CAS, the court of arbitration in Lausanne, Switzerland, will hear the case of Alejandro Valverde on November 16. Valverde is appealing his ban by CONI, the Italian National Olympic Committee.
Valverde already filed his objection to CAS in June of this year on the grounds that CONI does not have the jurisdiction to sanction him, according to soitu.es.
CONI suspended the Spaniard for all races in Italy in May of this year. This included foreign races visiting Italy, which is why Valverde was unable to participate in the Tour de France. Stage 16 rolled through Italy for some 90km.
CONI claims that Valverde’s blood matches that of the blood found in the office of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, the famous doctor at the heart of the Operación Puerto scandal. The bag labelled 18 was named Piti, which is the name of Valverde’s dog. CONI obtained the blood for a DNA analysis during the 2008 Tour de France, when the race also visited Italy. The 15th stage finished in Prato Nevoso and the subsequent rest day was spent in Cuneo.
CONI heard Valverde in February of this year, and despite the Spanish judge for Puerto, Antonio Serrano, declaring any decisions made by CONI in the Valverde case as null and void, the Caisse d’Epargne rider was banned to race in Italy for two years.