“It’s almost certain — the question is whether it can be proven”: Analyst questions what good reason Marc Soler could have for alleged links with disgraced US Postal doctor

The developing case surrounding the father of Marc Soler has now sparked pointed analysis from Dutch ex-pro turned analyst Thijs Zonneveld, who has cast serious doubt on the circumstances of a 2023 alleged meeting between the UAE rider’s father and banned coach Jose Marti, a figure from cycling’s US Postal era who remains suspended from the sport until June 2027.

As previously reported, Jaume Soler Serrano, father of the UAE Team Emirates - XRG climber, received an 18-month suspension from Spain’s anti-doping authority CELAD following contact with Marti. There has been no sanction announced against Marc Soler, and no formal ruling has been issued regarding his own position.

However, leaked investigation files published in Spain detail a meeting on 9 August 2023 near Adrall, close to the Andorran border, where Jaume Soler and Marti were stopped by the Guardia Civil while carrying lactate testing equipment. Marc Soler was reportedly riding in the same area at the time and was later stopped separately by officers.

Zonneveld addressed the matter on the Dutch podcast In de Waaier, acknowledging first that the situation lacks definitive proof. “However, there is no definitive proof that Soler was involved in this meeting because, most likely, Martí and his father realised they were being watched. Soler would then have been informed to keep riding on, and it seems he slipped away.”

Despite that caveat, the analyst went much further in his interpretation of events. “Basically, it’s almost certain that Marc Soler worked with Martí — the question is whether it can also be proven.”

According to the published investigation details, officers found latex gloves, alcohol, a lactate meter, oxygen saturation devices and testing strips in the vehicle used by Jaume Soler and Marti. Such equipment is typically used to measure aerobic and anaerobic thresholds in performance testing.

Jaume Soler reportedly stated that the testing was intended for him. Zonneveld publicly dismissed that explanation. “Of course not — that man was sitting in his car without any sports clothes on, waiting.”

He also questioned the rationale behind any professional rider seeking lactate testing assistance from a suspended doctor. “Why on earth would you work with a suspended doctor for lactate tests? That’s something so simple you can almost do it yourself.”

Under anti-doping regulations, licensed athletes may face sanctions for prohibited association with individuals serving doping bans. At present, however, no such decision has been made public in relation to Marc Soler.

The confirmed suspension announced this week applies solely to his father. Spanish authorities have yet to publish a final determination regarding the broader case, which remains under the jurisdiction of CELAD.

For now, Soler continues to race while the matter remains unresolved, even as commentary surrounding the case grows increasingly direct.