The endless "is he, isn't he?" saga concerning Alejandro Valverde and codename "Valv.Piti" appeared to have moved a step closer to a definitive decision on Thursday when the Italian Olympic Committee CONI announced that it had proved a DNA match between the Spanish rider and blood bag number 18, seized during the Operación Puerto raids in May 2006. The bag was later found to contain EPO.

"We can say with certitude that the blood in bag number 18 belongs to Valverde," said anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri after the doping hearing held Thursday in Rome's Olympic Stadium. He also stated that documents obtained by CONI proved a link between the Caisse d'Epargne rider and the controversial doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

CONI announced last Wednesday that it was investigating Valverde on the basis of a DNA match with a blood sample taken when last year's Tour de France entered Italy.

The sample was obtained in a surprise anti-doping swoop carried out the evening of Sunday July 20, where stage 15 finished at the summit of Prato Nevoso in Italy. The Spaniard was tested and so too were several riders from the CSC Saxo Bank team, including the-then yellow jersey Frank Schleck (CSC Saxo Bank). The Luxembourg rider has denied doping despite admitting that he transferred a sum of money to Fuentes.

Valverde had won a stage and earlier worn yellow in the race; he was also second on stage six to Super Besse but stood to be promoted to first there after the disqualification of Italian rider Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval) for doping with CERA.

Upon arriving in Italy on Thursday, Valverde was placed under criminal investigation. The Spaniard was informed that the separate probe had been opened when he arrived at Rome's Olympic Stadium for his hearing.

Jesús Manzano, ex-cyclist and former teammate of Alejandro Valverde with Kelme in 2002 and 2003, gave an interview to the Spanish newspaper AS, in which he talked about the Operación Puerto, organized doping within his team and Alejandro Valverde. Spanish cyclist Valverde is in the subject of a criminal investigation by with the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), which is investigating his alleged ties to the Puerto affair.

Manzano expressed his irritation about the practices of the Spanish authorities. "In Italy, things are done with persistence; meanwhile in Spain, they are left unfinished. Here (in Spain), the judge did not ask for the comparison of DNA (of Valverde with the blood bag number 18). There (in Italy) they did, and everything has moved forward. But here, we have a judge who opened and closed the case several times. It has brought no information, it is a circus."

Asked if there was organized doping in his Kelme team, Manzano answered, "Prior to the Vuelta [a España] in 2003, we had a training camp in Alcalá de la Selva. And everybody – except one who was doubtful- went to the hospital of Merino Bates. Let's see if now people think that I was the only rider to take something."

According to AS, the Kelme riders who participated in that edition of the Vuelta a España were Óscar Sevilla, Alejandro Valverde, Carlos García Quesada, José Enrique Gutiérrez, David Latasa, Toni Tauler, Constantino Zaballa, Francisco Cabello and Manzano.

"They gave the same things to Valverde as to me," said Manzano, who made similar claims in June of 2007. "When we shared a room and they gave me something, then they gave him, too. And if I had to go to a judge to swear this under oath, I would do so. Let's see if a judge will call me."

"In the team, there was organised doping, and when they gave something to me, then [they gave] even more to the leaders."

Manzano is unhappy about the Spanish attitude toward riders linked to Operación Puerto. "There are some involved people who now are riding in second tier teams and who go on with the same habits, but different doctors." The ex-rider lamented that the top riders are protected by the Spanish authorities.

"Is there nobody whose attention was attracted by this 'Valv.Piti'? In Italy, if they have to punish [Ivan] Basso, they punish Basso. Here, if a top rider is of concern, they protect him," said Manzano.

Újabb botrány: Valverde is doppingolt

Fotó: Reuters

Hatalmas bajban van az utóbbi évek egyik legjobb kerékpárosa, a Caisse d'Epargne csapat elsőszámú embere, Alejandro Valverde, akinek egy júliusi Olaszországban vett mintája megegyezik a „doppingdoktorként” ismert Eufemio Fuentesnél korábban találtakkal. Rómában február 16-án ülnek össze, az ügy hamarosan a Nemzetközi Doppingellenes Szövetség elé (WADA) kerülhet, a 28 éves klasszis pedig eltiltásra számíthat.

Ősszel Stefan Schumacher, majd Bernhard Kohl doppingesete borzolta a kerékpárosok kedélyeit. Eljött 2009 és az egykor szebb napokat látott sportág újabb méretes pofont kapott szerdán, amikor az utóbbi évek egyik legjobbjáról, a spanyol Alejandro Valverdéről bizonyosodott be, doppingolt.

A sokak által kedvelt 28 éves klasszistól még 2008. július 23-án a Tour de France olaszországi etapján vettek vérmintát, amelynek alapos elemzése után kiderült egyezik a korábban „doppingdoktorként” ismert Eufemio Fuentesnél találtakkal.

Az esetre egészen addig nem derült fény, ameddig el nem végezték a DNS-tesztet. A versenyző ezzel megsértette az Olasz Kerékpáros-szövetség szabályait, az első tárgyalásra febuár 16-án kerül sor, majd az ügyet a Nemzetközi Doppingellenes-szövetség (WADA) elé terjeszthetik.

Valverde, ha bizonyosodnak a vádak, legalább kétéves eltiltásra számíthat, ám ennél sokkal nagyobb jelentőséggel bír az az erkölcsi veszteség, amelyet a kerékpársportnak okozhat.

A spanyol nagy körversenyt soha nem nyert, ugyanakkor számos alkalommal állt a tűz közelében. A Tour de France-on három szakaszon győzött, 2006-ban összetettben elért hatodik helye karrierje legjobbja. Az országúti világbajnokságon két alkalommal is ezüstérmes volt, a 2006-os Vuelta a Espana-n pedig kis híján megszerezte a végső diadalt.

A kerekes erőssége univerzalitása volt: Annak ellenére, hogy kitűnően mászott a hegyekre, az időfutamokon is remekül szerepelt és a legjobb sprinterekkel is fel tudta venni a versenyt. Ezutóbbit bizonyítja, hogy több jelentős egynapos viadalon is diadalmaskodott.