ROME, Italy (Reuters) – Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde, the world’s top-ranked rider last year, is poised to miss July’s Tour de France after he was banned from racing in Italy for two years by an Italian anti-doping tribunal yesterday.

The 16th stage of the Tour passes through Italy on July 21.

Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI) said blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control when last year’s Tour entered Italy for a stage matched DNA from code-named bags of blood discovered in Spain’s Operacion Puerto investigation, launched in 2006.

Valverde said an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had already been launched.

“This afternoon already, an appeal was lodged against the decision taken by the CONI before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) so that the many and very serious irregularities which have occurred during the procedure initiated by the CONI are recognised,” he said in a statement.

CONI officials told reporters they hoped the International Cycling Union (UCI) would extend the ban worldwide.

“We are waiting for the full reasoning of CONI then we will study it,” UCI president Pat McQuaid told Reuters. “Then we will pronounce on the matter.”

Valverde, 29, competed in the 2007 world championships despite the UCI trying to block his participation because he had been linked to Puerto.

The UCI sent a representative to the Rome hearing along with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Valverde, who was not present, and his lawyers have said CONI has no right to rule on a Spanish rider.

TEAM OUTRAGED
His Caisse d’Epargne team were outraged by CONI’s decision and said they would back his appeal.

“The resolution of CONI is unjust,” a statement said.

“Knowing that this decision can determine the fact that our rider cannot participate in the next Tour de France, considering that its course will go through Italian territory, we let it be known that if Alejandro Valverde’s recourse succeeds, (we) will take action for compensation.”

Tour organisers had no comment.

Legal wrangling over whether CONI could rule on Valverde has been going on for months, with the Spanish authorities closing and reopening probes but never bringing charges against him.

“The guilt of Valverde has never been contested up to now, the only discussion was at the procedural level,” Marco Arpino, director of CONI’s anti-doping department, said.

Valverde was not competing in the Giro d’Italia, which started on Saturday.

Giro favourite Ivan Basso returned to cycling in October after a two-year ban for his involvement in Puerto.

Basso, one of several Italian cyclists to have been punished by CONI for doping in recent years, said he never actually doped.