W52-FC Porto doping case reaches verdict with prison sentences handed down

Ribeiro was handed a nine month prison sentence, while Quintanilha received a four year sentence. The case dates back to 2022, when alleged doping practices inside the W52 FC Porto setup came to light and seven riders were subsequently suspended by the UCI. 

The timeline is also a reminder of how quickly the story escalated. Ribeiro was arrested for questioning in April 2022, and in June the UCI revoked the team’s licence. W52-FC Porto then opted not to apply for a new licence, effectively bringing the project to an end.

Other staff members faced criminal charges as part of the same case. According to reporting by JN, the judge stated that Quintanilha organised the initial plan, sourcing performance enhancing drugs and financing their purchase. Ribeiro then distributed the banned substances to riders and instructed them on how to use the products and avoid detection.

Former sports director and accountant Hugo Veloso was found guilty but received a suspended sentence, while the association behind the team was fined €57,000. The team’s former riders were acquitted of all charges, with the court viewing them as the weakest links within the doping system.

W52-FC Porto dominated Portuguese cycling from the mid 2010s into the early 2020s, defining the Volta a Portugal era with six consecutive victories and shaping the domestic scene until the investigation brought the project down.