UCI to appeal Puerto decision not to release blood bags for analysis

UCI President Pat McQuaid at the UCI headquarters in Aigle

UCI President Pat McQuaid at the UCI headquarters in Aigle (Image credit: AFP)

The UCI has announced that it will appeal against the decision taken by a Madrid court judge not to allow the evidence from the Operacion Puerto trial to be released for analysis, which could lead to the possible identification of the riders and other athletes allegedly involved.

The decision by the judge, Julia Santamaria, who oversaw the case, that the bags could not be analysed because of Spain’s privacy laws when she issued her verdict on the Puerto case was greeted with widespread dismay by anti-doping organisations world-wide.

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Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.