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Allan Davis about Puerto: "I feel as if I was with the wrong team at the wrong time."

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21.01.2008/ UCI Vice-presindet Ray Godkin will fly to Europe tomorrow to clear Australian rider Allan Davis of his alleged involvement in the Fuentes affair. 

Allan Davis, who started at yesterdays Tour Down Under Classic will also start tomorrows stage race Tour Down Under. Davis will ride for the Australia-University of South Australia team. Davis not only gets support of UCI vice-president Ray Godkin but has also been backed by team manager and national selector Dave Sanders.

Although Davis was cleared of any involvement in the Fuentes affair by Australian Sporting Anti-Doping Authority and Cycling Australia, Davis remains without a  team after almost a decade of racing in Europe.

"I can't work it out, the Australian authorities can't work it out," Davis told Australian daily newspaper 'The Australian' yesterday.

The former Liberty Seguros rider  is affraid his career as a professional rider has come to an end: "I reckon I've still six or seven good years of racing as a professional ahead of me, possibly earning millions of dollars."

Davis is happy that his wife is standing behind him: "Thank God I've got the support of my wife, Andrea." But life is hard without a pro contract: "I need to make a living to help support my family. I've got a wife and two kids and I cannot do that without a team."

Davis was part of the Liberty Seguros team as the affair broke out and his former team manager, Manolo Saiz was busted by Spanish police in May 2006: "I feel as if I was with the wrong team at the wrong time."

Davis said he didn't do anything wrong: "Trying to explain to a six-year-old daughter why I'm at home, when I should be racing somewhere, for me has been the hardest bit. I've always done things right."

Davis wants to show himself during this weeks Tour Down Under, a race that launched his career 10 years ago.

"I've been through some really rough times ... I've been really frustrated over the last 12 months or so," Davis said.

"Winning a stage this week in South Australia will be a huge relief and give me great satisfaction, knowing I can still race competitively against the best."

Ray Godkin is not only vice-president of the UCI but also a retired forensic investigator with NSW Police. Godkin said the Davis affair had dragged on long enough.

Godkin told 'The Australian': "It is bloody disgraceful, frankly. Here is a young guy with a family being stopped from earning his livelihood and, as far as I am concerned, I'm confident he's clean."

"There is nothing really to link him with anything, yet he just can't get something to say that he's now free to negotiate a new contract with a team.

"He's had that many hearings, particularly here in this country. Australia was told by the UCI to deal with it, Australia dealt with it and he he was cleared and as far as I'm concerned, it should have been the finish of it."

"I'm meeting with UCI president Pat McQuaid in a few days' time because the situation is plain crazy," Godkin said.

Godkin thinks that although Allan Davis was cleared his career is damaged by 'Operacion Puerto': "What has also been suggested is some team managers have been scared off because his name was linked to the ongoing Spanish investigation."

Godkin concluded: "What Allan needs and at this stage has had difficulty in obtaining, is something in writing from the UCI to say Allan Davis is clean."

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