"If I had 99% doubt about UAE's medical program, that doubt has reached 100%" - Former Festina rider lashes out at Gianetti's controversial statements
CyclingThursday, 30 July 2026 at 11:15
Whilst there are strong efforts to distance UAE Team Emirates - XRG away from the speculation of doping, it is something that does not go away and might have peaked during the Tour de France. One of Festina's former riders Jérôme Chiotti, who raced in the same peloton as Mauro Gianetti, has criticized extensively the recent statements of the UAE general manager.
In an interview with L'Équipe towards the end of the Tour de France, Mauro Gianetti was asked about his past with the sport, one that includes close contact with several convicted dopers.
Most notably, the disgraced Saunier Duval team - of which he and Joxean Matxín, the two key men at UAE currently, were part of. Riccardo Riccó, Juan José Cobo and Leonardo Piepoli were only some of the riders that were suspended during these years, part of one of the teams that has left a dark mark on the sport.
But Gianetti shifted responsibility towards the riders. "I made the mistake of taking them in my team. I should have reacted differently, been clearer with the press, explain that I was a victim".
"Just as you don't know what your children do in their bedrooms, you don't know what riders do in their homes".
Mauro Gianetti claimed he had no role in the mass doping that occured at the former Saunier Duval team
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Strong insinuations of doping against UAE Team Emirates - XRG
The claim that Gianetti was a victim was a reason for plenty criticism on social media, however some of it came from former riders themselves. Jérôme Chiotti, a former rider of the equally-disgraced Festina team (from 1995 to 1997, the year before the Tour de France scandal), has lashed out against Gianetti.
"Do you remember that phrase "I was a victim" from his interview with L'Équipe? Every sports director, and I mean EVERY SINGLE ONE, and every journalist knows the truth. And yet, nothing will leak out because "there's no proof"", Chiotti wrote in a Facebook post.
"In any case, this scumbag had the nerve. The guy who nearly died and nearly killed a teammate at Française des Jeux (when he was a rider, ed.) is capable of saying he never took EPO and that he didn't know his riders (whom he had signed!!!) were doping in the highly controversial Saunier Duval team".
Jérôme Chiotti at the 1996 Tour of Flanders
The retired French rider argues that Gianetti's statements show a larger pattern, one that is worrying for the Emirati team.
"When you're capable of saying that, looking a journalist straight in the eye, then you're capable of anything within your own team, the best in the world! You're more than capable of turning a blind eye to everything that goes on behind the scenes".
"In short, if I had 99% doubt about UAE's medical program, that doubt has reached 100% after his shitty interview and his damn doublespeak," he stated.
During the Tour de France, both Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard underwent night-time tests at 5am. and 2am. respectively, leading to a lot of criticism, and a discourse that has marked the race. Social media has also seen an uprise in accusations following Pogacar's performance on Alpe d'Huez, where he set a new time record with a large margin over the late Marrco Pantani.
"Cycling won't recover, especially not with a guy like that at the helm (of a cancer patient) of the best team in the world. But rest assured, no one at France TV will find anything to criticize today. The show must go on".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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PogiFan2Day30-07-2026 - I wonder if Gianetti's past will catch up with him...
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