August 13, 2006 — Ivan Basso (CSC), the 28-year-old winner of this year’s Giro, and among those favoured to win the Tour de France before being pulled out the day before the start because of his alleged involvement in the Spanish doping scandal Operacion Puerto, will make his case before the Italian anti-doping authorities on August 29 at Rome’s Olympic stadium according to a CP report. Spanish authorities claim Basso and other top cyclists including Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) have links to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, the former team doctor for Liberty Seguros (now Astana), who is also under investigation. Both Basso and Ullrich deny taking any banned practices.