sniper said:i don't think it's a minor factor, but that's just my skepsis hindering my sight probably.
anyway, hiring ex-real madrid phlebotomists is also just one minor factor.
and what about blanco going there in prep for races in france and italy. why not going to france or italy.
mollema had never ridden the mont ventoux prior to this years tour, which by most cycling commentators was seen as a very odd fact.
luckily, though, he had ridden some hills in girona. great thinking by blanco.
as i said, somehow everybody ends up in spain.
But with the high proportion of Colombian emigration being to Spain (by a factor of 15 the largest European home of Colombian expatriates), for Colombians settling in Spain is less of an obvious indicator than it is for European riders from places where they would have plenty of opportunity to do the same training close to home.
Hiring ex-Real Madrid medical staff is a much bigger indicator for me, than the fact that some Colombians settled in the only country in Europe that speaks the same native language as them and that has by far the largest number of their compatriots. Now, if a bunch of prospective cyclists from countries with no obvious ties to Spain, such as Brazil, Haiti, Australia or China, all start relocating to Spain, maybe it would be a more obvious indicator. But for a Colombian looking to participate in a sport which is based in Europe, Spain is by FAR the most obvious place to settle, regardless of intentions toward doping.