mercoledì 11 febbraio 2009

Valverde?????

So,here we are again.The season hasn't taken off yet,and we're already talking about doping.This time the rider who's having problems is Valverde.As you probably already know,in 2006 Operacion Puerto exploded and,between the blood bags (do you say it in this way in English?) there was also the one called: "Valv-Piti".Many people have thought it could be Valverde's one.But nowadays the problem seemed (at least to me) distant.You know,I've read something about the end of the investigations regarding the OP,the new season is starting and,like every year,people hope there won't be any doping case...In this atmosphere,I'd never never thought that Valverde's case would have come out again NOW.Unfortunately,it did.The Italian Olympic Commitee (CONI) has summonsed Valverde to appear in Rome for possible ties to the OP.The rider is appearing in front of CONI on the 16th of February (that was already a very bad day for me because of the terrible amount of tests I've got that day,now things get even worse).But why has the CONI requested to see Valverde just now? Well,it seems that CONI has linked DNA samples taken from last year's Tour de France to blood seized in the Operación Puerto investigation.
I wanted to post an English article of "La Gazzetta dello Sport",but unfortunately English articles of La Gazzetta just arrive to an old interview of Pozzato (why? why Pozzato??).So,here's my-awful-translation of the article that appeared on LGDS (nice name,isn't it?) website.

ROME,11-2-09: CONI is absolutely convinted that VALV-Piti is Alejandro Valverde.The proof seems to arrive from a blood-control made on the 21th of July 2008,when the Tour arrived in Italy (at Prato Nevoso).The Spanish,that was 9th in the GC,was controlled at the anti-doping together with other riders (between them there were also race leader Frank Schleck and other 5 Csc riders***).Last year V.won 11 races.
V.now risks 2 year of squalification.Before of the Varese's World Championship race,the TAS of Losanna refused the request of esclusion formuled by the UCI,that didn't want the rider to ride the WC.CONI has requested the rider to appear in front of it on the 16th February 2009 in Rome.
Operacion Puerto exploded on the 23th May 2006 and was one of the biggest doping-scandal .0 cyclists were involved,but just a few have paid until now.Italians Ivan Basso (2 years of squalification),Michele Scarponi (18 months) and Germans Jorg Jaksche and Jan Ullrich were between those few riders.But in the 6000 pages of OP there are still other names,not just of cyclists,that still wait to be discovered.

Now,little observations of mine on this case:
-Why did it take more than 6 months to discover this link between the two things?
-*** WHY DO THEY HAVE TO NAME FRANK????????????
-Why just the cyclists have paid for OP?
-Sorry for my English that is particularly horrible in this post.
I've tried to give myself little answers to these questions:
1) Maybe CONI has just had the permission of analysing OP's blood bags.In the case,even the name of the famous "Amigo de Birillo" should be soon discovered.
2)I don't know.They had to fill the space on their website page,probably.
3)I don't know.Real Madrid and Barcellona's footballers and tennis players haven't paid anything.

Have you got better answers? What are your opinion on what's happened?? And who do you think is Amigo de Birillo (Basso's friend)?? (Photo AP).
MODIFICA DEL 12-2-09,ORE 14.42: ME'S GETTING ANGRY.
So,Valverde is having problems.But why people have to name Frank in every single article about Valverde? Why?? I've read articles in English,Dutch,Italian,Spanish and his name was everywhere. They treat him as if he was the infamous "Amigo de Birillo" (Birillo's friend).I think nobody can know who Amigo de Birillo is,except Fuentes,that rider and-maybe-other few people.But some people do believe it's Frank.That's what I've read on a Spanish article (from El Paìs website):
"Tenemos más que queremos cruzar con los ADN de otros ciclistas sospechosos". Entre ellos, aseguran esas fuentes, figura el luxemburgués Frank Schleck, del que creen, con bastante porcentaje de probabilidades, que se escondía bajo el nombre de Amigo de Birillo en las listas de Eufemiano Fuentes. Ivan Basso y Jan Ullrich han sido, hasta ahora, los dos más grandes corredores sancionados por la Operación Puerto.
Translation: (CONI has said): "We've confronted (or we'll confront,I'm not able to translate very well) the DNA of other suspected riders with the DNA of the blood bags." Some sources say that between these riders there is also Frank Schleck,the luxembourgian rider that probably (the article says:"with a high % of chances") has hidden himself after the name of "Amigo de Birillo".
Now,as I already said,no one can know who AdB is.Maybe it is really Frank,maybe it's not.But why do journalists have to treat him that way? There was also rumours about Contador when he won the Tour,but nobody now names him.Why do they all have to name Frank? Because otherwise they won't get their salary? I don't think so.The problem in cycling is that if someone (even the most stupid person of the world) says that a rider is doped,everybody start to treat that rider as if he was actually doped,even if he's one of the cleanest cyclists in the peloton.I think journalists should have to wait before to treat some people in a certain way.Then,if those people are actually doped,they can say what they want.But before to arrive at this point,please,wait until you're sure that the rider you're talking about is actually doped.Is it so difficult to understand?? (and then:why can't I modify this post as I want?)

4 commenti:

  1. And those American baseballers haven't paid much either.

    RispondiElimina
  2. And in Italy people scream "Scandal!" if a footballer that turns up to a doping control with a big delay is desqualified...And they don't say anything if Saint Gattuso or Saint Zidane skip a control.
    Btw,on today's Gazzetta there was written that CONI may be able to understand who the other riders involved in OP are.In that case,who's the damn Amigo de Birillo (Basso's friend)?? People say it's Frank or Sastre...I'm a bit worried.

    RispondiElimina
  3. does anyone know if frank gave DNA to the luxemburgian anti doping agancy? if he did and they compared it to the blood in spain, and they said that he was innocent he can't be Amigo de Birillo. but i hope it will be cleared soon, who Amigo de Birillo is. but i don't know if frank gave his DNA. i don't think it's fair that only people from the cycling world are named, other sportspeople like soccerplayers or tennisplayers are also supposed to be on that list. why aren't they punnished?

    RispondiElimina
  4. Unfortunately I can't answer to your questions,Marleen.I don't think Frank gave his DNA to the ALAD,but I'm not sure.And then,if he said: "I want to give my DNA",he should be innocent (I don't think a guilty rider would say that).Regarding the other sports,I don't know what to say.As Andy once said,"the situation in cycling is just due to what cyclists have done in the last years",but I think it's really unfair that just cyclists pay for what they do.
    Unfortunately I don't know if CONI has already analysed all the blood bags.In that case,we should be able to discover who Amigo de Birillo is soon.

    RispondiElimina