Gonzalez angry

Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Aitor Gonzalez has spoken out angrily about the damage he believes he has suffered as a result of a doping investigation into him that was dropped by the Spanish cycling federation recently.

"I have suffered irreparable damage to my personal and professional image," Gonzalez told Spanish sports newspaper Marca. "The rider was presumed guilty from the start, without any proof. The decision backs up the claims of innocence which I have made along with my team."

The RFEC, the Spanish cycling federation, started an investigation into Gonzalez after rumours surfaced in the press that he had returned a positive test at the 2005 Vuelta a Espana. The rumours did not specify the stage or drug and the RFEC dropped the case last Friday.