Madrid, Spain - One regional court in Madrid has decided to reopen Operation Puerto, Spain’s largest judicial probe launched into investigating doping in the sports of cycling, according to reports over the weekend.

In May of 2006, police who raided several locations in Madrid and Zaragoza found hormone medications, steroids, EPO - a drug that enhances endurance, and approximately 100 bags of frozen blood. All of the equipment and paraphernalia found in these sports-related places are utilized in blood doping.

After the incident, several names from the Spanish sporting elite came up and they were all duly arrested: Dr. Eufemanio Fuentes, then Liberty Seguros Director Manuel Saiz, and Comunidad Valencia’s Ignacio Labarta. Aside from these persons, nine cyclists were thrown out from Tour de France, and with them are Ivan Basso – the 2006 Giro d’Italia champ, and Jan Ullrich – the 1997 Tour de France winner. Following that, the 2007 Tour champ Alberto Contador was linked to the case and had to appear before a Madrid Court. Other cyclists in the list of athletes linked to this case were Michele Scarponi, Giampaolo Caruso, and Joerg Jaksche.

Although the list of Dr. Fuentes’ clients did include other sports figures, only the cyclists seem to have been dragged into the controversy, some even facing sanctions in their respective countries. Scarponi was slapped with an 18-month suspension, while Basso had it worse; he was punished with a 2-year ban from professional competition.

However, the case was dismissed in March of 2007 as Judge Antonio Serrano decided no laws were broken at the time, and that the levels of EPO found in the athletes’ bloodstreams were still in the low levels. Yet, in February of last year, Judge Serrano reopened the doping case to further inquiries; following amendments in Spanish drug laws. The judge was also pressured by Spain’s sports ministry to reopen the case to seek resolution on whether any laws on handling blood and blood products were violated in the blood doping scandal.

The case peaked around November of the same year when former athlete Cristina Perez, also Dr. Fuentes’ wife, revealed that what she says can and will ruin Spanish sports. She admitted to knowing about Spain’s prized athletes that have been using drugs to boost their performance in competitions.

Perez even disclosed that the overwhelming performance Spain’s athletes made in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics could be partly attributed to her husband’s assistance in making enhancement drugs available to the players. It can be remembered that Ms. Perez also participated in the said Olympics in the 1600m relay team competition.

The case then has been shelved twice, once in March of 2007 and then in September of the following year. After the closure in September however, Madrid’s public prosecutor immediately filed an appeal to ensure that the case gets a review.

True enough, Operation Puerto has now, for the second time, been unlocked. Madrid’s district attorney says that Dr. Fuentes’ and the others encouragement, assistance, and condoning of steroid use and blood doping in the athletes could have put these people’s health, and even lives at risk.

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