Fuentes/Operacion Puerto trial

[RJ]

This is interesting:

Grauniad - Operation Puerto doctor admits footballers came to his clinic

No names, though.

Fuentes did not name any of the athletes, football players, boxers or tennis players who used his services – which he said included advice on training and recovery from injuries. But the whistleblower Jesús Manzano, a former professional cyclist who has accused Fuentes and his partners of endangering his health, has said that he personally saw prominent football players going into the clinic.

They included two well-known players at Spanish clubs and a Spaniard who had played for the national team – who are the reigning World Cup and European champions.

Tyler Hamilton will appear as a prosecution witness.

[Lordy]

I reckon this could open up the biggest can of worms yet.

[Tewdric]

Lets hope so

[ran doner]

I like the I didn't treat "him" because he was using cocaine.

[spesh]

Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the central figure in the Operation Puerto cycling doping probe, was given a one-year prison sentence for crimes against public health on Tuesday.

Fuentes was also barred from practicing sports medicine for four years and received a fine.

Judge Julia Santamaria ruled that evidence from the case, including blood samples, would not be released to national and international anti-doping authorities for probes into cases outside cycling.

And just to put the tin lid on it, once any appeals have finished, the blood bags are to be destroyed. So much for Spain showing that it takes doping seriously...

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/30/uk-doping-spain-puerto-idUKBRE93T0KJ20130430

[LittleWheelsandBig]

'They' don't want the soccer and tennis players being identified, it seems.

[spesh]

'They' don't want the soccer and tennis players being identified, it seems.

When you consider how much sporting success the Spanish have had in the last decade or so, it's no surprise. 

It wouldn't look good for it all to have been confirmed as being built on blood bags and misused pharmaceuticals, now would it?   

[Veloman]

'They' don't want the soccer and tennis players being identified, it seems.

Or Contador.

[Veloman]

View of Nicole Cooke:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22392989

WADA an Spanish doping agency also want bags kept for further testing.

[TimC]

The amount of money at stake in this case is phenomenal; as Fuentes' wife said, "It could bring down sport". Not just some sportsmen and women, but all professional sport. How much of that money has been diverted to oil the legal wheels, I wonder?

Edit: Nicole has it right  - we should do all we can to ensure Spain cannot run for hosting the 2020 Olympics unless they overturn this judge's decision.

[clarion]

I agree with Cooke.

[Rhys W]

Everybody has their price: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/may/10/spanish-doping-doctor-reveal-sports

[Hot Flatus]

Hmmmm....sounds like blackmail

Methinks Fuentes is not long for this world.

[David Martin]

Hmmmm....sounds like blackmail

Methinks Fuentes is not long for this world.

I think he may well have committed all the details to paper to be released upon his death. There will then be a large number of people with a vested interest in keeping him alive.

[Tewdric]

I am quite looking forward to other sports taking the flak for a bit, especially football.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I agree with Cooke.

Ditto.

She is rather splendid, isn't she?  I wish she was on the olympic committee  or was minister for sport.

[Hot Flatus]

Hmmmm....sounds like blackmail

Methinks Fuentes is not long for this world.

I think he may well have committed all the details to paper to be released upon his death. There will then be a large number of people with a vested interest in keeping him alive.

A very good point. Still think he'll meet a sticky end though.

[RJ]

Hmmmm....sounds like blackmail

Methinks Fuentes is not long for this world.

I think he may well have committed all the details to paper to be released upon his death. There will then be a large number of people with a vested interest in keeping him alive.

A very good point. Still think he'll meet a sticky end though.

... involving black pudding???  There'd be a certain symmetry 

[V-J]

I am quite looking forward to other sports taking the flak for a bit, especially football.

Unfortunately the Spanish government won't let that happen.They threw the foreigners under the bus by releasing the names of the cyclists, if anyone thinks that Spanish tennis players and world cup footballers are going to get announced then you'll have to join the dots yourself on that one!

[mzjo]

I am quite looking forward to other sports taking the flak for a bit, especially football.

Unfortunately the Spanish government won't let that happen.They threw the foreigners under the bus by releasing the names of the cyclists, if anyone thinks that Spanish tennis players and world cup footballers are going to get announced then you'll have to join the dots yourself on that one!

Easy. Just throw all the spanish sports federations and olympic comittee out of international sport for violation or non-commitment to WADA rules and make it clear what the spanish government can do to change the situation. Stipulate that destruction of the blood bags would lead to a long and hard battle before being accepted back. Shouldn't take more than 3 months for them to see the light. Getting chucked out of the World Cup and EUFA would probably be enough.