Notorious doping doctor returns to the peloton, Marc Soler's father suspended

On Friday, a bizarre story emerged in the international cycling media. According to Escape Collective, the notorious doping doctor Jose Martí, known from his time with the US Postal Service, has returned to the peloton. Martí is said to have collaborated with amateur rider Jaume Soler Serrano, the father of Marc Soler. He has been suspended by the Spanish anti-doping authority CELAD for eighteen months.

Martí is already serving a doping suspension until June 2027 and is officially barred from working with athletes. Violating this suspension would result in a lifetime ban, but according to documents from CELAD reviewed by Escape Collective, this has not yet occurred.

The Spanish doping doctor reportedly told various authorities that he is a university professor conducting research on the performance of amateur and professional cyclists.

CELAD has been monitoring Soler and Martí for some time. As early as August 2023, the two were followed and detained by the Guardia Civil. Soler’s suspension began last autumn. Whether Martí will face additional sanctions is not yet known.