Breaking: Operacion Puerto to be Reopened!

Impossible is nothing. Where are those who said that spanish justice would bury it all?

Anyway, I wouldn't like to be in Valverde's position. And according to Bruyneel the reopening 'would be good for Contador to clean his name but bad for cycling' (that's what he said in a spanish radio yesterday)

One detail over at todociclismo not mentioned in the Velonews article: The case only against Fuentes and Merino will be re-opened.  Those against Saiz, Labarta, Belda, and all the rides remain completely closed from the criminal perspective.  I believe this is because of the absence of a doping law in Spain at the time of the investigation.  Consequently, only the charges against Fuentes and Merino - against public health, if I recall correctly - will be investigated further.  In the course of those cases, more information about the riders involved could very easily come to light.

Good times, eh?

In other Puerto-related news, Caruso was absolved and allowed to return to racing.  Reportedly, there was insufficient evidence to pursue sanctions.  I suspect, though don't know for sure, that Caruso was permitted to go free on time served - just over a year - in return for information.  But that is a bit of conjecture on my part.  He's hoping to rejoin Lampre.

According to todociclismo.com the prosecutors discard that the sportsmen and sportif directors could be accused of any 'crime'.

http://www.todociclismo.com/noticia.asp?id=41273z

I suppose we'll get the real um dope about what's to happen tomorrow?

    Did someone work out a deal to protect the soccer players and now the media can feast on the cyclists.  I want some soccer blood!

It's much the same but there is a paragraph at the end about rider-sanctions that neither Babelfish nor my three years of highschool spanish can make out. Can anyone else?

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Audiencia/Provincial/Madrid/reabre/Operacion/Puerto/elpepude p/20080214elpepudep_10/Tes

let's not go through all the codenames one more time. If I have to hear about Nibelungo and Clasicomano Luigi one more time I may have to stab myself to the heart repeatedly with a derailleur.

My heart BLEEDS for you.

Damn, this crap again.

they reopen the thing, go completely dark until October, then issue a list of names of implicated riders and the recommended suspensions. Anything that doesn't ruin the upcoming season. Though, frankly, the only names I care about are Valverde, Contador, Vicioso and especially Koldo Gil. I'd love to see Euskaltel doing leadouts in Tour sprint stages.

IT'S ABOUT FRACKING TIME.

Oh this is going to be some good shit!!!

Whew!

I think though that derailleur could get quite a workout here.

I would like Allan Davis to either get suspended or get a decent team, preferably the later.

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5670&status=True

Damn!

because you jump at the term "killing the sport" while ignoring the main term, "rampant corruption". The Tour is only a less than hundred year spectacle; something that young is not fundamentally part of French culture.   Much more important institutions have bitten the dust before; pro cycling doesn't even warrant a footnote to history.

Meanwhile...

The fight going on is not against doping, its for control of the sport.  The fight at the moment is between two organizations, the UCI and the Grand Tour Organizers. The riders are just pawns as their union is so weak.  This round the GTO's appeared to have won, in part because the UCI is so inept.  But the GTO's have shown no caring for the sport; they seem to only care for their elevated status.  They care little for a rule of law.  That will be their downfall unless they suddenly get a clue that they have responsibilities to people other them themselves.  Maybe that will happen; I hope so.

However welding power that way leads to corruption (already happening) which ultimately leads to a loss in public confidence that the sport is legit.  Aspirants to pro cycling will either choose another sport or look elsewhere to participate where they feel the competition is honest (i.e. not fixed).

One of two responses could happen now. (And by "now" I'm speaking of the next 5 years.)  Either the riders union could grow a pair and either strike or find some other way to influence events.  Or the UCI could in fact have a clue about making its "end run" and set up other races elsewhere that will play by a set of rules.  At the moment both courses look dubious since both the riders union and UCI look so weak.  Thus it will take some time to see exactly what the response to the GTO's will come from.

The Tour is only a less than hundred year spectacle; something that young is not fundamentally part of French culture.

Not sure I really agree with this.  As with the Giro in Italy, I think the Tour is more deeply rooted in France than you suggest here, part of the French "patrimony."  To dismiss the concerns of the ASO as political infighting with the UCI only is to oversimplify, in my view.