Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde lost his appeal on Tuesday against a two-year doping ban from racing in Italy.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Italy’s Olympic committee was allowed to suspend last year’s Spanish Vuelta champion using evidence seized by Spanish police in 2006 in the Operation Puerto investigation.
Valverde said he was denied a fair trial and vowed to challenge the “unacceptable” verdict at the Swiss Federal Court. It only has authority over CAS — which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland — if it finds the sports court abused the legal process.
The Italian Olympic body banned Valverde last May after it matched DNA evidence from a blood bag taken at a Madrid clinic allegedly involved in an athletes’ blood-doping ring with his sample obtained when the 2008 Tour de France crossed into Italy.
“The Italian judicial authorities had obtained ... a sample from this bag which, according to an analysis performed by the Barcelona laboratory in 2006, contained EPO,” CAS said in a statement.
EPO is a synthetic hormone that boosts endurance by increasing the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Valverde appealed to CAS that the Italians had no legal right to judge him, and should not use Spanish evidence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Valverde said the CAS panel of three arbitrators ignored a Madrid provincial court decision that Puerto evidence could not be used.
Valverde also claimed German lawyer Ulrich Haas had a conflict of interest and should have been removed from the panel because he previously worked with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which took part in legal arguments before the three-day hearing in January.
Valverde is banned from racing in Italy until May 10 next year, but can still race elsewhere despite efforts by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to extend the ban worldwide.
Valverde finished second on Sunday in the Paris-Nice race, the first major stage event of the European season.
This year’s Tour de France, cycling’s signature event, also does not enter Italy. Valverde’s Caisse d’Epargne team could not select him for last year’s race because one stage went on Italian roads.
However, the 29-year-old racer faces another threat to his sporting liberty at CAS this week.
A four-day case is scheduled to begin today pitting Valverde and his national cycling federation against the combined forces of WADA and the UCI.
The global doping watchdog and cycling’s governing body have been frustrated in their attempts to sanction Valverde since the Puerto case opened. They have gone to CAS to challenge the Spanish federation’s consistent refusal to open disciplinary proceedings against Valverde using evidence from the Puerto probe.
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS