Basso admits involvement in doping scandal

MILAN, May 7 (Reuters) Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso has admitted being involved in the Operation Puerto doping scandal, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said today.

''The office of the anti-doping power of attorney has listened today to Ivan Basso ... and he has widely admitted his own responsibilities relative to Operation Puerto and has supplied the maximum collaboration in order to clear up the relative facts of his involvement,'' a statement on CONI's website (www.coni.it) said.

CONI said Basso had made an impromptu appearance to the authorities today to explain his position. He had appeared before a CONI doping hearing last Wednesday which was adjourned with no new date fixed.

The Italian rider has been accused of violating article 2.2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code concerning ''use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method''.

Basso was forced to miss last year's Tour de France as one of over 50 professional riders implicated in the Spanish investigation.

Operation Puerto was launched after police raids in Madrid and Zaragoza found large quantities of anabolic steroids, blood transfusion equipment and more than 200 bags of blood.

The 29-year-old, who was released by the Discovery Channel team last week at his request, has previously stated he was a victim in the investigation and maintained his innocence.

If he is found guilty of any doping offences he could face a a two-year ban, further undermining the troubled sport which has lurched from one doping scandal to the next.

In a recent investigation carried out in Germany, DNA tests confirmed that some of the bags of blood seized in Operation Puerto belonged to 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich, who retired from the sport in February.

The Spanish judge leading the Operation Puerto investigation closed the case in March with no charges laid.

Italian anti-doping investigators also dropped the case against Basso last October but said it be could be reopened if new evidence emerged.

REUTERS SAM RK2218