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Valverde banned for two years

Lausanne - Cycling and anti-doping authorities have secured a two-year, worldwide ban for Alejandro Valverde after a pursuit lasting four years, though the Spanish rider plans to appeal the verdict.

The chase ended on Monday when a request by the International Cycling Union and World Anti-Doping Agency to have Valverde sanctioned for doping using evidence seized by Spanish police in the 2006 probe known as Operation Puerto was upheld by sport's highest court.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered the 30-year-old Spaniard to be banned retroactively from January 1, 2010 until the 2012 season starts, but allowed him to keep his 2009 Spanish Vuelta victory.

UCI president Pat McQuaid said the governing body "had known all along" that Valverde was involved in the Puerto case, which implicated around 40 riders in a blood-doping ring.

"The message for cyclists is that at any time if you get involved in a doping program, at any time it could come back and haunt you," McQuaid said in a telephone interview.

WADA president John Fahey said he was "pleased" the case was resolved in its favor.

"This decision confirms that the scientific and forensic evidence gathered by anti-doping organizations, including information from law enforcement, shows that the athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation," Fahey said in a statement.

However, Valverde and his advisors later issued a statement saying they would contest the verdict.

"We consider that sanction totally unjust and illegal and for that reason we communicate that we will appeal that sanction in front of the Federal Supreme Court (Tribunal) of Switzerland, which decisions can be appealed in front of the European Court of Human Rights," the statement said.

He already has challenged an earlier Italian ban at the federal court, which can examine Swiss cases for possible abuse of legal process. Federal judges have overturned only two CAS rulings in the Lausanne-based sports court's 26-year history.

CAS said its panel of three arbitrators decided by a 2-1 majority that Valverde broke anti-doping rules four years ago.

But the court refused a UCI and WADA request to annul Valverde's results from recent seasons, including his Spanish Vuelta win last year and the past two editions of the Dauphine Libere.

However, Valverde will be disqualified from all events this season and asked to reimburse his prize money, the UCI said. Those results include victory in the Tour de Romandie and second place in the Paris-Nice stage race.

"The CAS considered there was no evidence that any of the results obtained by Valverde prior to January 1, 2010 was through doping infraction," the court said.

Valverde never tested positive for a banned drug, but was linked to the doping ring by DNA evidence seized by police in raids on the Madrid clinic of doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

Italian authorities already used that evidence to ban Valverde riding there until May 2011 - a suspension that was upheld by another CAS ruling that Valverde lost in March.

Valverde had argued that Spanish law protected him from anti-doping authorities using evidence gathered in the Puerto probe to sanction him.

But CAS said its panel decided, also by 2-1 majority, that it could use the evidence - blood bags containing the banned blood-booster EPO, and DNA samples - to make its ruling.

CAS said the DNA evidence "clearly demonstrated that blood bag No 18 contained Mr Valverde's blood."

The verdict came hours after Valverde retained his top spot in the UCI's world rankings. The UCI said it would immediately modify the rankings, placing Australia's Cadel Evans at No 1.

Valverde becomes the first top Spanish rider to be punished using Operation Puerto evidence, which drove Germany's Jan Ullrich - the 1997 Tour de France winner and 2000 Olympic gold medalist - into retirement and saw Italy's Ivan Basso serve a two-year ban.

On Sunday, Basso completed his return to the highest level by winning his second Giro d'Italia. The first was clinched in May 2006 just days after the original Puerto raids.

Spanish authorities have long frustrated the UCI by refusing to investigate riders, arguing that national laws left them powerless. Valverde was therefore able to win a CAS ruling when the UCI tried to bar him from the road World Championships in 2007.

The UCI and WADA combined forces to challenge Valverde and the Spanish cycling federation at CAS in March. The four-day case was unusual because the panel - which typically hears appeals of a lower court's decision -was the first body to study the evidence.

Italy's Olympic committee imposed a two-year suspension in May 2009 which prevented him competing on its roads. It matched Valverde's DNA from a Puerto blood bag containing EPO to his blood sample taken during the 2008 Tour when riders had a rest day in Italy.

"This is a victory for ethics and fairness," Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Petrucci said in a statement. "It may have taken a while, but justice always prevails in the end."

The ban stopped the Caisse d'Epargne team selecting Valverde for last year's Tour which briefly entered Italy during one stage.

Despite the allegations and legal battles, Valverde reeled off victories in stage races and one-day classics. He also has three career stage wins at the Tour de France, and wore the race leader's yellow jersey for two days in 2008.

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