WADA Pres. Urges Spanish Courts To Share Evidence

Raids at the start of Operacion Puerto uncovered anabolic steroids, blood transfusion equipment and more than 200 code-named blood bags.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President John Fahey urged Spanish judicial authorities on Friday to share evidence gathered in the Operacion Puerto probe into an alleged doping ring in cycling.

A Madrid court last month re-launched the investigation, opened in 2006 and twice halted, and the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) has asked for access to evidence such as test results on bags of blood linked to leading cyclists.

"The evidence that's been gathered, we'd love to see that shared with sport because that may be of great value in terms of clean sport," Fahey said at a news conference at the Global Sports Forum.

"That's the argument we keep making in the courts. Can the blood bags and the evidence gathered be shared with sporting officials for the benefit of the administration of sport and to assist in having clean athletes in sport."

Raids at the start of Operacion Puerto uncovered anabolic steroids, blood transfusion equipment and more than 200 code-named blood bags, some of which were linked to riders including former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich and Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso.

The probe was twice halted without any prosecutions but the Madrid court ordered it reopened after considering appeals.

Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde appeared before an anti-doping hearing in Rome last week after being accused by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) of involvement in the Puerto scandal and his lawyer said he had repeated his innocence.

Speaking at the forum on Friday, Sports Minister Jaime Lissavetzky noted that the probe had been started before a law that criminalised doping came into effect and said he now expected some offenders to be brought to trial.

"The government in Spain has fought, and is fighting, doping with all means at its disposal," he told delegates. "The government has never hidden anything with regard to doping."