Basso admits doping bid

ROME – Italian cycling star Ivan Basso denied on Tuesday having ever taken banned drugs or used blood transfusions, but he did admit to having made an attempt to do so that was never concluded.

Basso’s comments at a press conference follow his admission on Monday to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) that he was involved in the Operation Puerto blood doping scandal that rocked last year’s Tour de France. “I have never taken banned substances and I have never employed blood doping,” last year’s Tour of Italy winner said in an emotional statement before a press conference he had called.”I did admit having attempted to use doping for the (2006) Tour de France and I am ready to pay the penalty for that.”All my wins have been achieved in a proper and clean manner and I have every intention of returning to action and continuing with the job I love once I have paid the penalty.”The 29-year-old Basso, one of the favourites for this year’s Tour de France, was among dozens of riders implicated in the Operation Puerto doping affair.The scandal erupted before last year’s Tour De France when Spanish police uncovered an alleged blood doping network run by doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.Police discovered bags of blood and doping products on a raid on Fuentes’s laboratory in Madrid, along with codenames of cyclists and documents which suggested the doctor had been paid to manipulate and store blood.Nampa-AFP”I have never taken banned substances and I have never employed blood doping,” last year’s Tour of Italy winner said in an emotional statement before a press conference he had called.”I did admit having attempted to use doping for the (2006) Tour de France and I am ready to pay the penalty for that.”All my wins have been achieved in a proper and clean manner and I have every intention of returning to action and continuing with the job I love once I have paid the penalty.”The 29-year-old Basso, one of the favourites for this year’s Tour de France, was among dozens of riders implicated in the Operation Puerto doping affair.The scandal erupted before last year’s Tour De France when Spanish police uncovered an alleged blood doping network run by doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.Police discovered bags of blood and doping products on a raid on Fuentes’s laboratory in Madrid, along with codenames of cyclists and documents which suggested the doctor had been paid to manipulate and store blood.Nampa-AFP