tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902357654398738817.post-45267530555754319002008-11-20T13:48:00.000-08:002008-11-20T14:36:47.201-08:002008-11-20T14:36:47.201-08:00<a href="http://www.esciclismo.com/actualidad/imagenes/transfusiones(1).jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://www.esciclismo.com/actualidad/imagenes/transfusiones(1).jpg" border="0" /></a>As reported from multiple outlets, Cristina Perez, the wife of infamous <em>Operacio Puerto</em> doctor Eufamio Fuentes, has <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPb4a9Mge6d8kmhp69yuh7UbdYog">claimed</a> that what she knows about the scandal could bring Spanish sports to its knees. Calling herself a "Pandora's Box," Perez claims that many medals won by the Spanish at the 1992 Olympics were thanks to the work of her husband. this comes as no surprise to cycling fans, who have long known that the Spanish are among the most dirty countries when it comes to doping their athletes.<br /><br />The problem with Perez's claims are that they come very late in the game. The <em>Puerto</em> dossier has been <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=3621515">closed</a> for over a year, after a spanish judge decided that the evidence was inadmissable. Spanish athletes throughout the nation must have breathed a collective sigh of relief, as the evidence against them was sufficient.<br /><br />There were certain pro cyclists that were obviously caught up in <em>Puerto</em>, including Francesco Mancebo, Alejandro Valverde, Oscar Sevilla, and Jose Gutierrez. Another high profile rider linked to the scandal was Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France champion. Contador repeatedly denied any involvement though, and was never sanctioned.<br /><br />Hearing comments like thosemade by Perez will make cycling fans crazy, as there is nothing that will be done by authorities. The <em>Puerto</em> case is closed, and it will not be re-opened. All of the riders above, as well as many additional athletes ot named here, will continue to derive a living from cycling despite the fact that they cheated in past years. All this is a shame for the sport of cycling, which is trying to clean itself up after years of doping within the sport.Euro Pelotonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480262539570524752noreply@blogger.com1