UCI stick with Valverde ban

Eurosport – Wed, 12 Sep 12:19:00 2007

Alejandro Valverde will be barred from entering the World Championships even though the Spanish rider has threatened to go to court over the matter, the president of the International Cycling Union has announced.

We received a letter from Alejandro Valverde in which he challenges our regulations and says he could take the subject before a civil court,” UCI president Pat McQuaid said.

“We will respond by this evening but what I can tell you is that we will stick to our position.”

Last month, the UCI banned Valverde from the championships in Stuttgart, starting on September 26, because of his possible implication in the Operation Puerto doping investigation. They called upon the Spanish federation to open disciplinary proceedings against the rider.

The UCI said although their action did not imply any guilt on Valverde’s part, he had been barred to “safeguard the atmosphere and reputation of the world championships”.

However, the RFEC said last Saturday that Valverde, who denies being involved in doping practices, would be entered for the world championships.

“The RFEC want to say publicly that they have rejected the UCI’s request and have proceeded to enter the rider for the world championships,” the federation said in a statement.

“The documentation sent to support the UCI’s petition adds nothing new to the Civil Guard’s report of June 28, 2006 known as Operation Puerto.”

They went on to state that the Spanish judge in charge of the case had prohibited evidence from the report being used to take action against sportsmen.

“The fact that the federation, and the state, are backing the rider is, I would say, disconcerting,” said McQuaid. “It is worrying but we will not change our mind.”