'It's a joke' – Anti-doping testers swoop Spanish amateur race, 130 riders abandon

An astonishing story has exposed the potential extent of doping on the amateur circuit in Spain, with 130 riders abandoning a race in Valencia at the weekend. The suspected reason: the presence of anti-doping authorities at the finish line.

Spanish cycling website Ciclo21 carries anonymous quotes from riders who, without naming names, have cried foul and indicated that this is a common occurrence and a blight on the local amateur scene, and perhaps beyond.

This particular incident occurred at the Interclub Vinalopó race in Alicante on 2 March, where 182 riders, spread from juniors to masters, took to the start line. Only 52 reached the finish. This was reportedly a huge jump in attrition rates from previous races, and, for some, impossible to explain away by misfortune or racing circumstances.

One rider, Álvaro Marzà, a leading rider in the local series of races, took his cynicism public with a barbed post on social media.

“Anti-doping testing in Villena = punctures and abandons,” he wrote. “It’s not a mathematical equation, it’s pure reality.

“Let’s see if they do anything about it, as this is a fucking joke. For sure, I was tested! The third who was. If they give me the results I’ll publish them.”

The Ciclo21 report indicates that this is a deep-rooted problem, noting that “the presence - or rumours - of anti-doping tests in these races usually provokes an avalanche of abandons or non-starters.”

The publication carries quotes from anonymous sources who indicated the scale of the problem.

“Everyone knows who’s at it and who’s not,” said one. “Whenever there are tests, curiously the same people as always do not finish the races in order to avoid the test.

"Of course, without proof we cannot make accusations, but it’s all very obvious.”