Ivan Basso’s lawyer recently released a strong statement regarding Basso and the media’s comments on his involvement in Operation Puerto. In it he states Basso’s intention to fight for his reputation legally.

“The recently repeated judgements and comments in the Italian and international media regarding Operación Puerto, especially regarding Ivan Basso, require a strong and definitive reaction. The reality is that these opinions and statements are in direct contrast to the results of all the judicial and sporting justice cases that have happened.

“The result of these cases is that Ivan Basso has been cleared of any supposed violation of rules, regulations or law and that Basso currently has no pending cases criminal or civil cases against him regarding doping. And that any declaration for the necessity of blood tests for DNA or other values we consider to be an illegal and inadmissible intrusion to his private life. Thus, any declaration that Ivan Basso that says that there are limits or conditions to prevent Basso for racing for a “ProTour” team or participate in “ProTour” competitions are discriminatory and against the current rules,” Martelli stated.

In doing so, Martelli seems to be implying that Basso and the Discovery Channel team would fight against any demands by the UCI or AIGCP that Basso should submit DNA to ride in the ProTour. In making this statement, Basso joins a number of other Professional riders that have been highly critical of the proposed DNA tests such as Alejandro Valverde and Paolo Bettini.

The UCI is moving ahead with plans on a DNA-testing policy this friday; it remains to be seen what the results of these deliberations will be, with the Cycling world seeming to be increasingly divided on the matter.

It is now official that Ivan Basso will join Team Discovery Channel on a 2-year contract.

Ever since the announcement that Ivan Basso would leave Team CSC, Bjarne Riis has kept himself out of the limelight. But returning this weekend from a vacation with his family, Riis finally gave an interview to the press.

“Whatever happens in the case, I lose. I lose. I have lost my credibility, gotten beat, risked losing my team, and I have lost the best Cyclist in the world,” Riis tells the Danish daily BT. “When he was acquitted, I knew what I had to do. Because the problem is that the case in Spain isn’t over, even if people seem to think so. We don’t know what will happen, although I fear that everything will simply end in nothing; that a decision is never reached.”

Bjarne Riis has been criticized in the media for not standing forward and explaining himself after the break with Ivan Basso, but Riis dismisses the criticism. He feels that such demands would never be put on the chief executive of a regular company, which is what he considers himself. Thus the Danish team owner refuses to comment the detailed reasons for his breaking the contract with Ivan Basso, although the interviewing journalist speculates (based on Riis’s behaviour) that a major motivating factor was to attempt to restore the credibility of Team CSC.

Another factor that was brought up in the interview was the personal cost the case has had for Riis. “I take so much time from my family,” Riis says. “I couldn’t defend it [keeping Basso] toward them. They are the most important people in my life. I don’t spend enough time with my family as it is, and if Ivan was to stay, it would have demanded even more effort and time; time, I would have had to take from my family. At some point, I have to say ‘enough’”.

Riis is dissatisfied with the fact that Ivan Basso can now continue, without hindrance, on another team and perhaps in the future win the Tour de France. He does not feel the case against Basso is closed while the Operation Puerto investigations are still ongoing. “I tried to encourage that there be more solidarity in the sport at the closure of the ProTour [i.e., that the teams present a united front]. But I have to face the fact that there is no such thing. Everyone is only thinking of themself.”

“I can only say that I have sent a clear signal to the world and to the Cycling community of where I stand on the matter. I feel it is my duty to do so, and I do so in my way. Then others will have to do so however they want.”

To rebuild the credibility of Team CSC, Bjarne Riis has intensified the anti-doping efforts on his team and plans to hire the renowned anti-doping researcher Rasmus Damsgaard (as previously mentioned on these pages). Riis is enthusiastic about Damsgaard’s plans, and doesn’t fear that the work of Damsgaard and intensified anti-doping measures will result in less results for Team CSC; saying that he will leave the sport if he turns out to be wrong.

“The cleaner the sport becomes, the better my team will become,” Bjarne Riis says. “That is my spark; it is what keeps me going.”