In a press conference before the start of the first stage of the Giro d'Italia, UCI president Pat McQuaid did not mince words when he addressed the topic of Ivan Basso and his admission to involvement in the Operación Puerto doping affair. McQuaid made it clear that he has no sympathy for the Italian, and will not recommend that he get any breaks just because he confessed.
"He has now admitted his guilt but for nine months he lied to everyone - he lied to the cycling family, he lied to the media, he lied to his sponsors, he went into a new team and lied to those sponsors, he lied to everybody and he does not deserve our sympathy," McQuaid emphatically stated.
"The world of cycling does not deserve this. The people who work for cycling week in, week out, for federations, volunteers, the people who spend their time coaching young cyclists in the sport, the people who volunteer to work and stand on roads and corners week in, week out, do not deserve this type of treatment."
McQuaid also faulted the Italian federations for not pursuing the matter more vigorously last year. "In July last year Ivan Basso was taken out of the Tour de France because he was implicated in Operación Puerto. In October/November last year the UCI prepared a file on the evidence which we had at that time on certain riders, including Ivan Basso. We sent that file to the Italian Federation and they passed it on to CONI, who have the responsibility with dealing with that information. At the time, CONI examined the file, interviewed Basso, then shelved the file."
Basso, who was among 58 riders originally named after Spanish authorities raided the clinic of Eufemiano Fuentes and turned up hundreds of bags of blood, documents and other evidence of a widespread blood doping ring, was excluded from the 2006 Tour de France and left his CSC team because of the scandal. When the Italian federation shelved his case, Basso was freed to sign with another team, and was hired by the Discovery Channel team.
When CONI reopened the case, drawing Basso's confession, the Discovery Channel team suspended Basso, who later stepped down from the team.
McQuaid, Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme, and IPCT president Patrick Lefevere recently met to discuss actions to help fight doping in the peloton, and indicated that random antidoping controls would increase.
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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
