Operation Puerto Blood Bags to be handed over to Doping Authorities

Inquitus

Blood bags used as evidence in a major Spanish doping scandal must be handed over to authorities for investigation, a Madrid court has ruled.

The announcement comes 10 years after Operation Puerto revealed a doping network involving some of the world's top cyclists.

Police seized 211 coded blood bags from the clinic of Dr Eufemiano Fuentes.

They must now be given to the World Anti-Doping Agency, cycling bosses and the Italian Olympic Committee.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/36527895

Be interesting to see what names come out and what other sports are implicated.

ThisRegard

Just being discussed on the A/R forum, as it's outside of the 10 years statute of limitation, and that people previously found guilty based on tests of this blood had their sentences reversed as they didn't break any law of the time (for cyclists anyway), can anyone be named?

Inquitus

ThisRegard wrote: »

Just being discussed on the A/R forum, as it's outside of the 10 years statute of limitation, and that people previously found guilty based on tests of this blood had their sentences reversed as they didn't break any law of the time (for cyclists anyway), can anyone be named?

I would have thought anyone who's blood can be matched up can be named and shamed, though not banned.

emo72

Thought a couple of Spanish sports stars could be implicated here. <snip>

ThisRegard

Inquitus wrote: »

I would have thought anyone who's blood can be matched up can be named and shamed, though not banned.

Even if they didn't contravene an explicit law at the time?

neris

emo72 wrote: »

Thought a couple of Spanish sports stars could be implicated here. <snip>

there has to be <snip> skeletons hiding somewhere, theres no way that someone at a high level in those sports hasnt doped or been involved in a programme. Wonder could some of the older spanish cyclists get a mention in it, 1 in particular.

Macy0161

neris wrote: »

Wonder could some of the older spanish cyclists get a mention in it, 1 in particular.

I thought that was the issue - all the cyclists had been named, but the judge refused to allow other sports stars to be named?

Joe_ Public

Would be good if Fuentes decided to go off and start singing like a canary like the guy in the Balco case, but probably not much in it for him now. Outside of Puerto, Fuentes links go right back to the early 90s and the Barcelona Olympics, the stories that man could tell!

neris

Joe_ Public wrote: »

but probably not much in it for him now.

the stories that man could tell!

Could be worth a lot in it. stories are worth alot written on paper and flogged in appropriate retailer or online shop

Joe_ Public

neris wrote: »

Could be worth a lot in it. stories are worth alot written on paper and flogged in appropriate retailer or online shop

Well Conte seems to have milked the Balco scandal for all it was worth, so maybe Fuentes could take a leaf out of his book. Can always hope anyway.

Inquitus

This link here speculates as to who the bags might belong to based on various press articles etc.

Per Beasty people can read the contents for their own information purposes but cannot speculate on boards about the contents.

http://velorooms.com/index.php?topic=1783.0

Joe_ Public

From some of the commentary I've read today there seems to be an assumption that no footballers could be on these lists because footballers wouldnt use blood bags. I wouldn't claim any expertise on this only that there have been cases in the past where footballers have been known to use transfusions which I assume is the same thing. Maybe they'd be less likely, but that doesn't mean they definitely wouldn't.

Carawaystick

If only there was a forum where we could dig around

Doc07

I'm not naturally cynical but no big named footballers or teams will be named. There is too much money in football not to shut this down if vested interests see a harm to te massive brand. Or maybe a few small names will be released to ease the easily pleased press. Any major tennis star still active will have the funds to pay a layer to shut it down also. Everyone will move on ( except maybe Kimmage!)

Regardless of any new information , I would assert that many football fans would not care. People have short memories , Pep Gardiola was caught with a minor doping offence yet is a darling of the fans and press.

This attitude still prevails even in cycling ,where we have been burnt time and again by the cheats and the facilitators and where the press and your average sports fan can conveniently focus their doping angst. How man people cheered on Valverde over the last few years despite his status as a proven previous full time doper?

I would still read the book on a holiday flight if Eufuentes ever published it!

dastardly00

Newstalk's Off the Ball chatted to Ross Tucker last night about Operation Puerto. It's always interesting to listen to Tucker imo.

https://soundcloud.com/offtheball/ross-tucker-operation-puerto