Nine appeals launched against Operación Puerto verdict

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The Court of Justice of Madrid is set to hear nine appeals from the Operación Puerto trial where a verdict was finally handed down on April 30, seven years after the Spanish doping probe began.

Eufemiano Fuentes was given a one-year suspended prison sentence for damaging public health and banned from working as a doctor for four years. Ignacio Labarta was also given a four-month suspended sentence, while Yolanda Fuentes, Vicente Belda and former ONCE team manager Manolo Saiz were all acquitted by Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria.

Fuentes, the Spanish Cycling Federation (Real Federación Española de Ciclismo) and Labata submitted their application for an appeal on June 13 and 14 respectively. While earlier, the Madrid prosecutor, UCI, WADA, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and Jesus Manzano all launched appeals.

It is not known when the process will begin with some Spanish news agencies reporting any movement could be some months away.