Italian prosecutor Benedetto Roberti confirmed today that he met with US prosecutors regarding their Lance Armstrong doping investigation.
"We need to exchange information, because this phenomenon can't be beaten alone. Everyone needs to contribute. This battle can't be won in the media," Roberti told the Associated Press.
"Italy is one of the few countries doing anything. In Spain, look at [Alberto] Contador and how the sports authorities are defending him. France and Germany are also doing their part, and now the United States, too."
He revealed that the investigation had an additional element, namely the cross-border transportation of doping products. He said that in addition to discussing the Armstrong/US Postal Service investigation, the meeting in Lyon was mostly "an exchange of information regarding the international traffic of banned substances.”
Roberti ordered the raid of Yaroslav Popovych's home last Thursday, November 11, in Tuscany. Police agents seized Popovych's computer and mobile telephones. The raid is part of an investigation in Padova and also key to an investigation centred on Popovych's American team-mate, Armstrong.
The Ukrainian cyclist has lived in Italy for much of his professional career, which includes racing with Armstrong's Discovery Channel team in 2005, Astana last year and with team RadioShack this year. US federal investigators subpoenaed Popovych on October 22 when he was in Austin, Texas, for Armstrong's Livestrong Challenge Austin ride. He testified the following week, November 3, in front of a grand jury in Los Angeles.
The US investigation gained momentum in April after Armstrong's former team-mate Floyd Landis sent a detailed e-mail explaining the alleged doping practices of Armstrong. Armstrong won seven Tour de France titles, three with the help of while racing with Floyd Landis.
Federal investigator Jeff Novitzky heads US investigation and this week visited Lyon, France, at international police headquarters, Interpol. He, prosecutor Doug Miller and US Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart met with Italy's Roberti and representatives from French anti-doping agency (AFLD) and Spain's Guardia Civil.
Roberti said that American investigators first contacted him earlier this year.
"We realised that we have reciprocal interest in this fight," said Roberti, "and hopefully time will confirm that."
The Associated Press reported that no further meetings are scheduled.
The Italian said that he believed four year bans should be introduced, echoing intentions expressed recently by WADA and UCI President Pat McQuaid. He also insisted that organisers had an important part to play by reducing the workload on riders.
“The races are too tough. They need to reduce the kilometers," Roberti added. "It's impossible to think that they can complete these races as they are without using banned substances. If they reduce the lengths, I know people will say they'll still dope, but at least they would have less reason to.”
He said that riders he had questioned in connection to doping said that those who rode clean had a power output 40 percent lower than those who take banned substances.