ROME, April 26 (Reuters) - Italian cyclist Ivan Basso has complained about what he calls "time-bomb justice" after the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping office on Tuesday reopened an investigation into the 2006 Giro d'Italia winner.
"I'm not going to give up, I'm going to carry on. I'm strong-minded," he was quoted as saying in Thursday's edition of the Milan-based newspaper Il Giornale. "However, I feel really frustrated. If these latest events had emerged in December or January, everything would have been clarified and closed now, for good or bad. "Instead, new documents have suddenly arrived two weeks before the start of the race (the Giro d'Italia). First they let me train like a donkey and then say 'Sorry, please stop and explain'. That's a time-bomb form of justice."
Basso was suspended by his Discovery Channel team on Tuesday after the reopening of the investigation into his implication in Operacion Puerto, a Spanish police probe into blood doping by a group of doctors in Madrid.
Basso, who has been summoned to appear before investigators in Rome next month, also said he would accept a DNA test. "I'll be there on May 2 to understand what new things I'm facing. My DNA? I've already given my permission to everybody, my team and even to the anti-doping investigators," Basso told Il Giornale.
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Ivan is absolutely correct that these stories have an all to familiar pattern of popping just before a big Tour. Amen, brother. On the other hand, if he was so confident of your innocence, he could have ended this whole situation during the winter, or last fall or even just after this story broke last July. Instead, it was a constant list of explanations and excuses but never a willingness to give a DNA sample for comparison. You're putting up a good front right now but my hunch is that you have raced your last race.
I'm happy to see the Italians also going after Scarponi and possibly other Italians implicated in the case. Now, if only the Spanish would get off their burros and seriously investigate the Spanish riders implicated in Puerto some progress might actually be made. They started this whole mess. Let's see a little action on their part. And, while we are pointing fingers, let's see the high and mighty ASO equally apply their refusal to allow suspected riders from taking part in their rces. I like to watch Valverde race but if ASO is going to keep Basso from racing they better keep the suspected Valverde from racing as well.
"I'm not going to give up, I'm going to carry on. I'm strong-minded," he was quoted as saying in Thursday's edition of the Milan-based newspaper Il Giornale. "However, I feel really frustrated. If these latest events had emerged in December or January, everything would have been clarified and closed now, for good or bad. "Instead, new documents have suddenly arrived two weeks before the start of the race (the Giro d'Italia). First they let me train like a donkey and then say 'Sorry, please stop and explain'. That's a time-bomb form of justice."
Basso was suspended by his Discovery Channel team on Tuesday after the reopening of the investigation into his implication in Operacion Puerto, a Spanish police probe into blood doping by a group of doctors in Madrid.
Basso, who has been summoned to appear before investigators in Rome next month, also said he would accept a DNA test. "I'll be there on May 2 to understand what new things I'm facing. My DNA? I've already given my permission to everybody, my team and even to the anti-doping investigators," Basso told Il Giornale.
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Ivan is absolutely correct that these stories have an all to familiar pattern of popping just before a big Tour. Amen, brother. On the other hand, if he was so confident of your innocence, he could have ended this whole situation during the winter, or last fall or even just after this story broke last July. Instead, it was a constant list of explanations and excuses but never a willingness to give a DNA sample for comparison. You're putting up a good front right now but my hunch is that you have raced your last race.
I'm happy to see the Italians also going after Scarponi and possibly other Italians implicated in the case. Now, if only the Spanish would get off their burros and seriously investigate the Spanish riders implicated in Puerto some progress might actually be made. They started this whole mess. Let's see a little action on their part. And, while we are pointing fingers, let's see the high and mighty ASO equally apply their refusal to allow suspected riders from taking part in their rces. I like to watch Valverde race but if ASO is going to keep Basso from racing they better keep the suspected Valverde from racing as well.
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