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Dutch cycling team Belkin have split with Spanish rider Luis Leon Sanchez amid accusations he was linked to Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in the Operation Puerto blood doping racket, the De Telegraaf daily reported yesterday. |
Spanish police believed Sanchez was a client of the doctor in 2006 while riding for the Liberty Seguros team—something the 29-year-old denies.
Sanchez has won several major titles, including the San Sebastian Classic in 2010 and 2012, the 2009 Paris-Nice, the Tour Down Under in 2005 and four stages of the Tour de France.
“His name crops up in too many files,” a Belkin spokesman was quoted as saying.
An internal investigation that got under way at the start of the year had revealed nothing, but the “confidence between the team and Sanchez has been broken”, he said.
In a bid to prevent Sanchez potentially discrediting Belkin, the team made a settlement with the rider, who leaves with two years to run on his contract.
Italian team Lampre sign China’s Xu
Italian cycling team Lampre said they have signed a preliminary agreement with Chinese rider Xu Gang.
Lampre, which has enjoyed a strong presence in Japan where former Giro d’Italia winner Damiano Cunego had many fans, believes the signing of Xu will help expand the brand’s presence in Asia.
A team statement said: “Signing Xu Gan, Lampre-Merida reaffirms its long view in scanning new cycling frontiers.”
Xu, who has been linked to Lampre for several years while racing for Continental-level (second tier) outfit Champion System, is expected to officially sign for the team after undergoing a medical check-up.
The statement added: “Xu Gang, born in 1984, has improved his cycling skills during his experience as a trainee in the Italian team.
“He obtained four national road race titles and in 2013, his highlight was the ‘most combative rider’ award he received at the end of the first stage of the Giro del Trentino.”
Currently, only two other Chinese riders, Argos-Shimano pair Ji Cheng and Xing Yan Dong, are listed on the roster of another WorldTour team.
Team Saxo-Tinkoff has one Japanese rider Takashi Miyazawa, as does Europcar, the well-known French outfit which operates from Continental level and features Yukiya Arashiro.
