January 10, 2007 – Spanish cyclist, Alejandro Valverde (Baléares-Caisse d’Epargne), until now unsuspected in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal centering around Dr Fuentes, is apparently named in some of Fuentes’ documents, according to the Madrid daily, ABC. Valverde, 26, who is nicknamed “The Invincible,” finished second overall at the 2006 Vuelta, and third at the 2006 World Championships. Some consider Valverde to be Spain’s most promising cyclist.

According to ABC, some of the documents belonging to Fuentes refer to a cyclist designated “Valv” with a reference to the codename “Piti,” the name of Valverde’s dog. Ivan Basso, also suspected in Operacion Puerto, was apparently referred to in Fuentes’ documents as “Birillo,” the name of Basso’s dog.

Valverde used to ride with the defunct Kelme team while Fuentes was the team doctor there.

Meanwhile, another Spanish daily newspaper, El Pais, claimed that Valverde might join the German-based T-Mobile team, ostensibly to replace Jan Ullrich, who was dropped by that team because of his alleged doping use. But this rumour has been denied by T-Mobile.