Spanish Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was convicted of giving blood transfusions to cyclists by a court in Madrid on Tuesday (April 30) and given a one-year suspended sentence.

But the Spanish court ordered 211 blood bags to be destroyed without analysis, meaning that the identify of the sportsmen and women - who also reportedly include athletes, footballers and swimmers, as well as cyclists - will never be known.

The decision has been condemned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and, once again, casts doubt over how seriously Spain takes the problem of drugs in sport. 

"It is time to stand up for every one of those unknown victims of those bags of blood, every one of those robbed by the cheats," Cooke told BBC Sport.

The Welsh cyclist, winner of the road race at Beijing 2008, retired in January, accusing dopers of bringing about the "darkest days" of the sport.
 

Now she wants Britain's four IOC members to make it clear that they will not vote for Madrid when the election takes place in Buenos Aires on September 7, where the Spanish capital will be facing Istanbul and Tokyo.

"We now need our representatives to send the most clear message to the Spanish authorities," said Cooke.

"It is a great privilege to host an Olympic Games.

"Madrid seeks nomination for the 2020 Games.

"We have our IOC representatives, who have a vote to cast.

"They can, today, offer tangible sanction while we athletes can do little but comment.

"Sir Craig Reedie, Sir Philip Craven, Adam Pengilly (sic), make your views public and crystal clear.

"This is not an area for inaction or even for 'behind-closed-doors' persuasions.

"Please, let us not be quiet on this issue."


Sir Craig is chairman of the IOC Evaluation Commission, which has visited all three 2020 bidding cities, and is due to produce a report on July 4, although it will not be in his remit to comment on the Operation Puerto case.

Sir Philip is President of the International Paralympic Committee while Pengilly, the 2009 world skeleton silver medallist, is vice-chairman of the IOC Athletes' Commission. 

The Princess Royal is Britain's longest serving IOC representative, having been a member since 1988.

"Nothing can make good that stolen by the criminals from their innocent victims," said Cooke.

"However, by standing idly by, the authorities, both in Spain and even here in the UK, make the pain so much more unbearable."

Cooke has been supported by Paula Radcliffe, Britain's world record holder for the marathon, who claimed that the decision to destroy the blood in the Fuentes case will undermine Madrid's bid for 2020.


"The Spanish anti-doping agency is only just bringing into line its national legislation with the rest of the world to make it a criminal offence to take part in doping and to supply doping, and that was probably done to support the bid to host the Olympics in 2020," she said.

"This certainly could have supported that a whole lot more and made it look as though Spain was being tough and coming with the rest of the world on anti-doping.

"Instead, it looks like they've gone against it."

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