Heads of the former W52-FC Porto doping ring sentenced to prison after financing, buying and distributing prohibited substances

The reading of the judgment in the “Prova Limpa” operation, which brought 26 defendants to trial, including several former cyclists, took place in a pavilion next to the Paços de Ferreira Prison in Portugal. The former heads of the W52-FC Porto team have been sentenced to jail after leading a major doping ring that led to the teams demise in 2022.

During the session, the presiding judge highlighted that "practically all the facts" described in the Public Prosecutor’s indictment "were proven." According to the decision, it was demonstrated that it was team CEO Adriano Quintanilha who financed the acquisition of the doping substances and had the final say on their use.

Meanwhile, sports director Nuno Ribeiro, a former rider and sports director at the time, acted as the bridge to the athletes: he bought the banned products, distributed them, and provided instructions on how they should be administered. All the cyclists involved received suspended sentences, with the exception of two defendants who were acquitted.

It was a full-scale doping ring managed by the team's higher-ups, which were then caught in a large operation that would see prohibited substances being found with several riders. This includes former Volta a Portugal winners João Rodrigues, Ricardo Mestre and Rui Vinhas, but most of the team had individual suspensions taking into consideration their own violations. Sports director Nuno Ribeiro himself was banned from the sport for 25 years.

In justifying the choice of effective prison terms for the main responsible parties, the presiding judge was unequivocal: "The gravity of the facts does not allow us to suspend these sentences." Thus, Adriano Teixeira de Sousa, known in cycling circles as Adriano Quintanilha, and Nuno Ribeiro were sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking prohibited substances and methods, plus one year and nine months for administering them. In legal cumulation, the court set a single sentence of four years and nine months of effective imprisonment for both.

The panel of judges concluded that Quintanilha was one of the "elements who devised the initial plan" and that, as leader of W52-FC Porto, now defunct, he also had the final say on payments related to the doping scheme.

As for Nuno Ribeiro, the court considered that "everything went through him and he was one of the key elements of the doping scheme," highlighting the "multiplicity of actions" attributed to the former sports director: from purchasing and distributing to receiving, preparing, and instructing on the use of the products. Both figures, given their hierarchical positions, were deemed especially responsible, leading the court to stress that their intent "is intense."

Among the defendants were also former W52-FC Porto cyclists: João Rodrigues, Rui Vinhas, Ricardo Mestre, Samuel Caldeira, Daniel Mestre, José Neves, Ricardo Vilela, Joni Brandão, José Gonçalves, Jorge Magalhães, and André Freitas. All were given suspended sentences of less than two and a half years. The judge framed these decisions by stating: "The cyclists were part of the team and joined the [doping] plan. Even so, [at a level] not as high as the other defendants. Some confessed. The sentences are much lower, also because they were the only ones who were risking their health. They were the weakest link in this chain connecting to doping."

The Calvário Várzea Association, the entity that originated the team and of which Quintanilha was president, was also sanctioned, having to pay 57 thousand euros to the State and being prohibited from participating in cycling competitions, professional or amateur, for the next four years.

Upon leaving, Nuno Ribeiro’s lawyer confirmed the intention to appeal, expressing surprise at the outcome: "If there was someone who truly told the truth here in this process, it was Nuno Ribeiro; he clarified everything that needed clarification, his confession was complete and without any reservations. The panel of judges understood that, in fact, Nuno Ribeiro only clarified part of the facts, part of the truth, and basically wanted to place Nuno Ribeiro and Mr. Adriano Teixeira de Sousa on the same level. This decision is not consistent with the reality of the facts and we will appeal," said Tiago Máximo.