Valverde's Tour participation in the balance

By Brian Homewood

BERNE (Reuters) - Alejandro Valverde's Tour de France participation was hanging in the balance after he lost an appeal to race in Italy on Tuesday, prompting cycling's governing body to make its move to extend the sanction.

"The suspension remains in force until 10 May 2011," the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said in a statement.

Tour of Spain champion Valverde has been barred from racing in Italy since May for alleged links to the Operation Puerto anti-doping investigation.

Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI) imposed the ban, saying blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control in 2008 -- when the Tour de France entered Italy -- matched DNA from code-named bags of blood discovered in Operation Puerto, launched in 2006.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) said they would do everything in their power to prevent him from racing anywhere.

"UCI welcomes very favorably the decision by CAS which confirms its beliefs based on a thorough study of the Puerto case and of Alejandro Valverde's implication in it," it said in a statement.

"As a result, UCI expresses its determination to launch, after having examined the CAS rulings, the adequate procedures to come to a ban applicable internationally."

EXTENDED BAN