Well the profile looks “normal”, just as we would expect for someone riding for 3 long weeks; and there are no outliers or anomalies that have raised suspicions. So “clean” is as likely a conclusion as it can be. The only scary bit is that our current Ivan Basso is compared with the previous version who won the Giro in a canter, as if propelled by alien forces. Yet our current Basso admitted only to intent to dope, not actual doping. So why should his earlier win be considered in any sense “extraterrestrial”? There’s an element of guilty assumption about his past, and be it true or not he is now considered “clean”. Unlike his super-human contemporaries of the past who remain either doubted or outed.   

Basso’s biological passport numbers from Giro d’Italia published

The newspaper published results from three tests, showing a drop in hematocrit and haemoglobin values – indicating a clean performance. The first control was in Amsterdam, two days before the race started (43% hematocrit, 13.9g/dl haemoglobin), the second control was on the second rest day, between the stage to Monte Zoncolan and Plan de Coronas (40.9, 13.3) and the final control was in Verona on the morning of the last stage (38.7, 12.9).

VeloNews.com – Inside Cycling with John Wilcockson: The Flèche and Trentino, two hilltop sprints, two different stories

Basso, who was excluded from the 2006 Tour, admitted that his name was among the clients (though not an active one, he said) of the Operación Puerto blood-doping doctor Eufemiano Fuentes

Well the profile looks “normal”, just as we would expect for someone riding for 3 long weeks; and there are no outliers or anomalies that have raised suspicions. So “clean” is as likely a conclusion as it can be. The only scary bit is that our current Ivan Basso is compared with the previous version who won the Giro in a canter, as if propelled by alien forces. Yet our current Basso admitted only to intent to dope, not actual doping. So why should his earlier win be considered in any sense “extraterrestrial”? There’s an element of guilty assumption about his past, and be it true or not he is now considered “clean”. Unlike his super-human contemporaries of the past who remain either doubted or outed.   

Basso’s biological passport numbers from Giro d’Italia published

The newspaper published results from three tests, showing a drop in hematocrit and haemoglobin values – indicating a clean performance. The first control was in Amsterdam, two days before the race started (43% hematocrit, 13.9g/dl haemoglobin), the second control was on the second rest day, between the stage to Monte Zoncolan and Plan de Coronas (40.9, 13.3) and the final control was in Verona on the morning of the last stage (38.7, 12.9).

VeloNews.com – Inside Cycling with John Wilcockson: The Flèche and Trentino, two hilltop sprints, two different stories

Basso, who was excluded from the 2006 Tour, admitted that his name was among the clients (though not an active one, he said) of the Operación Puerto blood-doping doctor Eufemiano Fuentes

If you get a DNA match with a bag of blood that was hanging around in a refrigerator in Spain you can expect some pain. So the only surprise is that it took so long. But what of all the other bags of blood? (Insert silence here.)

Valverde Suspended For Two Years World-wide, Keeps Results | Cyclingnews.com

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has handed Alejandro Valverde a two-year suspension, effective starting January 1, 2010, for his involvement in the Operación Puerto doping scheme.

The court upheld the request of the UCI and World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) against the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC), but also refused to nullify Valverde’s results prior to the start of the suspension.

If you get a DNA match with a bag of blood that was hanging around in a refrigerator in Spain you can expect some pain. So the only surprise is that it took so long. But what of all the other bags of blood? (Insert silence here.)

Valverde Suspended For Two Years World-wide, Keeps Results | Cyclingnews.com

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has handed Alejandro Valverde a two-year suspension, effective starting January 1, 2010, for his involvement in the Operación Puerto doping scheme.

The court upheld the request of the UCI and World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) against the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC), but also refused to nullify Valverde’s results prior to the start of the suspension.

There are many good points made in this long piece in support of transparency on the UCI’s part, something the governing organisation has not shown great desire for – or even talent at – up to now. Accusations are made (see below) about Bruyneel’s influence over the UCI (debatable, I’m sure, but moot) and his manipulation of the media (surely something everyone tries to do?). Another point made is that some riders are pursued to the effect that they are rendered almost unable to get a job, even if they have not been tested positive to a banned substance (eg Rasmussen). Whereas several others do their time and are re-admitted to the fold in good teams. Whilst I can agree with the general sentiment (it seems unfair at times but… sometimes life is unfair) it does overlook matters of detail: Rasmussen, like Basso and Vino has served his time and is available for employment (and currently working as a rider to my knowledge). It’s up to him to market his obvious talent. Rider selection is up to the teams themselves, not the UCI. And in Basso’s case he also did not test positive but admitted to ‘intent’; whereas in contrast Rasmussen has not admitted any more than getting his location wrong, despite a continental-sized location ‘error’ that he ostensibly lied about.

And then there’s Valverde. Yes, he is being pursued where others implicated in Operacion Puerto ride on, case close. But not everyone is convinced of his non-involvement and, unlike other riders his DNA (taken by Italian authorities from a test during a stage of Le Tour that visited Italy) is available and has been (allegedly) positively linked to DNA found in blood collected from Operacion Puerto. Whilst I’d like to see every rider who was implicated in Puerto give up their DNA for matching, it’s only the Italian authorities who have the motivation and the determination to see this through. Should we criticise them for this apparent vendetta or celebrate their perseverance?

Bottom line is that we need transparency and clear evidence of fairness in the process. At the moment it’s a dog’s breakfast. That at least is certainly clear.
       

Daily Peloton – Pro Cycling News

Martin Hardie views the Gusev case is yet another example of the tendency which has bothered riders, managers and cycle reporters for a long time: It reveals that some riders can do anything without being punished and other riders are being punished even if they are acquitted.

For example, the International Cycling Union works actively at expanding the prohibition to the whole world which the Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde has recieved against riding in Italy. Valverde was allegedly involved in the case of blood doping known as Operation Puerto in 2006, but he has never been banned by the Spanish Cycling Union. However his compatriot Contador who has worked for Bruyneel until recently whose his initials allegedly were found on some of the many blood bags in 2006 is still free to ride. UCI is not running any campaign against him nor are they pursuing Fränk Schleck from Bjarne Riis’ CSC Team although he also was in involved in Operacion Puerto because he send money to the doctor who is charged with running the illegal program.

There are many good points made in this long piece in support of transparency on the UCI’s part, something the governing organisation has not shown great desire for – or even talent at – up to now. Accusations are made (see below) about Bruyneel’s influence over the UCI (debatable, I’m sure, but moot) and his manipulation of the media (surely something everyone tries to do?). Another point made is that some riders are pursued to the effect that they are rendered almost unable to get a job, even if they have not been tested positive to a banned substance (eg Rasmussen). Whereas several others do their time and are re-admitted to the fold in good teams. Whilst I can agree with the general sentiment (it seems unfair at times but… sometimes life is unfair) it does overlook matters of detail: Rasmussen, like Basso and Vino has served his time and is available for employment (and currently working as a rider to my knowledge). It’s up to him to market his obvious talent. Rider selection is up to the teams themselves, not the UCI. And in Basso’s case he also did not test positive but admitted to ‘intent’; whereas in contrast Rasmussen has not admitted any more than getting his location wrong, despite a continental-sized location ‘error’ that he ostensibly lied about.

And then there’s Valverde. Yes, he is being pursued where others implicated in Operacion Puerto ride on, case close. But not everyone is convinced of his non-involvement and, unlike other riders his DNA (taken by Italian authorities from a test during a stage of Le Tour that visited Italy) is available and has been (allegedly) positively linked to DNA found in blood collected from Operacion Puerto. Whilst I’d like to see every rider who was implicated in Puerto give up their DNA for matching, it’s only the Italian authorities who have the motivation and the determination to see this through. Should we criticise them for this apparent vendetta or celebrate their perseverance?

Bottom line is that we need transparency and clear evidence of fairness in the process. At the moment it’s a dog’s breakfast. That at least is certainly clear.
       

Daily Peloton – Pro Cycling News

Martin Hardie views the Gusev case is yet another example of the tendency which has bothered riders, managers and cycle reporters for a long time: It reveals that some riders can do anything without being punished and other riders are being punished even if they are acquitted.

For example, the International Cycling Union works actively at expanding the prohibition to the whole world which the Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde has recieved against riding in Italy. Valverde was allegedly involved in the case of blood doping known as Operation Puerto in 2006, but he has never been banned by the Spanish Cycling Union. However his compatriot Contador who has worked for Bruyneel until recently whose his initials allegedly were found on some of the many blood bags in 2006 is still free to ride. UCI is not running any campaign against him nor are they pursuing Fränk Schleck from Bjarne Riis’ CSC Team although he also was in involved in Operacion Puerto because he send money to the doctor who is charged with running the illegal program.

I don’t think this is particularly new, but it confirms – if true – what has been suspected for a long time. The Landis allegations point to a combination of EPO microdosing with a balancing degree of autologous blood doping.  As I understand it the blood transfusions in effect mask the otherwise imbalanced percentage of newly-formed red blood cells by adding old ones that were kept in a handy refrigerator… Operacion Puerto anyone? 

Biological Passport Expert Taking Landis Seriously | Cyclingnews.com

Landis, in confessing to practices he used during his time with the US Postal Service and Phonak teams, not only detailed the techniques he used but also said the practice was condoned by team management and adopted by his fellow teammates. He revealed that riders combined small doses of the drug with undetectable transfusions of the rider’s own blood to boost performance, giving anti-doping authorities important details on how cheaters continue to evade positive tests.

I don’t think this is particularly new, but it confirms – if true – what has been suspected for a long time. The Landis allegations point to a combination of EPO microdosing with a balancing degree of autologous blood doping.  As I understand it the blood transfusions in effect mask the otherwise imbalanced percentage of newly-formed red blood cells by adding old ones that were kept in a handy refrigerator… Operacion Puerto anyone? 

Biological Passport Expert Taking Landis Seriously | Cyclingnews.com

Landis, in confessing to practices he used during his time with the US Postal Service and Phonak teams, not only detailed the techniques he used but also said the practice was condoned by team management and adopted by his fellow teammates. He revealed that riders combined small doses of the drug with undetectable transfusions of the rider’s own blood to boost performance, giving anti-doping authorities important details on how cheaters continue to evade positive tests.