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Wednesday's EuroFile: Fuentes dodges press; more sign UCI pledge; Valverde under wraps

Published: Jul. 4, 2007

Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes – the controversial doctor at the center of the Operación Puerto doping scandal – made his first public appearance since the alleged doping ring was uncovered last May in Spain.

Fuentes refused to answer journalists’ queries as he left a conference at the University of King Juan Carlos in Aranjuez on Wednesday.

“I support protecting athletes’ health, and the professional life of an athlete is 10 to 12 years, and after that, they have the rest of their lives to live, and doping can go against your health,” Fuentes said after participating in a conference titled, “Medicine in Sport.”

Fuentes has avoided the public eye since being among five people arrested in May 2006 as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged blood doping ring.

The Spanish doctor spent several days in jail before being released on bond and has since been banned from practicing medicine in Spain. A Spanish judge has since dropped charges in the case, though prosecutors have appealed that decision.

Spanish journalists mobbed the controversial doctor as he left the conference, but refused to answer questions about the alleged blood-doping ring.

“I didn’t come here to speak about doping,” Fuentes said. “Doping is now illegal in Spain and I never advised any athlete to take doping products.”

More riders signing UCI pledge
Eighteen of the 21 starting Tour de France teams have signed the UCI’s new anti-doping pledge. According to a review of the UCI’s web page, only Team CSC, Rabobank and Quick Step-Innergetic have yet to sign off on the controversial statement.

Several riders from those teams, including American Dave Zabriskie and members of Rabobank, have said they already have or will sign the pledge before Saturday’s prologue in London.

Tour de France officials say riders who do not sign the pledge will be kept out of the race.

Team wants to protect Valverde from media
Team officials at Caisse d’Epargne say they will try to limit media access to star rider Alejandro Valverde at this month’s Tour de France.

Valverde has been hounded this spring by media allegations that he’s linked to the Operación Puerto doping scandal, and team boss José Miguel Echávarri said the team will try to protect its budding star from further speculation.

“We’ve already spent enough energy even before starting. Despite everything, Valverde has his head in the right place. He demonstrated that on Sunday (at the Spanish national championships,” Echávarri told the Spanish sports daily AS.

“I am not saying that Alejandro isn’t going to be speaking to the media, but we are going to try to get a handle on these contacts so he can concentrate on the race. I hope that everyone understands that and they collaborate. I believe that if a journalist wants to speak with Fernando Alonso, with Raúl or Ronaldinho, they also have their time and place.”

Echávarri also announced the team will be leaving the AIGCP, following Discovery Channel in departing from the international teams organization following deep splits within the top squads over how to handle riders suspected of being involved in the Puerto scandal and other issues.

Euskaltel on board through 2010
While several teams are fighting to find new sponsors, the Basque Euskaltel-Euskadi team has its title sponsorship assured through the 2010 season.

Team manager Miguel Madariaga made the announcement this week ahead of the start of the 2007 Tour. The team also extended the contract of climbing sensation Igor Antón until 2010 and Koldo Fernández de Larrea until 2009.

Saunier Duval invited to ‘Race of Champions’
Spanish team Saunier Duval-Prodir is the first team invited to the “Abu Dhabi Cycling Race of Champions” set for November.

Twelve teams will be invited to the race, which is sure to generate interest with the $1 million in prize money that’s at stake.

The race starts November 7 with a 90km road stage followed by another 90km road stage with a rest day before the final 24km time trial. The overall winner will receive $1 million.

EPO focus of spoof song
A French record company is releasing a spoof single making fun of EPO in time for Saturday’s start of the Tour de France.

The song called “EPO – Te Quiero” is performed in both Spanish and French and spoofs the banned blood booster EPO. The lyrics include verses such as, “EPO, I love you, thanks to you I will end up No. 1.”

A video shows French singer Franck Lascombes dressed as a Mexican mariachi singer atop a bicycle.

The song is produced by the same team that scored a hit last summer with the song “Coup de Boule” following French soccer star Zinedine Zindane’s head-butting controversy in the 2006 World Cup final.