Career
He is well known as a good climber due to his rides on mountain stages in the Giro d"Italia. On May 4, 2010, Valjavec"s name was released as being one of several riders under investigation by the UCI for "irregular blood values". He was provisionally suspended by Ag2r-Louisiana Mondiale and pulled from their squad for the impending Giro d"Italia.
Team manager Vincent Lavenu stated that should the Slovenian cycling federation sanction him, he would be fired.
Valjavec has proclaimed his innocence and claimed an unreported illness is responsible for the values. On July 30, the Slovenian federation officially cleared Valjavec, criticizing the usage of the biological passport in this case stating that it failed to take into account the possible natural reasons for Valjavec"s irregular levels.
The UCI will likely appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On April 22, 2011 The Court of Arbitration for Sport set aside the decision to exonerate the athlete from any doping offense and imposed a two-year ban on him starting on 20 January 2011, as well as the disqualification of all his results obtained between 19 April and 30 September 2009.