Basque team Euskaltel-Euskadi will start its own anti-doping program on January 1, 2010. The team deemed it necessary after two if its riders, Iñigo Landaluze and Mikel Astarloza, were caught doping this season.
On Monday, the respective old and new team managers, Miguel Madariaga and Igor González de Galdeano, announced the new step for a cleaner cycling.
"The project is to control, but also to help the cyclists in their daily work," González de Galdeano said to Marca. He added that despite taking 700 controls this season, evaluating the data was a different matter. "This has given us some ideas, but not the certainty how the riders were doing. So together with the team owners we decided to launch this new project."
In his new role as team manager, González de Galdeano is responsible to develop this idea. There are not many details yet, but the goal is clear. "We are looking
for a clean game within the team.
"We want to have real data from which we can analyze key moments and so we can make decisions - drastic ones if necessary," González de Galdeano said. He also indicated that the controls would be taken and analyzed by an independent lab.
It was a clear message from the team manager. "The fight against doping is our motto."
The president of the Euskaltel company, José Antonio Ardanza, is all for it, calling for a "mano dura" (hard hand) against doping. Ardanza is afraid that continuing doping cases will "deteriorate the image of the team, the patrons and the sport in general."
Samuel Sánchez praised the program. "Anything that's related to transparency, control and following the riders closely is very good."
The Olympic road race champion added that he didn't mind the additional tests. "There already is a very extensive program called ADAMS, with possible controls almost any minute of the day. But all the teams like to get their own data. Cycling is the most controlled sport and I think other sports need to copy us."