It is not easy to reconstruct the doping case that has shaken Spanish cycling in recent days. Several Spanish media received a 23-page document with messages linking the Caja Rural - Seguros RGA team to Operation Ilex and Dr. Marcos Maynar.
Some of these media received the document before the Vuelta a España. Others, such as ALL the teams of the race at the Vuelta itself, the UCI and other organizations, received it during the race. There was no leak. Neither UCI, the Vuelta, nor the teams considered that document important enough to take any kind of action. Nor did the Spanish media that received it consider that document with conversations between Caja Rural riders and Marcos Maynar to be publishable.
With the cycling season over, the information came to light, albeit from the point of view of Caja Rural, which had denounced the interested leaker of the document, denying any involvement with Maynar and Operation Ilex.
However, little by little we have been knowing some of the messages of the document, which leave in question the defense of the manager of Caja Rural, Juanma Hernandez. Spain is a country with total impunity when it comes to leaking summaries and this is one more case. It is unethical that part of the summary of Operation Ilex has been leaked. It is not ethical that (supposedly) a rival of Caja Rural cowardly sends an anonymous document to the press, teams and Vuelta.
But that is not the news. The news is that there are some messages that make it very clear that the manager of Caja Rural recommended several cyclists to go through the consultation of a Marcos Maynar who in 2021 was already a guy who had been sanctioned for doping practices. That is the news. That is what is really serious, what really hurts the world of cycling;
We do not know what will happen. We don't know if Caja Rural will be investigated (we know that so far they are not being investigated). We don't know if the UCI will take any kind of action regarding the Spanish team. We doubt that they will ride the Vuelta a España 2024, although we don't know that either.
The only thing we know, thanks to publications in the Spanish media, is that there are conversations that make it clear that several Caja Rural cyclists, recommended by their manager and behind the back of the team doctor, have been treated by Marcos Maynar.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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Juanma Hernández, manager de Caja Rural, afirma que “Caja Rural no se tiene que esconder de nada, porque no ha hecho nada malo”. Sin embargo, en las presuntas conversaciones entre Marcos Maynar y 4 ciclistas de Caja Rural aparecen los siguientes mensajes 👇 - “A ver (…), sé
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