The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has backed down on its icy relations with the UCI to support the cycling body in its demand to exclude Spaniard Alejandro Valverde from the World Championships in Stuttgart next week. WADA's legal director, Olivier Niggli supported the UCI's investigation of Valverde, saying that the 6,000 page Operación Puerto dossier has enough evidence to warrant the doping investigation.
Valverde, who is a strong candidate to win the World Championships after finishing third last year, maintains his innocence in the doping affair, and has the support of the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) which maintains that the dossier has no new evidence against the Spaniard. Valverde has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which will hear his case this coming Wednesday.
