The following summarizes the “evidence” against Basso alleged to be in the 38-page summary document which was shown to the teams friday, and which led to the ejection of Ivan Basso (and eight other riders) from the Tour de France. My comments are in italics.

In a telephone conversation (recorded on May 14 at 21.46 between Kelme directeur Ignacio Labarta and Eufemiano Fuentes) Labarta links Basso and [Giro runner-up] José Enrique Gutierrez with Fuentes, appearing to identify them as clients. The affirmation of the relationship between Fuentes and Basso allows the linking of the codename ‘Birillo’ and, consequently, the number 2 in the list of blood samples to Ivan Basso.

It is interesting to note that the incriminating mention of Basso is now between Labarta and Fuentes, rather than Saiz and Fuentes, as earlier reported in Interviu. Also interesting is that there supposedly exists a blood sample marked #2 presumed to be Birillo’s. This suggests that innocence or guilt with respect to Basso could be established through a DNA test.

Document 65 which carries the letterhead of the Biomedisport Canarias SA company, managed by Fuentes, contains a list of the ‘collaborators and participants in the festival of the month of May. This expression seems to refer to the Tour of Italy - and following that, the list contained a number of names. Some media are claiming that Basso’s name was on this list, while others refer to the code-name - Birillo (assumed to refer to Basso) - along with the codenames now assumed to be those of Marcos Serrano, Michele Scarponi, José Enrique Gutierrez, and Jan Ullrich that was on the list.

The whole case, in short, seems to rest on the assumption that “Birillo” is in fact, Ivan Basso.

Edit (17/08/2006): It has now been clarified that “Document 65″ in fact contained the name Basso, as reported in some of the media.