Marcos Maynar talks about Gurpegi and Sabino Padilla: "While he was Induráin's doctor he was a saint, because here in Spain idols cannot be touched"
Cycling
One of the most mediatic doping cases in Spain in the 20th century is that of the former Athletic de Bilbao player Carlos Gurpegi, in which Marcos Maynar was somewhat implicated along with Dr. Sabino Padilla.
Maynar says in his interview in El contraanálisis that the player at no time doped and regrets the treatment suffered by his colleague Padilla, comparing it with the good treatment he had had when he was Miguel Indurain's doctor. "In this country, when they put the cross on you, it is what it is. In the two cases in which I have been judged, I have been declared innocent".
"Gurpegi's problem remained unsolved because the ordinary justice judge washed his hands like Pontius Pilate. In Gurpegi's case they went after Sabino Padilla, who was Miguel Indurain's doctor. While he was Induráin's doctor he was a saint, because here in Spain idols cannot be touched."
"When he was at Athletic Bilbao they already started to tickle him. And Gurpegi, I tell you, is a person who produces nandrolone naturally. There were many anomalies. He underwent genetic studies that proved his anomaly. The Gurpegi thing is better left untouched because it has been a great embarrassment for the player who did not deserve it and for Sabino Padilla who did not deserve it either," he concluded.
DEATH OF BRUNO NEVES
Marcos Maynar was sanctioned 10 years by the Portuguese Cycling Federation after the death of Portuguese cyclist Bruno Neves, although he was absolved by the Portuguese justice system of any relation to the death or to a doping plot in the LA-MMS team.
On this subject, which has always haunted him, the doctor who is currently on trial for Operation Ilex, commented the following to Javier Ramirez in El Contraanálisis:
"In a race in Portugal in which there were no doctors, this boy fell and his death was due to asphyxia and not a myocardial infarction. I told the president that he was to blame for his death because if there had been doctors at the race they would have attended him correctly and the rider would have lived. And that is what pisses me off the most".
"I was not the head of Maia's (the team Neves raced for, ed.) medical services. I saw the Maia riders and advised them in some races. You can imagine how hard it was for me to be blamed for the death of a person, to be blamed that I could have done something. For God's sake, that's outrageous," he concluded.
Read also
Article written by Juan Larra.
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment