Movistar have stated “with absolute firmness” their “unwavering commitment to a clean and transparent sport” in a week in which two of its former riders were suspended over anti-doping issues.
The Spanish WorldTour team released a statement on Friday morning responding to the news, announced on Thursday, that their former rider Oier Lazkano had been suspended by the UCI over “unexplained abnormalities” in his biological passport.
The abnormalities occurred partly during the Basque rider’s time at Movistar, 2022-2024, according to the UCI; it was also when his most notable results occurred, including victory at the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior in 2024.
Also this week, Brazilian rider Vinícius Rangel Costa was given a 20-month suspension for three failures to report his whereabouts for anti-doping controls. Rangel Costa raced for Movistar between 2022-2024, last riding for the team in May 2024 at Eschborn-Frankfurt.
Movistar announced a restructuring of its management team this week, with Sebastián Unzué becoming head of sports, and a racing department headed by Chente García Acosta and Matt White.
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