COMMENT: IS VALVERDE'S WIN A GOOD THING FOR THE TOUR?

• Saturday, 5 July 2008
• Lionel Birnie
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So, Alejandro Valverde. Are you Valv.Piti?

No, but are you though?

The thing is, if you were German or Italian, precedent tells us that we would know, one way or the other, whether you were up to your neck in the Operacion Puerto blood bath or not.

Tonight, while Jan Ullrich and the rest watch on television, cast out by professional cycling for their sins, you bask in the glow of the most treasured garment in professional cycling.

It’s rather like holding a buttercup under the chin of an innocent child and looking for the yellow reflection. But do you deserve it, Alejandro?

It is not libellous to ask, because the speculation has swirled for two full years now. Valv.Piti. The code name was not invented but can the link be mere coincidence?

If there are past misdemeanours, time may well catch up with you. Someone may know something. Twelve months ago we saw what happened to Michael Rasmussen when the pieces of the jigsaw slowly fell into place and his deceitful actions made his position as the yellow jersey holder untenable.

If you were justly implicated, then there is every chance you have since cleaned up your act. Certainly the pre-Tour testing has been more rigorous than ever before. The UCI has conducted targeted testing, designed to focus on high-risk cases.

We can only assume, Alejandro, that if you were deemed a high risk case that you have passed every test.

Cycling is wiping the slate clean and starting afresh so let’s give the benefit of the doubt. If you did anything wrong in the past, you are very, very fortunate indeed.

But if Monsieur Prudhomme is happy with the recipient of the first yellow jersey of the 2008 Tour de France, then we must all be.