At the moment, it appears that Ivan Basso has refused Pat McQuaid’s suggestions to all affected riders in Operation Puerto to submit a DNA test. The decision to refuse seems to have been made on the advice of Ivan Basso’s lawyer.

It is hard to understand why Basso would refuse this request if he is innocent; as it would seem that such a test would be able to establish definite guilt or innocence. It seems likely that the refusal to “cooperate” has to do with the fact that no material - not even the 38-page report the team leaders saw - has yet been received by any of the accused rider’s lawyers. This is obviously a very ridiculous situation for Basso’s lawyers to try and defend him in; and it is probably for this reason that the test has been refused. Nevertheless, such a decision, if protracted would be a public relations disaster. It should be noted, though that at the moment no official request for a DNA test has come from the investigation, so at the moment this is appears to be just part of the media frenzy going on around the case.

In the few press interviews that Basso has given, he states simply that he is innocent, and that once his lawyers actually receive any of the material on the case, they will set about proving him so. In the meantime, Ivan Basso is at home, and training in full Team CSC outfit in anticipation of a quick return to the peloton.