March 11, 2007 – Spain’s ongoing Operacion Puerto investigation into alleged doping practices by some 50 professional cyclists will likely be dropped according to Reuters. Judge Antonio Serrano is expected to make this announcement tomorrow.

Leaked accounts of Serrano’s judgment have surfaced in several Spanish newspapers, including El Mundo. Essentially his conclusion is that the evidence is too flimsy to prosecute. Although Spain has since enacted tough, new anti-doping legislation, the 2006 Puerto case would be tried under former, much weaker laws where a danger to public health must be established.

A Madrid clinic operated by Dr Eufemiano Fuentes allegedly served as a “treatment centre” for many professional athletes, including cyclists. Spanish police have seized blood transfusion equipment, anabolic steroids, and over 100 bags of frozen blood. Erythropoietin (EPO) has also been found in some of the frozen blood samples.

Serrano noted that the danger to public health was minimized by the fact that it was the athlete’s own blood that they would be transfused with. Medications used at the clinic had not reached their expiration date and were being administered under medical control.

The prosecutor, the Spanish Cycling Federation and former cyclist Jesus Manzano are all in a position to appeal this expected decision. Manzano claims that doping was common when he rode for the Kelme team where Fuentes was the team doctor. Manzano first brought Fuentes to the attention of Spanish authorities in 2004.

Both Fuentes and Manzano also stated that soccer players were patients at the clinic, but only cyclists have been named in the scandal. Fuentes has also mentioned that tennis players were among his patients, but none have been publicly named.