ONCE team boss expelled from Tour of Spain for abuse
By Alasdair Fotheringham
COLLADO VILLALBA, Spain, Sept 26 (Reuters) - ONCE-Eroski team manager Manolo Saiz, whose rider
Isidro Nozal leads the Tour of Spain with two stages to go, was expelled from the race on Friday
after abusing a television cameraman.
Saiz became involved in a heated discussion with a motorcycle cameraman from Spanish state
television during the 19th stage, as Roberto Heras launched an attack against Nozal.
After passing the peloton and blocking the cameraman in against the race barriers, Saiz insulted
him live on television.
In a news conference, UCI official Jean-Michel Voets said that Saiz had damaged the image of cycling
with his behaviour.
"They are particularly serious offences," Voets said. "Everybody saw and above all heard
the threats."
Saiz was handed two fines of 400 Swiss francs ($297.4), one for the insult and the other for
overtaking the peloton when not allowed.
Far more seriously, the ONCE boss was told he could have no further involvement in this
year´s race.
The Tour will effectively be decided on Saturday, when Nozal will defend his lead of one minute 55
seconds over Heras on a mountain time trial over 11.2 kilometres.
"Saez can keep his accreditation as a souvenir or applaud from the mountain side tomorrow but, from
the moment the race starts to the moment it finishes, he has no place inside the Tour of Spain,"
Tour sporting director Victor Cordero said.