Lausanne,
Switzerland - Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde on Tuesday lost an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a two-year doping ban from competing in Italy. The CAS confirmed a ruling by Italy's Olympic committee (CONI) which banned Valverde from events in the country based on evidence from the Operation Puerto doping investigation in Spain.
In addition, Valverde faces a worldwide ban as the ruling cycling body UCI and the World Anti Doping Agency have brought the case before the CAS. A four-day hearing is scheduled from Thursday onwards.
Valverde was banned by CONI in May 2009 after the committee matched DNA evidence from a 2008 Tour de
France sample taken when the race moved to
Italy with a blood bag from Madrid seized during the Operation Puerto probe in 2006.
An examination of the blood bag sample revealed the presence of the blood booster EPO.
Valverde disputed that CONI had the right to ban him based on Spanish evidence, but that was turned down by CAS.
"The CAS Panel considered that the CONI had jurisdiction to render the decision under appeal before the CAS and that the evidence analyzed by the judicial authorities and used in the CONI proceedings was not only admissible but also relevant and could reasonably lead to the outcome determined by the CONI Anti-Doping Tribunal," said CAS in a statement.
The judges also said that "the sanction was proportionate to the violation of the CONI regulations by Alejandro Valverde."
The UCI said in a statement that it "welcomes the decision of the CAS, which confirms the conclusions the UCI reached after conducting a thorough review of the documents relating to the Puerto case, and of Alejandro Valverde's involvement in it.
"The UCI expresses its determination to take the necessary measures to secure a suspension that is applicable internationally."
Spanish justice authorities have frustrated
sports federations and anti-doping officials by refusing to hand over evidence in the case centring on doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.
Around 50 riders have been implicated but only Italian Ivan Basso has served a ban. Others like former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich of Germany and current holder Alberto Contador have protested their innocence.
Spanish Sports Minister Jaime Lissavetzky last week announced a reform of the anti-doping laws in order to allow sports federations access to
court evidence gathered by state authorities against athletes under doping suspicion.
The ban in Italy denied Valverde participation in the 2009 Tour de France because it touched Italy. But he can race in other countries for now and came second on the weekend in the Paris-Nice event. The 2010 Tour also doesn't touch Italy.
