Doctor claims patient's health came before rules

Cycling: The doctor at the centre of the Spanish doping investigation has said he is prepared to break anti-doping regulations in order to safeguard the health of his clients.

"As a doctor, my main priority is to protect the health of my patients," Eufemiano Fuentes told the Valencia daily Las Provincias yesterday. "Doping is of secondary importance. First comes health, and if the anti-doping regulations can be respected then I respect them. If not, then I don't.

"The health of a sportsman is far more important than any sporting rule. If I can't stick to the rules I close my eyes and think only about safeguarding the health of my patients."

Fuentes was held for questioning after police found large quantities of anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment used for blood transfusions and more than 100 bags of frozen blood when they raided a number of addresses in Madrid and Zaragoza in May.

Doping is not a criminal offence in Spain, but Fuentes has been accused of offences against public health and is scheduled to appear before a judge later this month.

Fuentes, who said he had received death threats trying to stop him talking about doping, has denied administering banned substances to his clients. He has made it clear he will be basing his defence on the claim that his practices do not endanger the health of his patients.

"You cannot accuse a person of one offence and then try them for another," he said. "I'm being accused of a crime against public health, but the media are conducting a parallel trial for doping."

Although the investigation has focused on cycling, Fuentes claims less than a third of his clients were cyclists.

"It is difficult to know the exact figures, but I would say that around 30 per cent are cyclists, 20 per cent tennis players, another 20 per cent footballers and the remaining 30 per cent from a variety of other sports."

The Spanish government has denied footballers and tennis players are implicated in the probe. A police report on the investigation included the names of over 50 professional cyclists.