Euskaltel to impose tighter internal controls
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Jan. 7, 2010
Spanish team Euskaltel-Euskadi said it will impose surprise internal controls on its riders in an effort to secure the team’s future.
The Basque-backed outfit was rocked by doping scandals last year involving star riders Iñigo Landaluze and Mikel Astarloza, nearly prompting team sponsors to leave.
Team manager Igor González de Galdeano said each rider will be tested by an independent lab working to complement the controls imposed by the UCI and WADA.
“It’s necessary to anticipate the problems and protect the image of the sponsors,” Galdeano told El Correo. “All the riders have signed a contract that they accept these controls without any problems. The riders are conscious that cycling needs this. We are seeking full transparency so there’s not any sort of surprises.”
Galdeano said the tests will be similar to what Saxo Bank and Astana conducted during the past few seasons.
Top sponsors, including the regional government and a telephone operator, questioned whether to continue with its support of the team following the high-profile doping scandals.
Landaluze has since retired from cycling while Astarloza, who tested positive in out-of-competition test before winning a stage in the 2009 Tour de France, insists that he’s innocent. Landaluze had earlier mounted a successful defense against a testosterone positive, arguing that the UCI failed to meet its burden of proof in showing that lab errors had not contributed to his positive result.