Alejandro Valverde "took the same stuff that they gave me," said his former Kelme teammate Jesus Manzano. He gave a concrete example in an interview with the German magazine Stern, saying "I remember an evening after one of the Vuelta stages in 2002. Valverde came to dinner with a testosterone plaster on. After an hour he ripped it off, otherwise he would have been tested positive."
Valverde has consistently denied all doping charges.
He blasted T-Mobile Sport Director Rolf Aldag's statement that doping was a personal thing and that teammates didn't know what each other was doing. "That is a big lie. He is stlll living from cycling. Sure, he is Sport Director, he has to ensure his income. If Aldag really told everything, then he would stand there alone against thousands of cyclists. He is aware of that. So he just talks about it being a private affair."
He added, "Doping is not just the private affair of a few people. It is a cancer that is growing. And everybody knows that."
Manzano also said that Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes was still in business, "but not in the big way like before. He has exchanged quantity for quality: "If he had 200 patients before, he now has maybe 20. Just the top ones."
He concluded, "It's this way in the cycling world: When you have started, you stay with it and just change your doctor. The riders who still speak to me say: Everything has stayed the same, but we are more careful now."
Cyclingnews' recent coverage of 'Operación Puerto'
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April 2, 2009 - Valverde indignant over possible suspension April 1, 2009 - Valverde: Italy requests two-year suspension March 13, 2009 - Le Monde newspaper hit with fine over Puerto allegations March 2, 2009 - WADA president Fahey asks for Puerto evidence February 24, 2009 - Spanish federation seeks access to Puerto blood bags February 20, 2009 - CONI considers Valverde case while UCI awaits verdict February 19, 2009 - Valverde under criminal investigation February 11, 2009 - Valverde summonsed for Operación Puerto in Italy February 8, 2009 - Eight charged in Operación Puerto
