Prosecution to call on cyclists to testify

Cycling: The state prosecutor involved in the Spanish investigation into a sports doping ring has said he will urge the investigating…

Cycling: The state prosecutor involved in the Spanish investigation into a sports doping ring has said he will urge the investigating judge to call all the cyclists implicated in the case to testify before him.

"We would like all of the cyclists to appear as witnesses before the judge so that we can get as many details about the case as possible," a spokesman for the prosecutor said on Thursday.

"The cyclists are not being accused of any crime themselves, but we want them to provide witness testimony over the course of the next month or so."

Over 50 cyclists, including 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich and Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso have been linked with the investigation, which came to light when the Spanish Civil Guard raided addresses in Madrid and Zaragoza in May.

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They found large quantities of anabolic steroids, equipment used for blood transfusions and more than 100 bags of frozen blood as well as detailed training plans specifying the use of banned substances.

Doping is not a criminal offence in Spain, but the doctor at the centre of the case, Eufemiano Fuentes, has been accused of offences against public health and is expected to be brought to trial.