The Amaury Sports Organization (ASO), organizers of the two remaining Ardennes Classics Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne, have said that they will not attempt to prevent Alejandro Valverde from taking the start in their events this week.
“A process is underway and we should respect it,” Christian Prudhomme told Le Parisien on behalf of the ASO.
Last month CAS denied Valverde's appeal against his two-year racing ban imposed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) which prevents him from racing in Italy. CONI says they have matched the Spaniard's DNA to a blood sample from the Operacion Puerto scandal that revolves around Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.
Now the Spaniard is awaiting a decision on whether the Italian ban will be enforced globally in an appeal that was brought forth by the International Cycling Union (UCI). If CAS judges in favor of the UCI, it would end his 2010 season and could see him out of the sport until 2012 if a full two-year ban is enforced.
“Yes, it has been long time and we would like to see things move faster. It has been five years since the [Operacion] Puerto affair poisoned cycling," admitted Prudhomme.
Valverde missed this past weekend's Amstel Gold Race due to flight travel restrictions caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in southern Iceland. He will be in with a chance for victory in both Classics having won both in the past. The Spaniard triumphed in Flèche Wallonne in 2006 and was the runner-up the following year, and has also taken victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2006 and 2008, finishing in second place in 2007.