The managing company of the Astana team, Active Bay, has hit back at the Professional Cycling Teams Association (AIGCP), which has asked that it and Phonak be suspended from the ProTour as a result of Operacion Puerto. In a communiqué, Active Bay defended itself by saying that it has "no knowledge of the existence of any sanction, either against the team nor against its staff or riders. Also, no competent organisation has endorsed any legal suspension."
Active Bay criticised the actions of the Spanish General Director of Sports, Rafael Blanco, "who presumably sent to the RFEC and to other organisations a different report from the one that was used in Court, before having received that one."
The UCI is working on expanding the full Operacion Puerto dossier that it received on July 3 in order to send out to the various national federations who may have riders involved in the case. Although two riders have been removed already (Sergio Paulinho and Alberto Contador), there remain potentially 56 riders who could have disciplinary procedures started against them. Active Bay stated that it did not know whether the dossier sent to the UCI was the authorised one or the provisional report.
The management company took a defensive standpoint on behalf of its employees: "Active Bay, as an employer of 60 workers, has to do everything to respect the law and the presumption of innocence, the work of its professionals, and expects the competent organisations to do the same. In this context, the request of the AIGCP lacks legal foundation and presupposes an unacceptable interference on the right to the presumption of innocence, and deliberately places under suspicion the morality and the rights of the employees of Active Bay to exercise their profession when they are considered guilty in the court of public opinion, creating a lot of confusion with this standpoint that is lacking in proof or base. We reserve the right to exercise legal actions to defend our employees against any damages caused."
The communiqué finished with a plea by Active Bay to ask the authorities to "act with responsibility and not collaborate in predisposing the public opinion against the employees that it is considering any sanctions against, in an unjustified and irresponsible manner. Active Bay will exercise any actions necessary in the defence of its interests and those of its workers."
Cyclingnews' recent coverage of 'Operación Puerto'
April 2, 2009 - Valverde indignant over possible suspension
April 1, 2009 - Valverde: Italy requests two-year suspension
March 13, 2009 - Le Monde newspaper hit with fine over Puerto allegations
March 2, 2009 - WADA president Fahey asks for Puerto evidence
February 24, 2009 - Spanish federation seeks access to Puerto blood bags
February 20, 2009 - CONI considers Valverde case while UCI awaits verdict
February 19, 2009 - Valverde under criminal investigation
February 11, 2009 - Valverde summonsed for Operación Puerto in Italy
February 8, 2009 - Eight charged in Operación Puerto
Cyclingnews' complete coverage of Operación Puerto
