Fuentes trial

[Yorkshire Blue]

I reckon this is the biggest sporting story of the year

I'm sure the likes of Nadal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Contador will be watching with interest.

Apparently 7 professional footballers have died of heart problems in Spain in the last decade - almost twice as many as had died in the previous three decades - including Antonia Puerta (Seville) and Dani Jarque (Espanyol). This is nearly as many as died in professional cycling during the 90s.

Meanwhile other footballers have had heart problems Miguel Garcia had to be resuscitated in a live TV game, whilst Real Madrid's Rueben de la Red retired after collapsing on the pitch and his former Spanish u21 colleague Sergio Sanchez also announced his early retirement with a heart issue. It seems strange how so many of those with players near the top of their profession are suffering with health defects - perhaps it's been overshadowed by Spain enjoying an unprecedented (for them) period of dominance in international football?

But this prosecution conveniently only relates to cycling so that's ok.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Aye. You don't collect 200 bags of blood from cyclists alone...

It seems tennis is bearing the brunt of suspicion at the moment, probably predictably given the current lofty state of the sport and Djokovic's seemingly imperious physical state. Looking at him after he'd beaten Murray yesterday and it looked as if he could've played the game again, whereas Murray looked a complete wreck of a human being. Whether it's unfair assumption or not remains to be seen, but you have to wonder whether or not there's enough blood testing be done in other sports to spot the symptoms of blood doping regimes.

It might be difficult to implement in football, though. From what I gathered from the USADA report, there's a period of downtime after you've given the blood for later transfusion that you shouldn't really train, so I wonder if football clubs would be willing to place their key assets at risk for an advantage that, in comparison to talent and the fitness of other footballers, would be marginal. Nothing stopping them harvesting blood during the summer I guess.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'm pretty sure that wasn't the only form of doping Fuentes was facilitating.

I'm trying to think of the last player who failed a drugs test in English football. That I can't isn't a good sign for transparency in the English game.

About time tennis was looked at.

 

[Pubey]

What was it that Nadal missed the Aus Open from, a stomach bug, 2 weeks before?:nope:

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'm pretty sure that wasn't the only form of doping Fuentes was facilitating.

I'm trying to think of the last player who failed a drugs test in English football. That I can't isn't a good sign for transparency in the English game.

About time tennis was looked at.

The Panorama on doping some time last year was fairly naff, but revealed that most (if not all) failed drugs tests in English football were basically recreational and names are often kept confidential. Was Garry O'Connor the last to publicly fail a drugs test for cocaine? I can't think of anybody else since him.

What was it that Nadal missed the Aus Open from, a stomach bug, 2 weeks before?:nope:

Nadal's got form for dropping out of competitions at the drop of a hat, citing injuries that he's seemingly picked up getting out of bed. Daniel Coyle, who ghostwrote the Tyler Hamilton book, is being particularly cryptic today - https://twitter.com/DanielCoyle/status/295876881645985793

 

[EastStandBlue]

And, as if by magic - http://blogs.channel4.com/keme-nzer...rial-could-spanish-football-be-implicated/520

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

If the allegations are true, any such programme would, it is argued, have needed the say so of senior politicians.

Not sure about that, but it is worth remembering that Armstrong was brought to justice on the back of a US government investigation (even though they didn't press charges they handed the evidence collected to the doping authorities).

 

[Uncle Leo]

What was it that Nadal missed the Aus Open from, a stomach bug, 2 weeks before?:nope:

There have been rumours circling around Nadal ever since he broke through. Some have suggested that he wore those long 'pirata' shorts to cover up the fact his legs look like pin cushions. Mebbes aye, mebbes no.

But as YB says, this has the potential to be a huge story.

 

[Napster]

Jamie Stuart got done for drugs in 1998

:hilarious

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-fa-extends-drugs-ban-on-stuart-1140192.html

 

[EastStandBlue]

Fuentes has allegedly told the court that he can provide all the names which match the codenames of the blood bags. Should be interesting...

 

[EastStandBlue]

...Only it won't be because, as reported by Sid Lowe, the judge has told him not to. Madness.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Without wanting to turn this into the go-to doping thread, this is a great read from Bill Simmons on being able to talk about doping in sport - http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question

Some particularly good points in there, especially about dropping out of Olympic competition because the testing regimes are more rigorous - Hello, Rafa - and a few other investigations, very similar to the Fuentes one, currently underway in the US.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Couple of fresh revelations, shamelessly ripped from @Giggs_Boson...

Spanish Civil Guards wanted to continue to investigate into the football aspect of the case, but were warned off by Judge Serrano, who's also told Fuentes not to name individuals linked to the seized blood bags.

Seized documents have the abbreviation 'RSOC' (Real Sociedad) marked next to the abbreviation 'IG', which is supposed to relate to a growth hormone. That 'IG' has popped up before, with Le Monde saying it appeared on an alleged doping plan for Real and Barca players.

Badiola (Sociedad chief who took over in 2008) has claimed that his predecessor who presided over the team's doping, Astiazaran, was given his LFP role to shield him from recriminations, as those revelations would be hugely damning for the entire league.

Fuentes admitted that roughly 40% of his clients were tennis players and footballers, but UCI is the only organisation to take action.

France Football Association employee Jean-Pierre Paclet claimed that blood tests taken from French players at the 1998 World Cup showed high levels of red blood cells and anomalies, which would indicate blood doping. German police suspected that Fuentes was doping footballers ahead of the 2006 World Cup, but didn't have enough evidence to act.

Le Monde contacted FIFA, stating they had evidence that Fuentes was doping Real and Barca players. Blatter took five months to respond.

 

[Pubey]

Without wanting to turn this into the go-to doping thread, this is a great read from Bill Simmons on being able to talk about doping in sport - http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question

Some particularly good points in there, especially about dropping out of Olympic competition because the testing regimes are more rigorous - Hello, Rafa - and a few other investigations, very similar to the Fuentes one, currently underway in the US.

Wow that's a fantastic article.:thumbsup:

 

[C C Csiders]

And now suspicions rise about Australian sport and drugs. Shane Warne and Botox is one for a start.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Wow that's a fantastic article.:thumbsup:

@grantland is well worth following on Twitter. So much good writing on that site; not just sports, but lots of popular culture stuff too. Once GOT restarts, I'm hoping they'll resurrect their episode-by-episode blog.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Fuentes given a €4,500 fine. Avoids prison, and can continue practicing.

Perhaps more importantly though, the judge has ordered the blood bags and computers to be destroyed, so WADA won't receive them. Absolute whitewash.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Fuentes given a €4,500 fine. Avoids prison, and can continue practicing.

Perhaps more importantly though, the judge has ordered the blood bags and computers to be destroyed, so WADA won't receive them. Absolute whitewash.

Gallons of Nadal's doped-up blood waiting to be analysed and now off to the bin. Shocking.

 

[BrettieAngell]

that is absolutely scandalous!

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'm not at all surprised to be honest. If just one of the blood bags was proven to belong to a member of the Spanish national team, then it instantly calls FIFA and UEFA into action. Could you imagine the furore if Spain had their titles rescinded?