thursday after arriving at a hearing with an anti-doping prosecutor in Rome.

"The cyclist arrived and was received by the anti-doping prosecutor and as in these circumstances, the prosecutor's office of the Republic of Italy gave notice to Valverde that he is under police investigation," Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) spokesman Claudio Mele said.

CONI, which acts as Italy's anti-doping authority, had summoned Valverde to discuss possible violations, which the Caisse D'Epargne rider denies.

Valverde's representative said the 28-year-old had agreed to go to Rome to clear his name.

Investigators want to know if blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control when last year's Tour de France entered Italy for a stage match anonymous DNA from the files of Spain's Operation Puerto probe into a blood-doping ring.

A Madrid judge on Wednesday refused to hand over a blood sample CONI wanted to test, saying the Italian body did not have the required judicial mandate to investigate.

CONI said the refusal would not hamper their case.

"The anti-doping prosecutor's office is anyway in possession of elements of evidence independent from those requested which make it possible to take disciplinary proceedings against Alejandro Valverde Belmonte for violation of anti-doping sports regulations," Wednesday's statement said.

Valverde, who topped the world rankings last year, competed in the 2007 world championships despite the sport's governing body trying to block his participation because he had been linked to the Puerto affair.

Spain launched Operation Puerto in 2006 after raids at addresses in Madrid and Zaragoza uncovered anabolic steroids, blood transfusion equipment and more than 200 code-named blood bags, some of which were linked to leading cyclists.