‘My conscience is clear’, Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde marked a successful return to professional cycling after serving a two-year ban from racing.
The cyclist was linked with DNA evidence to a blood-doping affair in 2006, involving Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and several others.
The documentary was termed as Operacion Puerto as it reveals several bags of blood, doping products and secret names linking some of the top athletes in the sport with as many as 60 cyclists relying heavily on blood transfusions.
Valverde was suspended by the Italian National Olympic Committee in May 2009 for a period of two years, excluding him from riding the Tour de France 2009.
He launched an appeal against the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport but was unsuccessful as on May 31st, 2010 CAS banned the cyclist for a period of two years starting from January 1st, 2010.
He was also disqualified from all the previous results dated May 31st, 2010 and was not allowed to ride at the top level of the sport for a total period of two years.
The 32-year-old successfully returned to professional cycling in 2012 with Team Movistar and helped the team with several top performances in the season.
Valverde claimed the second stage, the point’s classifications, the combination classifications and an overall victory at the Vuelta a Andalucia 2012.
He bagged stages at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana and occupied the second overall position at the Vuelta a Espana 2012.
“If I’m honest, I think I was expecting less. I began very well, I had a little drop-off in form at the end of March and into April, and then I started the Tour very well, apart from the falls I had,” he told Marca.
The cyclist has never admitted doping and when asked in a recent interview he briefed, “My conscience is clear. I won and I have kept on winning”.
“Each person can think what they want. The best response to that can be given on the road and I keep doing that.”
“I keep defending myself by saying I am innocent. I am adamant about that,” he concluded.
Only time will tell, how the Spaniard approaches the new season as he is positive to continue his peak form in the season ahead.
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