Spanish Championships - CN
Móstoles, Spain, June 23-25, 2006
Day 3 - June 25: Elite men road race, 221.8 km
Spanish championships not ridden after rider protest
By Antonio J. Salmerón
No more than 500 metres were ridden by the Spanish professionals in their
national road championships in Móstoles, near Madrid. The majority of the
riders decided to stop in protest after El Pais published some confidential
information regarding Operacion Puerto, which implicated 58 cyclists in the
biggest doping affair ever to hit Spanish sport. Among those implicated were
several riders from the Astaná-Würth team, as well as its former manager
Manolo Sáiz, and also the ex-director of the Comunidad Valenciana team,
Ignacio Labarta,
"The decision was unanimous, because we are not prepared to undergo this
orchestrated harassment," said one cyclist. The riders held a meeting before
the race, and voted to stop. They were supported by the president of the
Association of Professional Cyclists, José Rodríguez, although the Spanish
Federation, which also took part in the meeting, did not support it.
The Spanish Federation issued a press statement offering its "excuses to the
cities of Móstoles, Arroyomolinos and Moraleja de Enmedio, as well as the
organizers of the championships...RFEC and its championships have been the
victims of the decision taken by the riders to strike, which we did not
share. In any case, the Spanish federation will continue to bend over
backwards, as it always has done, in defense of the rights of the cyclists."
Given that no race was ridden, Juan Manuel Garate (Quick.Step) will keep the
Spanish champion's jersey.
A full report on the latest developments in Operacion Puerto will follow in
news.
Results
No race due to rider protest.
Juan Manuel Garate (Quick.Step) remains Spanish champion