By Antonio J. Salmerón
Spanish sports newspaper AS has published on Sunday that the members of the Comunidad Valenciana team have requested the "immediate resignation" of Rafael Blanco, of the State Sports Council (CSD). Blanco's comments to AS yesterday over the expulsion of the team from the Tour de France prompted the request. "We are not going to do nothing," he said. "We cannot practice zero tolerance and soon support a team under suspicion."
The Spanish squad answered with a statement saying, "We deny the statements of Rafael Blanco where he links Comunidad Valenciana with doping practices...We ask that he present the evidence that supports the suspicion of doping before the institutions and the public opinion."
The call for Blanco's resignation is based on two main points: "Firstly, if those statements had been made based on data from the summary, the violation of the secret of the summary would have occurred, and secondly, if they had been made on data that are not in the summary, they must make it available to the antidoping commission or the Federation to initiate disciplinary proceedings."
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
