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At what point do the powers that be at UCI have to either press charges or stop harassing the riders? Are you anything like me and are you just getting fed up with all the accusations? By just leaking a name (whether the rider is involved or not) they can ruin a riders career. I for one, want to see this whole Puerto doping issue go away with or without charges being pressed. It just might be time for the UCI to admit that it blew it when it came the the Puerto affair and start to make a more serious effort to stop future dopers.

Anyhow, I thought this article just proves my point. Hey, McQuaid, time to close your mouth, and start to act like a professional.

By Andrew Hood
VeloNews European correspondent
This report filed May 3, 2007

UCI president Pat McQuaid said he expects the Operación Puerto doping investigation to haunt this year’s Tour de France and other major races.

McQuaid - seen here at a recent anti-doping conference in Montreal - has a big job ahead of him.

With reports of a larger, 6000-page dossier poised to be released by Spanish authorities, The Associated Press reported that McQuaid said it might take the rest of the year to fully digest the mountain of new evidence and documents as part of the ongoing investigation.

Until then, cycling’s governing body might not be able to do much to keep riders out of racing action because it needs more time to figure out which riders might be sanctioned and which riders won’t.

“There is no way we have the eyes to go through these 6000 pages and determine who is guilty and who is involved in some way or another,” McQuaid told reporters in Copenhagen. “There is no way we can be finished before the end of this year. They are the practical issues which make it difficult for us with the best will in the world.”

The Puerto investigation has been haunting cycling since Spanish police arrested five people last May. Originally, some 57 riders were alleged to be linked to what’s believed to be a widespread blood doping ring.

Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso and seven others were kicked out ahead of last year’s Tour de France and the scandal has recently come back into the headlines after DNA samples matched Ullrich to bags of blood confiscated by Spanish police.

A Spanish judge shelved the case in March, but prosecutors have appealed the decision.

This week, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that another 49 riders could be implicated in a new report that’s set to be released by Spanish authorities.

McQuaid said the UCI is waiting a decision on the appeal before it can get its hands on the additional evidence.

“We don’t know of 49 names because we have never seen the files,” McQuaid said. “We don’t know what is in there. … There is no way to know that until the (Spanish) judge makes his decision” in the appeals case, AP reported.

McQuaid admitted to reporters that Puerto could come back to haunt the Tour de France again this year, but said the UCI might not be able to stop Puerto riders from starting the Tour this year despite the wishes of Tour organizers to keep implicated riders out of the race.

“Legally, they can’t stop them. UCI riders can race,” he continued. “Morally I agree completely with the Tour and morally it would be better if the riders in the Puerto (probe) would not be there.”