Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) plans to sue the UCI for the bias caused by the publication of his missed out-of-competition control at his home in Murcia on June 23, according to L'Equipe. At the time, the Spanish rider was in Holland for the next day's Eindhoven team time trial, and had advised the UCI of the change of his racing schedule in mid-June.
Unfortunately, Valverde noted his participation in the ProTour event, where he was even subject to a regular doping test, on the Q3 form, normally used for the third trimester of the season (July, August, September), which was the cause of the confusion. The doping inspectors still relied on the Q2 form (April, May, June), which had been sent to the UCI at the end of March, and outlined the rider's whereabouts had he not been forced to abandon at the Dauphiné and amend his programme.
Still, the Spanish federation had to report the missed test to the governing body of the sport under UCI rules. Valverde, who has also been linked to Operación Puerto, feels "persecuted" and has made known his intention to engage a lawsuit.
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