After the police raid on W52-FC Porto's hotels and residences, Portuguese cycling is under the spotlight in the cycling world for the wrong reasons. Although no conclusions have yet been taken, the investigation is ongoing, as the team fights to get back on track.
Owner of the team's main sponsor, Adriano Quintanilha, talked to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, in which he reiterated the confidence in the team: "I believe in the word of the cyclists when they tell me they're clean and there's nothing to be afraid, because the blood and urine analysis taken Sunday will be negative."
Responding to rumours that have circulated, in which it was said that the team was in possession of several forbidden substances, he said: "If they [police] apprehended any forbidden substance in their homes or hotel rooms, it will be the riders that will have to respond. But, for what they say, I trust them, and so I took the decision to reunite them," he added.
This Thursday the team has been together once again near the team's headquarters in the city of Paredes, the riders as they have trained together. Regarding the arrest of team DS Nuno Ribeiro, Quintanilha was more reserved in his reponse. "Of Nuno Ribeiro and José Rodrigues [Fortuna-Maia DS] I won't say anything, because I only know what the newspapers, radio and television say."
Ribeiro, a former Volta a Portugal winner - who has had his win taken due to illegal practices - has been suspended from continuing his role within the team. It is said that there are advanced talks for a replacement: "I'm in contact with three people who are capable of doing the job, I'll opt with one of them. The situation isn't easy, but we have to face our problems and fix them. If the riders affirm to be innocent, then we have to return to normality and put things in it's proper place."
"The team is not suspended by the [Portuguese] federation or the UCI and we can compete, as soon as the DS situation is stabilized which will happen soon. The return to team training will have work to place normality back into the W52-FC Porto work group," he concluded. 10 riders of the team have been constituted as defendants in the ongoing investigation.
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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