The UCI called on the World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday to intervene in a dispute with Spanish authorities over the probe into the Operacion Puerto doping scandal.

A Spanish judge told the UCI on October 3 that documents from the investigation could not be used for disciplinary action by sporting authorities until he concludes his work.

"The UCI believes that WADA, which has often invoked its prominent position in relations between political authorities and sports bodies, must now assume its responsibilities," the federation said in a statement. The UCI said it was counting on the anti-doping agency's support to pursue disciplinary action against individuals named in the affair.

Spanish police said they had uncovered a major doping network run by Madrid-based sports doctor Eufemio Fuentes at the end of May, allegedly implicating a host of top names in the sport, including former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich and Italy's Ivan Basso, as well as team managers.

Some national sports federations have launched disciplinary probes into doping offences by some cyclists named by Spanish authorities but they have been hampered by a lack of concrete evidence.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) dropped charges against Basso earlier this month based on the evidence in its hands. The Tour of Italy winner has denied he had anything to do with the doping network.

Ullrich, who has also denied doping and any link to the Spanish investigation, was fired by his T-Mobile team and barred from this year's Tour de France.

The Switzerland-based German rider split with the Swiss cycling federation last week.

In August, the Swiss federation decided in principle to launch a disciplinary procedure against Ullrich.

However, federation chief Lorenz Schlaefli warned then that documents received from the UCI were not up to scratch legally and the procedure could face immense legal problems. Ullrich's home has also been searched by Swiss police.

UCI chief Pat McQuaid and his counterpart at WADA, Dick Pound, have often clashed over anti-doping measures.

The UCI had been handing out documents it received from Spain to national federations.