Movistar responds to Oier Lazkano's suspension by UCI
It was announced on 30 October that the Spanish team's former rider had been provisionally suspended, and they have since issued a response
Movistar Team have responded after their former rider Oier Lazkano was provisionally suspended by the UCI after unexplained abnormalities were detected in his biological passport spanning 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) communicated to Movistar Team’s managing company, Abarca Sports, on October 30, 2025, that Lazkano had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation based on passport data spanning 2022 through 2024 - the period when he rode for the team.
In the UCI communication, a panel of three independent scientific experts unanimously concluded that "it is highly likely that a prohibited substance or prohibited method has been used and that it is unlikely that the passport is the result of any other cause."
The abnormalities were identified in Lazkano's Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) after reviewing samples provided between January 2020 and December 2024, though the specific violations were limited to his Movistar years.
Abarca Sports maintains they had no knowledge of any potential doping violations during Lazkano's tenure with the team. "First, it was only yesterday afternoon, October 30, 2025, that the team became aware of this situation."
Movistar further defended their position by explaining that regular anti-doping tests conducted during Lazkano's three seasons with them showed no red flags.
"During the 3 seasons of contractual relationship with Mr. Lazkano (of the 5 to which the UCI study refers), all the controls to which he was subjected by the different national and international organizations, as well as internal to the team itself, yielded a negative result," read Abarca Sports statement.
"By virtue of this, it was materially impossible to know, or even intuit, any anomaly such as the one now presented in the procedure opened by the International Cycling Union."
According to the UCI communication, experts reached their conclusion after reviewing both Lazkano's passport data and the explanations and supporting documentation provided by Lazkano himself.
Movistar concluded their statement by reaffirming their anti-doping stance: "Abarca Sports reiterates once again with absolute firmness its unwavering commitment to a clean and transparent sport. To this end, we will redouble with absolute determination all the efforts, controls and measures that we have been promoting to date."
Lazkano turned professional with Caja Rural in 2020, winning a stage of the Volta a Portugal in his debut season. After joining Movistar in 2022, he enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023, placing second at Dwars door Vlaanderen and winning the Spanish road race title.
In 2024, Lazkano continued his upward trajectory, winning the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior, placing third at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and taking ninth at the Critérium du Dauphiné after impressive climbing performances, before joining Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe for 2025.
Like what we are doing? Help us out!
Following us on Google helps us appear more easily in search results and lets us keep producing free cycling content. Thank you! 🙏
