Playing God: Eufemiano Fuentes

[DirtyWorks]

Nothing to do with the current crisis. The cover-up began as soon as Puerto broke out, and the economy was good back then.

The revelation that Fuentes was given special access to controlled substances by the Spanish government tells me Spain has a national doping program and a judge will not, should not, can not stop it.

It seems Spanish doping authority is very much like the U.S. an NGO with no legal authority to be given access to the bags. If I'm wrong, please clarify. Again, this is by design. The IOC likes it this way.

 

[zebedee]

Surely the decision is open to appeal by WADA or the Spanish anti-doping agency?

 

[131313]

Suspended Sentence....SUSPENDED SENTENCE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPTAjNVvrYg

Not really surprised. Big money=corruption, and there's some big moneys involved. I doubt cycling even had much to do with this one. It's easy to throw darts at Spain, but lots of other countries are in the same boat. US obviously included with the whole sudden dropping of the Armstrong case due (likely) to some back door deals. Sadly, this is how the world works.

 

[JimmyFingers]

That's one almighty big rug everything gets swept under in that there Espagna

 

[zalacain]

Somebody at least ought to get DNA samples from those bags before they are destroyed!
But those soccer teams have too many friends in the Judiciary

 

[DirtyWorks]

Surely the decision is open to appeal by WADA or the Spanish anti-doping agency?

They would need the authority to access the blood bags. Based on some comments in the articles about Spain's efforts to pass more anti-doping legislation, their WADA organization is an NGO like it is in the U.S.

Spain's WADA organization appears to have no authority to gain access to the evidence. Again, this is by design. WADA is intentionally weak so doping can continue while it appears there is some enforcement.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

As someone else says, this is perhaps a bit too harsh considering the laws.

I'm not sure if it had happened in the Netherlands if the bloodbags would have been allowed to cross the borders or even researched in the Netherlands after all these years. Same for the USA, if there's one thing it's an unwillingness to let other countries get acces to court data (and don't even think about extradicitions from the USA).

Keep in mind that there is a certain amount of protection of patient data we should be very happy about. In this case it sucks, but that's perhaps the other side of the coin. I'm really hesistant on being careless with these things, even though I'm just as interested as anyone to know the real list of involved athletes.

Not saying I'm happy about this one, especially the fact he doesn't get a life-time ban is ridiculous, but the bloodbags were a stretch to begin with.

Couldnt agree more I must say.

Politics.

Lets hope Spain has a David Walsh.

 

[airstream]

Couldnt agree more I must say.

Politics.

Lets hope Spain has a David Walsh.

if it had been so he would have been found in 2006 yet

 

[Briant_Gumble]

if it had been so he would have been found in 2006 yet

Waiting for John Fahey to release a statement saying he endorses the Spanish courts decision.

 

[martinvickers]

I'm sure they will bribe their way in.

Far bigger problem than doping that is.

You think istanbul and madrid won't bribe?

 

[The Hitch]

So Spain given the go ahead to win the football world cup in 2014.

 

[leon7766]

Spain should be thrown out of world sport

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Spanish sports are a joke. Almost as big a joke as American sports.

 

[martinvickers]

Spanish sports are a joke. Almost as big a joke as American sports.

Interesting quote from Andy Murray's (blue ticked) twitter

Andy Murray
‏@andy_murray

operacion puerto case is beyond a joke... biggest cover up in sports history? why would court order blood bags to be destroyed? #coverup

Unusually vocal. Suspect his anger means he's a fair idea there's a tennis player or two involved...

 

[zebedee]

Spain's WADA organization appears to have no authority to gain access to the evidence. Again, this is by design. WADA is intentionally weak so doping can continue while it appears there is some enforcement.

In other words the fight against doping is regarded as a problem that can be managed in the main as a public relations exercise.

 

[ultimobici]

As someone else says, this is perhaps a bit too harsh considering the laws.

I'm not sure if it had happened in the Netherlands if the bloodbags would have been allowed to cross the borders or even researched in the Netherlands after all these years. Same for the USA, if there's one thing it's an unwillingness to let other countries get acces to court data (and don't even think about extradicitions from the USA).

Keep in mind that there is a certain amount of protection of patient data we should be very happy about. In this case it sucks, but that's perhaps the other side of the coin. I'm really hesistant on being careless with these things, even though I'm just as interested as anyone to know the real list of involved athletes.

Not saying I'm happy about this one, especially the fact he doesn't get a life-time ban is ridiculous, but the bloodbags were a stretch to begin with.

Exactly. It's all very well baying for the blood bags to be handed over. But if that is allowed, what happens when your data is just handed over. Would you be happy with that?

 

[martinvickers]

Exactly. It's all very well baying for the blood bags to be handed over. But if that is allowed, what happens when your data is just handed over. Would you be happy with that?

Thing is, I don't want any 'data', save one thing - does this bloodbag belong to X, Y or Z.

So my solution is - yes, as a rule, Wada are not entitled to the bags without rider consent.

So all a rider/athlete has to do is publically claim their bag, say via television, and withdraw their consent, and Wada will be quite happy to let them have the bag. Of course, the public admission might itself have consequences, but so long as they get the bag back, what's the problem....

Otherwise,w e can presume consent and fire ahead.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Spanish sports are a joke. Almost as big a joke as American sports.

When you find a clean country, please list them here...

 

[Zam_Olyas]

When you find a clean country, please list them here...

"England because they have good morals, it is not in their nature to dope"






People say that alot last year.

 

[burning]

When you find a clean country, please list them here...

China!

 

[Briant_Gumble]

Interesting quote from Andy Murray's (blue ticked) twitter

Andy Murray
‏@andy_murray

operacion puerto case is beyond a joke... biggest cover up in sports history? why would court order blood bags to be destroyed? #coverup

Unusually vocal. Suspect his anger means he's a fair idea there's a tennis player or two involved...

Yeah I imagine two things:

1) There's tennis players involved.
2) He has a different supplier.

 

[D-Queued]

When you find a clean country, please list them here...

Canada.

Ryder won the Giro.

Dave.

 

[Samson777]

When you find a clean country, please list them here...

Kazakhstan

 

[DirtyWorks]

Look at it from the IOC's perspective. They want world records broken every four years during their broadcast. Just don't create any doping controversy doing it.

Even when there is controversy, in most countries, like Spain, anti-doping has no legal authority. It's working out great for Fuentes. It is working out well in the U.S. too as there is no criminal prosecution for Armstrong/Tailwind misdeeds and the IOC/UCI is barely mentioned as part of the problem. That's not an accident. That's a coordinated effort by the IOC.

 

[DirtyWorks]

In other words the fight against doping is regarded as a problem that can be managed in the main as a public relations exercise.

Look at it from the IOC's perspective. They want world records broken every four years during their broadcast. Just don't create any doping controversy doing it.

Even when there is controversy, in most countries, like Spain, anti-doping has no legal authority. It's working out great for Fuentes. It is working out well in the U.S. too as there is no criminal prosecution for Armstrong/Tailwind misdeeds and the IOC/UCI is barely mentioned as part of the problem. That's not an accident. That's a coordinated effort by the IOC.

My vote is for Belarus as the last clean nation.