Luís León Sánchez denies ‘Galgo’ connection

Luís León Sánchez has denied reports in the Spanish daily El Mundo that he’s linked to the ongoing doping investigation dubbed “Operación Galgo” that’s centered on alleged activities by Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes.

The Sunday edition of the paper cited sources within Spain’s Guardia Civil that Sánchez was taking steps to meet Fuentes “face-to-face” and had phone contact with former mountain biker Alberto León to arrange meetings. León, who was allegedly Fuentes’ logistics man for the doping ring, committed suicide last week while Sánchez strongly denied the allegations.

According to the report, Sánchez reportedly had contact with León during the 2010 season. León, using the nickname “Hugo,” supposedly called Sánchez’s wife on October 25 to arrange a meeting with the rider in November.

Police say the meeting was postponed and then never happened because police moved to arrest more than a dozen people linked to the alleged Galgo ring in early December, which is largely focused on track and field athletes.

Sánchez, who is set to debut with Rabobank after four seasons with Caisse d’Epargne, denied the story and said he didn’t know Fuentes or León.

“I deny that I had any contact with Eufemiano Fuentes or anyone associated with him,” Sánchez told the newspaper. “I don’t know this man, I have never been face to face with him. I don’t know where all this coming from. Everything is false. I am amazed that they are saying this about me at this time. The only thing I am interested in right now is to have a good start to the season with Rabobank. I don’t know what’s going on with ‘Galgo.’ No one’s called from the courts. It’s all a surprise. Of course I didn’t know Alberto León.”

So far, Galgo has largely centered on track and field athletes. Police investigations continue in the second major doping scandal to involved Fuentes and his alleged doping ring. Fuentes was the alleged ring-leader of the Operación Puerto doping scandal in 2006.