Felt Team cancels contract with Martinez

Miguel Martinez

Miguel Martinez (Image credit: Team Felt International)

The Felt International Team announced on Tuesday that it had cancelled the contract of 33-year-old Miguel Martinez "due to unbridgeable differences".

In a statement, the team said, "The athlete behaved inexcusably and violated his contract. He is dismissed effective immediately." Therefore, Martinez will not compete at the World Cup opener in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa this weekend.

Martinez was convicted of assault against his wife on Tuesday and punished with a four-month suspended prison sentence by a court in Draguignan according to the AFP. He was banned from going near his wife or having any contact with her. The Frenchman has been in court or in mediation several times over the past two years for violent incidents.

Martinez was the cross country world champion and the Olympic champion in 2000.

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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews.  She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.