After being bought out of his contract with Belkin, Luis Leon Sanchez still hasn't found a new team for the 2014 season. According to El Periodico, the reason is that the Movement for a Credible Cycling is trying to prevent him from returning to the professional peloton due to his links with the Operacion Puerto doping case.
In early October, it was announced that Belkin had decided to buy out Luis Leon Sanchez of his contract with the Dutch team, referring to his many links to doping scandals as the main reason for the decision. Since then, the Spaniard's future has been up in the air and a solution still hasn't been found.
Sanchez got his 2013 season off to a difficult start when new information surfaced that linked him further with the Operacion Puerto doping scandal. Belkin - at the time known as Blanco - decided to put him on inactive status but following an appeal by Sanchez, the parties agreed to let him return to competition in the Tour of Belgium in May.
Sanchez wasn't selected for the Tour de France but won the queen stage of the Tour of Belgium and a stage in the Tour de l'Ain before lining up in the Vuelta a Espana. He abandoned due to hypothermia but went on to represent Spain in the world championships.
For a long time, Sanchez was rumoured to be joining Movistar for which he rode before signing with the Rabobank/Belkin team but the Spanish team has finalized its 2014 roster, with Sanchez being missing from the list of riders. Yesterday, Ciclo21.com reported that he was close to signing a contract with Caja Rural which would allow him to ride the Vuelta a Espana next year.
However, the reason for his problems may now have been found and may block him from joining Caja Rural. According to El Periodico, the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) has objections against his return to the professional peloton and is advising against a signing of the multiple Tour de France stage winner.
El Periodico reports that Movistar and Sanchez had agreed on a contract that would be signed at the world championships but manager Eusebio Unzue changed his mind at the last minute. The Spanish team is not a member of the MPCC but the organization's strong links to race organizers could make it difficult for the team to get invited to important races if Sanchez was part of the roster.
Similarly, Lampre-Merida - who is a member of the MPCC - has apparently given up on its interest in Sanchez and Caja Rural - another MPCC member - may now be reconsidering their possible signing.
According to the official rules, an MPCC member cannot sign a rider who has served a doping ban for more than 6 months, until 2 years after the completion of the ban. As Sanchez has never been suspended, no official rule prevents him from signing with an MPCC team but the organization may be using their indirect power to prevent him from finding a team for the 2014 season.
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