Norwegian cycling federation president says Spanish too soft on dopers

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The president of the Norwegian Cycling Federation has said that he doesn't believe that the Spanish Cycling Federation is tough enough on doped riders. Harald Tiedemann Hansen also criticised the Spanish federation president's public support of Alberto Contador.

During the second half of September, it was announced that four Spanish riders had tested positive for doping products: Oscar Sevilla, Alberto Contador, Ezequiel Mosquera and David Garcia Dapena. The latter three positive tests were announced in the week of the world championships.

“I think that when four riders were caught for doping during the world championships, Spain should have packed up and gone home,” Tiedemann Hansen told ProCycling.no. “It is time that they clean up their ranks.”

He said that he felt that the problem lay with the attitudes of the Spanish federation's leaders, who he feels have been too lenient on doping issues in the past.

Spanish federation president Juan Carlos Castaño came in for direct criticism for his recent statement calling for “a solution that is Contador's advantage.”

“They have serious challenges with their riders, and they should take this seriously. Such statements show that they still do not take it seriously enough," the Norwegian said.

”The Spanish federation has shown weakness in a number of doping cases. They have not repudiated it. Now it's time to clear up the responsibility and state their position clearly. They are ruining the rest of us.”

Tiedemann Hansen does not believe that the Spanish federation will conduct its proceedings on the Contador case impartially, saying that they “have not shown willingness to clean up their own ranks. I do not have much confidence in their work."