AIGLE, Switzerland: Cycling’s governing body will appeal the decision of a Madrid court to destroy the blood bags and other evidence from the Operation Puerto doping case.
The UCI said in a statement yesterday it will contest the April 29 ruling by a Spanish judge not to turn over more than 200 blood bags seized in police raids on doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in 2006.
The Madrid court found Fuentes guilty of endangering public health and handed him a one-year suspended jail sentence. He was barred from sports medical practice for four years and ordered to pay a $6,000 fine.
Judge Julia Santamaria cited Spanish privacy laws in her decision not to turn over the evidence to anti-doping authorities.
The UCI said it will appeal to a Madrid appeals court.
Unless overturned, the ruling prevents officials from identifying the doctor’s blood-doping clients and pursuing disciplinary cases against them.
More than 50 cyclists were implicated in the Puerto investigation, with Italian rider Ivan Basso and Alejandro Valverde of Spain among those banned for involvement in the case. Fuentes testified he also had clients from other sports, including football, tennis, boxing and athletics. They have not been identified.
The World Anti-Doping Agency and Spanish national anti-doping agency have also said they were considering appeals. The deadline for appeals is May 17.
WADA director general David Howman said last month the court ruling was “particularly disappointing and unsatisfactory.”
