STUTTGART, Germany (AP) _ Spain's government and the national
federation are not doing enough to contain cycling's drug culture,
the leader of the sport's world governing body said Monday.
``The biggest problem we have in doping and cycling comes from
Spain,'' UCI president Pat McQuaid said in an interview with The
Associated Press. ``There seems to be a reluctance to completely
clean the problem out in Spain.''
Speaking two days before the start of the world championships in
Stuttgart, McQuaid accused the Spanish cycling federation of being
soft on doping and criticized the government for not following up
new laws with tough action.
On Wednesday, the International Cycling Union and the Spanish
federation will argue before the Court of Arbitration for Sport over
whether Spanish cyclist Alejando Valverde can compete in Sunday's
road race.
The UCI had asked the Spanish federation to open disciplinary
proceedings against Valverde after discovering new evidence in a
6,000-page Operation Puerto file linking him to the Spanish doping
scandal. The Spanish federation said it also reviewed the document
but found no new evidence.
McQuaid was especially upset that Spanish Sports Minister Jaime
Lissavetsky sided with the Spanish cycling federation, which wants
Valverde on the team. The UCI wants to keep him out.
McQuaid said the minister's position was ``indicative'' of
Spain's position on doping, despite a new anti-doping law.
``It is all very well bringing in laws, but you need to bring
action after that,'' he said.
The Sports Ministry said it wouldn't respond to McQuaid's
comments until it sees them.
The UCI monitors riders' blood values, and McQuaid said those
from Spanish riders stood out.
``The evidence we have from blood values from riders that we take
indicates to us that there is manipulation of blood going on in
Spain,'' he said. ``And it is more so than in any other country.
``That shows to me that the authorities are not coming down
strong enough. The culture change which is being effected throughout
the rest of Europe is not being effected in Spain.''
Asked what Spain could do, McQuaid said there should be more
controls on riders and a major crackdown on suppliers.
He also derided the slow pace of Operation Puerto, which broke in
May 2006 when Spanish authorities seized about 100 bags of frozen
blood in the Madrid offices of doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.
On the eve of the 2006 Tour de France, nine riders _ including
1997 champion Jan Ullrich and 2005 runner-up Ivan Basso _ were
excluded after being implicated in the scandal. The investigation
implicated 58 cyclists, but a judge threw out the case.
The UCI, however, has continued to pursue the matter.
``We are still waiting for something to happen on it,'' McQuaid
said. ``The thing just drives on and on. It is an embarrassment for
cycling, and it must be an embarrassment for the Spanish as well.''
