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Bruyneel defends decision to sign 'the best rider in the world'

By Agence France Presse
Published: Nov. 18, 2006

Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel on Saturday responded to the critics over his decision to sign Italian star Ivan Basso.

Bruyneel's decision to sign the Giro d’Italia champion caused a ripple this week in the world of cycling, which is fighting for its credibility after a season marred by doping suspicion.

The Belgian said he is more than happy to have signed Basso, who recently emerged unscathed despite having been one of many riders implicated in a Spanish doping investigation that erupted in May.

"I don't see how anyone can stop me from hiring the best rider in the world. I am very happy with my decision," Bruyneel said Saturday in an interview with the Belgian press.

"Once all the charges against Ivan were dropped ... we consulted four specialist lawyers to really look into all the rules, and the (ProTour) Code of Conduct. They all came to the same conclusion: Legally speaking, nothing can stop us from signing a contract with Basso."

Basso was one of some 58 top riders implicated in Operación Puerto, which dashed his hopes of competing in this year’s Tour de France.

However, the likelihood of sanctions being leveled against those implicated in the affair now appears slim. The presiding judge of the investigation ruled that evidence could not be used for sanctions, and most of those implicated have finally returned to racing.

Illegal substances and bags of blood were among the evidence discovered during Operación Puerto. However, until now, Basso had refused to submit a DNA sample, which could prove his innocence. Basso and Discovery agreed on Friday that the Italian would provide a DNA sample if required by the Spanish authorities.

Bruyneel added: "There has never been a DNA issue. Ivan agreed through his lawyer, even before we signed, to give a sample. He just wanted to make sure that the guarantees provided by the law would be respected."

Meanwhile, Bruyneel has refused to sign a far-reaching Code of Conduct that has been drawn up by cycling's elite league, the ProTour, in conjunction with the teams.

"In its search for credibility, cycling is going too far," he said. "I've got doubts on certain points (in the code). We believe that even an athlete is innocent until proven guilty."

The Code of Conduct provides, among other things, that teams must not allow a rider to compete if any disciplinary or criminal proceeding is pending, regardless of whether a guilty verdict has been reached. The code also requires any rider found guilty to be excluded from racing for four years after the verdict, even if the official suspension is for shorter period.

Noted Bruyneel: "A French prosecutor announced an investigation of Lance Armstrong in January 2005. Just this month, 22 months later, he announced that he was dropping the case. Under the Code of Conduct, would we have had to sideline Lance from the 2005 Tour?"