Bettini: Heras case "strange from the start"

Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) scored his first 2006 win in Mallorca

Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) scored his first 2006 win in Mallorca (Image credit: AFP)

Olympic champion Paolo Bettini does not trust the outcome of the anti-doping test which stripped Spaniard Roberto Heras of his fourth Vuelta a España victory. Interviewed by Spanish Marca, the Quick.Step rider explained he was incredulous with regard to the case. "When news like this one is announced, you never believe it," the Italian said. "It was a strange case since the start: the mess with the counter-analysis, the resources... Moreover, the surprise was even bigger because of Heras' situation - he had his fourth Vuelta win in his hand; he had passed many controls during the race and the only one which was positive was the one on the penultimate day. Not the ones on the days before. With cases like this, you don't know what to think, or what's behind it."