See what $ can buy
 

The Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) has released a decision based on recent judicial rulings in the Operación Puerto affair. The RFEC has closed all disciplinary files opened against the cyclists implicated in the investigation. The announcement comes weeks after the judge in charge of the case ruled on October 8th that the investigation documents could not be used by national federations to take action against riders.

The news will be a huge setback to the UCI and its efforts to combat alleged doping in the peloton. It comes less than one day after the against the Italian cycling federation (FCI) permanently shelved the case against Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso, who was also implicated in Operación Puerto documents.

The Spanish federation has emphasized that the riders who were part of the investigation had never had their licenses suspended, and now that the disciplinary investigations are closed, they are free to compete with their respective squads. They have not excluded the possibility that the files would be reopened once the judicial proceedings are concluded.

However, the RFEC has decided to initiate disciplinary investigations on the former Liberty Würth director, Manuel Sáiz, Comunidad Valenciana's Ignacio Labarta and Vicente Belda and the doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. This action could set off a whole new round of legal wranglings regarding this action, as well as the status of ProTour license of Sáiz's former team, Astana.

Sáiz still holds the rights to the Active Bay Sports/Astana ProTour license, and does not plan to transfer the license to the new organisation. Following an appeal from Astana, the UCI licensing commission refused to withdraw the Active Bay license. The UCI said today that they "regret the circumstances which have obliged the commission to take this decision, which is undoubtedly correct in legal terms, but which is most likely due to the lack of information from the Spanish authorities and the extremely confusing state of affairs with Operación Puerto".

This year's Tour de France was seriously affected by Operación Puerto, with riders such as Basso and Germany's TdF winner, Jan Ullrich, withdrawn
from the Tour.

What does that have to do with money??
They went on a witch hunt and couldn't put a solid case together.
I hope discovery signs both basso and ulrich!!!

So let me understand- they ruin the tour by taking out two riders who could waste Landis... and they dont have enough to enforce? Who ruined the 06 tour..Landis? Could Basso have done the double or would Ulrich have pulled it off? Personally, Im pissed.

agree. the whole thing is absolutely FUBAR. "how" you correct a problem is just as important as correcting the problem. the authorities just look like a bunch of clowns.

totally...
 

one would think that by going so far as to exclude top riders from the tour that the authorities must have had rock solid evidence obtained in an kosher way.
guess not.
just my gut, but they probably were cheating. now they get to parade around like o.j.
this sport is beginning to make pro wrestling look credible. bummer.

Some time ago I commented
 

that I did not care anymore. I still do not. It just depends on your point of view. A good race is a good race. I usually listen to sports radio for a little while each day. Kenny Rogers throws 94mph when he has been at 86mph tops for 10 years. Floyd's Coke?

Then the pine tar on the hand. I did not care about that. A batter puts on enough body armor to embarass a world class DHer, hangs over the plate and is ready to charge the mound if the ball is inside. For you "mature" folks where is Sal Maglie when you need him. :confused:

It seems that the rules regarding blood are lenient enough and allow for a little doping anyway since important measurable levels are far beyond those of mere mortals anyway.

Debate is pointless, the 06 Tour was ruined, Lance's legacy will be ruined more by his own lifestyle than by allegations of doping. He was the best on the level playing field, wherever that level was.

The search for answers always seems to bring more questions. Barry Bonds will file for free agency on Monday. As BD said earler about the cyclists, there is probably no case.

The sports all have drug testing, governing bodies, investigators, etc. and the beat goes on. No point in debating it, the chemists are better funded than the investigators. :bike:

If you are outraged that is fine, if you care that is fine. I am neither outraged nor do I care. I just want to ride my own bike. If I knew that HGH was safe I would probably use it to remain healthier and turn back the clock a few years. :beer:

Im getting there Mud
 

In the early '90's after baseball went on strike I made a conscious decision that I was totally fed up with the BS and I wasn't going to watch any more. Prior to that I was a devoted Yankees fan. My anger about the sport lasted a year or two. Interestingly, after that I simply completely lost interest. I wasn't ignoring it out of anger any more; I simply didn't care.

My other favorite sport was pro hockey. Haven't watched any of that or been to any games since those geniuses came back to work. Again, I just don't care any more.

I'm almost there with cycling.

Is the opposite of love......hate? No.

Good post.

I would not be surprised at all if commercial HGH and/or other like things are on their way for anti-aging and that 50 will be the new 40 in a generation or so.

I guess I just wanted to see the best in the best race...

They are all guilty. The UCI was begining to look out of control by not being able to manage Tours, riders, labs, teams, you name it.
The only way things would and can look better is to sweep the whole mess under the rug and in a few years it will be known as the affair .

Now they can pretend to enforce new rules and regulations and get good publicity for their beloved sport. All the while making a smoke in mirrors effect once again showing the world that every thing is fine and dandy !

a beauty contest with implants

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

http://members.tripod.com/~CyclingAr...ml/hinpict.htm
i am thinking all involved: Spanish controlling Oper. Puerto, Uci, Wada, country federations et. all, were going to lose quite a bit of money in lawsuits over this whole ordeal...........So the basically this lets everyone keep their wallets in their pockets.

BUT my take: I no longer believe in Martha Stewart and all riders involved - Gulty as Not Charged.

i'd rather dig ditches on Hinault's farm than hang out with Lance and McConaughey during their pool parties.


BTW, FloydyouareSCREWED :no:

my wife was just walking our kids through a new subdivision being built, a guy was outside having a lowes truck unload furniture, when a tree cracked and fell on the guys house, crunching the roof. One of my little girls is pretty shaken up. The tree actually made that crack noise. About as big around as your open arms. We are having one hellava wind storm down here today. My wife said the guy who owned the house was just standing their staring at the tree. My house is old and surrounded by ancient old trees. The leaves are falling horizontal right now.

Gotta scoot - gotta date with my singlespeed mtb right now. :D

hinault - link enjoy



AmerliN

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showth...t=22507&page=2

I think the above post is good summary of the issue.

The teams pulled their riders before the TdF started based on the information now being denied to the national federations. What does that say?

It wasn't the UCI etc that stopped Basso, Ullrich and co riding in July, but their teams. And at least in the case of Basso, wasn't in effect the sponsor that pulled the rider in the sense that they threatened to pull out if Basso rode? Maybe the ASO would have tried to exclude teams (as opposed to individuals) if the teams did not pull the riders, but seeing that trick was squashed in the days leading up to the TdF by CAS with Astana they may not have wanted to take this action.

No one will be suing as it will open up a can of worms that I'm sure the riders want closed.