Vuelta frustrated by lack of progress in doping probe

MADRID, May 9 (Reuters) The Tour of Spain organisers have said they are frustrated by the lack of progress in the Operation Puerto doping probe at home, as other countries take action against implicated cyclists.

''Jan Ullrich (German) has retired, Ivan Basso (Italian) will complete at least a one-year ban... Outside Spain they feel more threatened,'' Tour of Spain director general Victor Cordero was quoted as saying in sports daily today.

''They look here, where it all originated, and the cyclists continue to race protected by the presumption of innocence. It is very difficult to explain that nothing is happening here.

''You can't rule out that some day in France, or in other places, they will bring charges against Spanish cyclists implicated in Puerto, for taking part in races in these different countries.'' The Spanish government-backed probe into a cycling doping ring was shelved without laying charges in March, after the investigating judge concluding that their was insufficient evidence to prosecute for the offence of endangering the public health.

When the case was opened last May, the investigation focused on the suppliers rather than the cyclists, and the threat to people's health, as doping itself was not punishable under Spanish law.

The judge said the case was not subject to tough new anti-doping legislation introduced in February. Spain's state prosecutor has formally appealed for the re-opening of the case.

The director general of Vuelta organisers Unipublic, Ignacio Ayuso, called for more cyclists to follow Basso's example in coming forward and admitting they were involved in the Puerto probe, to help resolve the stalemate.

BRAVE CYCLISTS ''We need more brave cyclists who will collaborate with the justice system,'' Ayuso said.

''To move things forward we need them to testify and to answer a simple question: 'Is it your blood in the bags found by Spain's Civil Guard?' ''If they deny it the prosecutor should ask that they back their statement by comparing some of their blood with that held in the bags.'' It has been reported that Basso will receive a reduction in a potential ban if he co-operates with the justice system.

Spain's sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky praised Basso's decision and said that a possible ban reduction would be a useful incentive to win the cyclists' co-operation in the Spanish probe.

''We have asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) if it is possible to reduce the punishments for cyclists involved in Puerto,'' Lissavetzky was quoted as saying in the Spanish media.

With Spain's Vuelta taking place between Sept 1-23, Ayuso was quick to assure: ''Applying the Ethical Code that all the ProTour teams adhere to, those teams invited to compete will not be allowed to use cyclists implicated in Puerto.'' The Spanish investigation, called Operation Puerto, was launched after police raids in Madrid and Zaragoza found large quantities of anabolic steroids, blood transfusion equipment and more than 200 bags of frozen blood.

REUTERS TB ND1740