Currently Browsing

August 2006

Monthly Archive

Thu 31 Aug 2006

Basso: I will explain all

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Basso: I will explain all 

As has already been mentioned, Team CSC has demanded that Basso prove himself innocent in the current case, and not just juridically.

Basso seems to be prepared to do so. In a comment to a Danish daily, he comments: “I know that I have a lot of tifosi in Denmark. I ask them to be patient for a few weeks until the case has been resolved. Once this has been done, I will hold a press conference and explain it all. At that time, I will explain this in my words, and naturally prove my innocence.”

Ivan Basso also notes that he expects to continue his career at Team CSC.

Wed 30 Aug 2006

Team CSC happy to have hearings started

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Team CSC happy to have hearings started 

Team CSC was represented at the first hearing in Italy yesterday, in the person of the Team’s press chief, Brian Nygaard.

“It is a nice gesture from Ivan to allow someone from the team to be present, and it is important for us to keep as well appraised of the case as possible,” Nygaard commented after the two hour hearing. As the hearing is closed to the public, Nygaard is not allowed to talk about what he has heard, but the press chief appeared initially positive with respect to Basso’s statements.

“Ivan was very clear and specific in his statements. He defended himself based on a 35-page report that he and his lawyer have submitted [to CONI, ed.]. I learned a lot, in the sense that I heard explanations in Ivan’s own words. And I got this from the meeting, that Ivan got the opportunity to explain his positions on all of the relevant questions. Now his explanations will be compared to the evidence in the case.”

Nygaard is pleased that the case has finally begun, but notes that the Team has neither had access to Basso’s Defense report nor the accusations from the UCI. Nygaard notes that the team is trying as hard as possible to get access to these documents, so that it can take up a standpoint on the accusations.

“The most important for us is that this must not end in a juridicial mess. Crucial also, is whether Ivan has had anything to do with Fuentes or not. The process in the case is very thorough, so hopefully we will get a true answer to that question now.”

In his statements after the hearing, Basso made clear statements about his innocence. When asked about his future, Basso commented. “All that you will have to ask Bjarne Riis about. I have two years left of my current contract, and I expect to ride them and win lots of races for Team CSC”.

The next hearing will be September 12.

Tue 29 Aug 2006

Basso: I am INNOCENT

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Basso: I am INNOCENT 

Today, Ivan Basso had his hearing with the Anti-doping commission of Italy. According to reports, Basso’s lawyer says that his client will deny the admissibility of the circumstantial evidence presented in the Operation Puerto documents, and will contest all of the presumed links that relate Basso to the practices of Eugemiano Fuentes. He also expects to present medical documentation that proves Basso does not have any of the indications relating to blood stimulation and doping practices.

After the hearing, Basso was interviewed by Danish news, to whom he stated directly: “I am innocent. I have never used doping.”

Despite the statements taken today, it was considered that the day’s hearing was insufficient. It appears there will be a new hearing on September 12.

Wed 23 Aug 2006

Basso: Milram bound?

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Basso: Milram bound? 

According to Luigi Perna of Gazzetta del Sport, Ivan Basso may well continue his career at Team Milram if he should be acquitted from the doping charges against him. According to the journalist, Milram has been in contact with Basso since the Tour de France, and with the new requirements from Riis that Basso must prove his innocence, Perna believes that Basso will leave CSC and move to Milram. He says that Basso and Riis have not met after the Tour, as was originally planned, and he also doubts that Basso and Riis have spoken together very much since then.

“I spoke with him last week,” Riis comments the story. “I told him that there must not be any doubt about whether he has had contact with the doctor. He answered that he understands my view of the case, and that it is his intent to prove this. But how he will do that, I don’t know. All I know is that he has a problem, and it certainly is not my problem to prove anything in this situation.”

Riis says that the Operation Puerto case is the worst thing to have occured to him. “It has been hard for me personally. I have considered, very seriously, whether I still want to continue with this anymore. But I have told myself often, that if you have the ability [i.e. something to give], you also have the duty. I still feel I have something to give.”

Tue 22 Aug 2006

Riis: Basso must prove his innocence

Posted by Michael A. under General
Comments Off on Riis: Basso must prove his innocence 

In an honest interview with Danish daily Politiken, Bjarne Riis, for the first time since the doping controversy surrounding Ivan Basso started, casts doubt on Ivan Basso’s future at Team CSC.

Riis: “It is not only about the juridics. Ivan Basso must prove his innocence not only in court, but also to us. I find it difficult to imagine a future for Basso with CSC, unless he is cleared of all charges. Understood in the following way, that he has never been in contact with Fuentes, and it is not him who is on the doctors lists.”

P: “Do you believe Basso, when he says that he does not know Fuentes?”

Riis: “It is not so important, what I believe – the more critical issue is that it is [explicit remark] damning evidence, Basso is up against. As far as I am concerned, if Basso has been in any contact with Fuentes, then he has lied to me, and in doing so he has let down the team and the values for which we are fighting. And in that case, he is finished with CSC.”

P: “But if he is acquitted and does not receive a suspension, the situation will be different?”

Riis: “I am fighting to create a clean team and through it a clean sport of cycling; this is the goal of my work. And if there – even if Basso is acquitted – should be the slightest big of suspicion left, if will also put a cloud of suspicion on the team and myself. We can not live with that. We have enough problems with our credibility as it is is; yes, I in particular have big problems because of this case and the discovery of Tyler Hamilton’s huge doping misuse in 2003, and we have to fight to regain that. And the only way to do that is to have the right values and [to have] the right cyclists.”

Discussing Hamilton’s doping misuse, Riis says that he is saddened about the case, but he does not believe that the evidence can be contested; just as he feels the evidence referenced against Basso also looks back. He continues to express that he remains surprised that Basso would be involved in doping, and that up till this case, there had never been any cause for suspicion.

According Riis, Ivan Basso’s test results in the team were used as a “school-book” example of how a rider’s test results should look at a UCI seminar this spring.

Riis: “How would anyone believe that anything could be wrong? Basso’s tests have always been flawless.”

Riis: “I feel very bad about this entire case. This [Basso’s case] is the worst thing that could happen to me – it has ruined my credibility. That has to be corrected, and right not it is all uphill and against the wind.”

Riis has already taken the offensive in the battle to regain the credibility of Team CSC. In the same interview, he invites the experienced and internationally renowned Danish Researcher on Doping, Rasmus Damsgaard, the job as team doctor and consultant on Team CSC. “I hope he will agree, because both Team CSC and the sport needs his help. We need all of the constructive and forward-looking help that we can get,” Riis says. Brian Damsgaard has replied through the press that he is currently considering the offer.

Riis is also planning to make DNA-sampling (for anti-doping usages) a mandatory requirement for employment on his team, and is considering other initiatives to regain the team’s credibility. “We can not be satisfied with minimizing the suspicion; we have to completely eliminate it.”

“Those of us that have the ability to do something also have the duty to do so – and here I am thinking of the UCI as an organization, and myself as team owner. We have to be ready to take responsibility and take the consequences – we should not fill the debate with warm air, but with concrete action.”

Tue 22 Aug 2006

Italian Cycling Federation boss supports Basso

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Italian Cycling Federation boss supports Basso 

With the process that will determine Ivan Basso’s fate well underway, the President of the FCI (Italian Cycling Federation) once again speaks out in support of Ivan Basso. Di Rocco attacks the credibility of Dr. Eugemiano Fuentes, saying that: “I think that Fuentes is boasting about the relationship with Basso. This would serve to make him look more important in the circles he works in.” [I.e., pretending to have a relationship with Basso in order to make himself appear more important in doping circles]

“From the documents I have seen, there are not sufficient elements to accuse [Basso].” Di Rocco is critical of the paperwork performed by the Spanish investigators, and feels that the suspension of Ivan Basso was unduly harsh. Going over the situation, he is critical of the “ethical” codes which were implemented by the teams to prevent Ivan Basso and others from riding in the Tour. He feels that the riders are put into an untenable position with their backs against the wall.

Questioned on the fax, Di Rocco cmments: “This fax we knew of before and according to me it serves to show that Basso can’t be ‘Birillo’, the number ‘2’ and the other times be ‘Ivan Basso.’ A person that uses codes would always use codes.” [i.e., if Basso is Birillo, why would Fuentes suddenty start referring to him as Basso?]

The last comment seems like a very weak arguement to build any supposition of innocence on, but we shall perhaps know more about the evidence for and against Basso after his meeting with CONI on August 29.

Fri 18 Aug 2006

Fuentes interviewed

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Fuentes interviewed 

The Danish Newspaper BT interviewed the key person in Operation Puerto – the Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. The following is a translation of the interesting parts of the interview. I shall take a leaf from Fuentes in stating my opinion of his role in the case; “no comment”.

BT: …contains a list of people that are supposedly your clients – among them Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso. Do you know anything about this?

EF: No, no, no, no, I can not comment on this, because that would be illegal. The Resume [the information summary compiled by the Guardia Civil, ed.] is secret, and to make this information public is illegal. I do not want to do anything wrong. I wish to be a normal person, a normal doctor, and therefore I do not want to do anything illegal. Therefore I can not say anything, but …. …. there has been a lot of false information in the press. A huge amount.

BT: Lots of false information?

EF: Yes, lots of false information. A huge amount.

Fuentes is then asked about whether he sees himself as a criminal, to which he replies as he has done before that he does not consider himself a criminal. He also denies knowledge of many riders.

EF: I do not know a lot of these people that they say I know. I don’t know them. I know some of them, but this is not my problem. I am professional, and therefore I have to adhere to the code of silence [the medical code, ed.].

BT: What do you think of all the news in the press.

EF: I have no opinon about how things appear.

BT: What about all the documents published in the press and with the Spanish Police. Are they yours or not?

EF: Most of the documents are not, as they have been published. And most of the documents are not mine. I don’t know, what they are, but they are not mine.

Thu 17 Aug 2006

Fuentes Memo mentions Basso

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Fuentes Memo mentions Basso 

A German newspaper, reproduces the famous “Festival in May” memo that is part of the evidence against Ivan Basso in the Operation Puerto affair. The memo specifically mentions Basso as one of the “participants” in the “Festival in May” (assumed to refer to the Giro d’Italia), including five other riders – among them Jan Ullrich – participating in the Giro d’Italia. While it provides little new information (the memo was already mentioned in July), it does show that Basso’s lawyer will have some explaining to do at the forthcoming hearing at the end of the month.

Fri 4 Aug 2006

Basso to face questioning August 29

Posted by Michael A. under Operation Puerto
Comments Off on Basso to face questioning August 29 

Ivan Basso will be facing the Italian Olympic committee for questioning on his role in Operation Puerto, on August 29, 2006. Obviously, this means that his suspension will run at least until the end of August, and voids any possibility of him participating at the Vuelta a Espana.

At the same time, during a visit to Scandinavia, UCI president McQuaid lashed out at the Italian Giro d’Italia winner. “Basso is implicated just like the others,” he said, reiterating the threat that if the Italian Olympic committee should decide to drop charges against Basso, the UCI would appeal the decision to CAS.

During a television report on the 24th, Basso broke his self-imposed silence on the doping matter, when he gave an interview upon the conclusion of the Tour. He commented that he is still waiting for the problems to be resolved. He also stated that he would meet with Riis in the coming days, to discuss the future. “I know that I will be exonerated and to my tifosi I say more that I will return to win again”.