The twilight zone called Portugal.

[fmk_RoI]

Before his announcement, UCI had notified Amaro Antunes for changes registered in his biological passport.

Called it!

Sometimes the most obvious explanation really is the explanation.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Called it!

Sometimes the most obvious explanation really is the explanation.

This really isn't one that taxed the crystal ball much, though.

A lot of us were very upset by the Guarda show, Amaro was one of the few that we had some hopes for and thought from his junior/espoir times had some actual talent, but when he and Balarcón went on that raid, nobody had their eyes closed anymore.

 

[F_Cance]

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1622638713485262850

official now

 

[TourOfSardinia]

official now

seems a bit vague

 

[Libertine Seguros]

seems a bit vague

It's probably just that that box is nothing like big enough to list all of W52's travelling pharmacy.

 

[PhiLiz]

No Porco fans now? Curious, I saw so much fan fare everytime the team they sponsored won something in the past years. Wonder if the official ban communications will also be in the museum right beside all the trophies...

The end of W52-Porco as a cycling team is, hopefully, only the beginning. The main "traficantes" (Nuno Gordeiro, Quinta na anilha and Hugo Veloso) are looking at some nice prison sentences (although it's far from certain they'll actually be jailed, the jail time may be suspended) and João "not good enough for WT" Rodrigues looks like he was the main supplier to the riders.

The beginning of the end is now over. Next chapters will be hilarious.

 

[PhiLiz]

Apanhado Antunes just lost his 2021 Volta a Portugal making Maurício Merdeira a two time winner now...

He also lost his stage win in Malhão in 2017 and his results in 2015 and 2016 at Volta a Portugal. It's kind of weird that his 2017 and 2020 wins remain, but I'd bet is just a matter of time.

I also think all Porco results from 2021 will be nullified (including Rodrigues win at Algarve) and wouldn't discard the same happening to every 2020 result.

Good times.

 

[BEE1885]

A big investigative article by the magazine Visao last month. Unfortunately hidden behind paywall. Anybody has the full text? Or if you've read it, is there anything new we haven't heard?

Visão | Investigação: A história do maior escândalo de doping em Portugal

A Operação Prova Limpa desvendou os bastidores do doping no ciclismo português: transfusões de sangue, hormonas de crescimento, insulina, anfetaminas e até suplementos para cavalos. Competição entre atletas, provas exigentes e precariedade laboral podem explicar o recurso às substâncias proibidas

visao.sapo.pt

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Visão | Investigação: A história do maior escândalo de doping em Portugal

A Operação Prova Limpa desvendou os bastidores do doping no ciclismo português: transfusões de sangue, hormonas de crescimento, insulina, anfetaminas e até suplementos para cavalos. Competição entre atletas, provas exigentes e precariedade laboral podem explicar o recurso às substâncias proibidas

www.pixelcut.site

 

[Rico044]

Very interested in the full article if anyone has it!

 

[Rob5091]

25 year ban - now that's hefty, but then again he was the Jack Parsons of Portuguese rocketry.
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...ear-ban-following-countless-doping-violations

Nuno Ribeiro is one of the figures in cycling who has been connected to the word doping the most. Now, he has been attribted a 25-year ban due to his repeated violations and large-scale development of a rule-breaking system within the former W52-FC Porto team.

 

[pastronef]

Portuguese team, continental, no need for the bio-passport if I'm not mistaken? portoguese calendar, not as many test in quality and quantity as a WT team. portuguese calendar, no fear of crossing borders with PEDs in the cars. closed environment, no spotlights. I mean it's not like a WT team got found with all that stuff.

 

[zlev11]

A big investigative article by the magazine Visao last month. Unfortunately hidden behind paywall. Anybody has the full text? Or if you've read it, is there anything new we haven't heard?

Visão | Investigação: A história do maior escândalo de doping em Portugal

A Operação Prova Limpa desvendou os bastidores do doping no ciclismo português: transfusões de sangue, hormonas de crescimento, insulina, anfetaminas e até suplementos para cavalos. Competição entre atletas, provas exigentes e precariedade laboral podem explicar o recurso às substâncias proibidas

visao.sapo.pt

still interested if anyone has access to the full contents of this article. i actually signed up and paid for that site months ago and still couldn't access the article.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Portuguese team, continental, no need for the bio-passport if I'm not mistaken? portoguese calendar, not as many test in quality and quantity as a WT team. portuguese calendar, no fear of crossing borders with PEDs in the cars. closed environment, no spotlights. I mean it's not like a WT team got found with all that stuff.

There is some skeletal biopassport compliance in Portugal, people like Sérgio Ribeiro and Antônio Amorim got suspended on it.

 

[Rob5091]

Somebody was not happy about the "Prova limpa"
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/po...nuno-ribeiro-given-25-year-doping-suspension/
"the Portuguese Anti-Doping Authority director revealed he was living under police surveillance after receiving numerous threats, including a shotgun cartridge in the post."
And then Portugal’s socialist prime minister, António Costa resigned! Wow! But that had nothing to do with Ribeiro.

 

[carolina]

Portuguese team, continental, no need for the bio-passport if I'm not mistaken? portoguese calendar, not as many test in quality and quantity as a WT team. portuguese calendar, no fear of crossing borders with PEDs in the cars. closed environment, no spotlights. I mean it's not like a WT team got found with all that stuff.

Last year the portuguese federation changed the rules to register the riders. All riders must have the biopassport.

 

[Rob5091]

So what are these guys going to do for next 25 years? Work at the local chemists? With all their knowledge, someone will hire them as "consultants" surely?

 

[carolina]

Ribeiro owns a bike store, I think.

 

[carolina]

Volta ao Algarve is always around those dates. On the previous weekend you also have Figueira Champions Classic in Figueira da Foz. Both events have an amateaur race, usually held on a sunday.

If you're looking for cycling related tours, I'd suggest reaching out to some local bike shops in Algarve. I think G-Ride (https://www.g-ridebike.com/) might be able to help you with that.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I hope that, encouraged by the radioactive fallout of the Tour, the local boys will go all in once again, after shamefully loosing the race to Stüssi last year.

With the route an in shape Figueiredo would be the favourite, but after his radial fracture at the NC he's a bit of a question mark (Ib4 a 25min Observatorio Vila Nova ascent by him). Otherwise I'd rate Nych over Moreira on such a climbing heavy route.

Other contenders would be veterans like Casimiro, Luis Fernandez and Delio Fernandez, Antonio Carvalho (and maybe Alfonso Eulalio from the same team) and Efapel Abner Gonzales could be an interesting wildcard.
I have some doubts that Stüssi can repeat his performance again, some of the guys from Petrolike, maily Caicedo and Cadena, could be the foreign team surprise.
For the sprintier stages (not that many this year) I rate German Nicolas Tivani highly.

 

[PhiLiz]

Maurício Merdeira has dropped out yesterday:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1817584497535373449

View: https://x.com/LeegoreCarlos/status/1817584497535373449


Dopadíssima isn't nearly as radioactive as it was pre-W52-Porco scandal. Eulálio looks very good for the win, so far, but it isn't over yet because he's not a good time trialist and there's still some uphill stages that may change things around a bit.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Maurício Merdeira has dropped out yesterday:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1817584497535373449

View: https://x.com/LeegoreCarlos/status/1817584497535373449


Dopadíssima isn't nearly as radioactive as it was pre-W52-Porco scandal. Eulálio looks very good for the win, so far, but it isn't over yet because he's not a good time trialist and there's still some uphill stages that may change things around a bit.

Stüssi is doing climbing times that are comparable to 2022 Figueiredo (first MTF) and Eulalio was only a 15 sec slower on Torre than the best in 2022. It's just that Sabgal suddenly suck (Figueiredo suffering a radial fracture in the NC RR didn't help either, 2022 Figueiredo would boss this route),

Team Vorarlberg have gone full circle, first they brought a radioactive Volta guy (De la Parte) to the Alpes and now they are bringing a radioactive guy from the Alpes to the Volta.

 

[jfazendeiro]

Another edition with a shady winner. Came from rest day a new rider. Went from not being on top 20 in 2 previous mtf to having one of best times on final climb.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Another edition with a shady winner. Came from rest day a new rider. Went from not being on top 20 in 2 previous mtf to having one of best times on final climb.

Assume you're meaning Nych (as in likely GC winner) and not González (as in Senhora da Graça winner) there as Abner was top 20 in both? But then, did you expect an ex-Rusvelo guy, riding in Portugal, to be anything other than a shady winner?

I guess the one thing counting against him is that he's only 29, which is ludicrously early to be contesting the GC here.

 

[Mayomaniac]

For what it's worth (when it comes to young Russians riding for Gazprom/Rusvelo) Nych was a talented rider in the u23 ranks with two 12th places on the gc in L'Avenir (while never being the team leader from the start and having to work for others).
For the Volta he's actually not that shady...