Portugal Sponsor Drops Professional Cycling Because Of Doping

LISBON, Portugal — A financial company is dropping its sponsorship of pro cycling because of doping scandals, including the latest one involving Tour de France champion Alberto Contador.

In a statement on its Portuguese website Thursday, Liberty Seguros said its U.S. parent company – Liberty Mutual Group – has decided to veto any form of direct support for pro cycling.

It says the company was still recovering from teams it had sponsored being involved in scandals in Portugal and Spain over the past decade. The decision was reinforced by Contador's situation, which it claims further discredited the sport.

Between 2004 and 2006, Liberty Seguros sponsored Manolo Saiz's team but later got out because of Saiz's alleged role in the Operation Puerto doping scandal.

It then backed a Portuguese team that came under the spotlight when three of its members, including one-time Tour of Portugal winner Nuno Ribeiro, tested positive in 2009.

Contador, who rode for Liberty under Saiz, is being investigated for allegedly using a banned drug during the this year's Tour de France.

Comments

[mc53]

02:06 PM on 11/13/2010

A dirty, dirty sport. As long as they make these guys ride 2400 miles in 2.5 weeks at race pace, there will be doping. Its always been there in the Grand Tours and always will be.

[jpbuehner]

03:18 AM on 11/12/2010

Huh? Liberty Seguros or its affiliates haven't been a major sponsor in years. Minor sponsors come and go all the time, why is this a story? Oh yea, I know, to cause a knee jerk response from dolts and monday morning quarterbacks who are experts in cycling and the problems of PED's.

Furthermore, if Liberty Seguros wanted to take the high road (pun intended) and pull the plug on sponsorship due to doping, they should have done it a few years ago. Um, like when their entire team was unable to participate in the Tour b/c Operacion Puerto. Odd.

[jostasauce]

11:27 PM on 11/11/2010

Does anyone think pulling the sponsorship from the Tour will finally get pro racing's attention?

[stunsitfel]

08:19 PM on 11/11/2010

Doping? How about watching someone riding a bike is boring as hell.

[krikkit 1]

11:25 AM on 11/12/2010

it all subjective my friend

[Julie Killeen]

07:05 PM on 11/11/2010

Dear Cycling. Time to pay your dues for doping. Bad public relations for your sponsors will damage the sport for years.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

06:47 PM on 11/11/2010

Won't be the last.

[frank day]

05:43 PM on 11/11/2010

Contador has ruined a great sport.

[PubicOption]

07:57 PM on 11/11/2010

??? The only difference b/w Contador and Armstrong is that Armstrong got away with it for a lot longer.

And...if the top riders have been doping for years, is it really a "great sport" to begin with??

[frank day]

08:19 PM on 11/11/2010

Armstrong? Seriously?

The only one who DIDN'T cheat. Which makes him by far the Greatest Ever.

[AntonioSaucedo]

08:40 PM on 11/11/2010

It's never been proven, so, as far as I'm concerned, Armstrong didn't cheat and is the best ever: innocent till public guilty. Contador's case is very similar: nothing has been proven yet, but, unfortunately, it doesn't look good.