‘What do we have the system for?’ – Ex-teammate questions how Oier Lazkano’s biological passport abnormalities went undetected for so long before suspension

Following his provisional doping suspension, a former teammate of Oier Lazkano has questioned how abnormalities in his biological passport went undetected for so long during their time at Movistar.

Lazkano lost his place at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe as a result of the suspension, which the UCI announced in October, but it was during his time on the Spanish WorldTour team – when he scored his best results – that the “unexplained abnormalities” were detected: 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Danish rider Mathias Norsgaard was a teammate of Lazkano’s throughout that timeframe, and in an interview with Feltet.dk has openly criticised both his teammate and now former team, having broken his contract early to join Lidl-Trek earlier this year.

You may like

“You’re glad that those who cheat are caught. I’m probably a little surprised how they can get away with it,” said Norsgaard to Feltet.

“After all, there are doctors on the payroll at Movistar, and I’m very shocked that they haven’t caught the problem. So what do we have the system for?”

Lazkano has since protested his innocence after the findings were made public, expressing in a statement to Spanish media that “I have never used doping substances or prohibited methods.”

He also claimed to be “a clean athlete and a person of integrity,” and vowed to “continue, with determination and transparency, to defend my name and professional dignity. My career has been built on effort, dedication, honesty, and daily work.”

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

But Norsgaard looks back on how the situation unfolded now with distrust, singling out races where he too questioned his teammates’ abilities.

“I won’t go so far as to say that I’m not surprised, because I always hope for the best in people,” said the Dane. “But damn, sometimes when it smells like shit, it’s shit, unfortunately. It was fine in the Classics, but the Dauphiné was probably a bit too stinky.”

Lazkano, who built his name as a rising Classics star in the two years prior, reached new heights at the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné, finishing ninth overall on GC and in the top five of three stages.

You may like

After joining Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe as a key signing for 2025, Lazkano failed to rediscover previous levels at the cobbled Classics and hadn’t raced after Paris-Roubaix before the abnormalities in his biological passport were confirmed.

Lazkano and Norsgaard (middle) during their time as teammates at Movistar (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I saw him in Andorra this summer, and no one had seen him since Roubaix, and there he said everything was fine, and then this comes up,” recounted Norsgaard.

“At first I thought it was just the peloton shooting shit again, because there’s a lot of that during a season like this, but it was true, unfortunately.”

Norsgaard’s full reflection on his time with the Spanish rider led him to analyse his behaviour as a teammate, of which he is now also suspicious. He described him first as “an insanely mysterious guy. Quite intelligent and interested in politics and was always up to date on different things.

“But he was a crazy guy and sat out in the kitchen with the chef and drank red wine for hours after we had finished eating. He was special, and I would definitely not call him my friend.”

As the situation surrounding Lazkano remains ongoing, Red Bull’s team boss Ralph Denk was cautious to comment when asked about it at the team’s media day last Wednesday, but did highlight how the abnormalities were not found during his time with the German team, but while he was on Movistar.

“It’s still a pending case. It’s not in our time, I have to mention, it’s in the time of Movistar, so we react really consequentially, I will say,” Denk told international media. “I cannot say a lot, because it’s still open – this case is not done – we can talk later on, when it’s really the case is closed, but so far it is not.”