Two people have been arrested and dozens of searches have been carried out in a police-led operation targeting the W52-FC Porto Continental team from Portugal.
One of those arrested is team boss Nuno Ribeiro, according to reports in Portugal. It is further stated – based on police statements – that doping products were found during some searches. Those raids were carried out at residential and business premises.
Ribeiro raced as a pro for 15 years to the end of 2014 but also had a two-year doping ban imposed for use of the blood-boosting drug CERA.
While it was already known there was a doping-related investigation underway into alleged doping by some personnel involved in the team, there has been a flurry of activity in recent days, with two arrests made and a large number of searches carried out.
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The Judicial Police (PJ) in Portugal said Operation Clean Proof was "aimed at detecting prohibited methods and illicit substances liable to tamper with the sporting truth in professional cycling events".
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"The police operation, involving a total of about 120 elements from the Northern Board of Directors and the Central and Southern Boards of Directors, the National Anti-Corruption Unit and the Criminal Investigation Departments of Braga, Vila Real and Guarda, also had the collaboration of the Anti-Doping Authority of Portugal," a police statement said.
Portugal News further quoted the police, saying: "Two arrests were made and several dozen home and non-home searches were carried out in various regions of the national territory, targeting managers, athletes and facilities of one of the teams in competition" and that "various substances and clinical instruments were seized, used in the training of athletes".
While it was reported in Portugal that evidence of doping has been found, though the team said it trusted the riders and they had assured management their tests would show nothing untoward.
The team’s manager and sponsor Adriano Quintanilha insisted the riders were innocent of any wrongdoing and had brought them all together in recent days. He added he could not comment on reports Ribeiro and another person had been arrested as the only information he had was that which he read in the media.
“They say they are clean and the blood and urine tests will be negative,” he explained of the riders on the team. “If prohibited substances are found in their homes or hotel rooms, they must be held accountable. But I trust them and that's why I wanted to bring them together.”
