Witness speaks of ‘dictatorship’ at W52-FC Porto match, denounces existence of ampoules and syringes

A former member of the W52-FC Porto governing body described Adriano Quintanilla’s management of the cycling team as a “dictatorship” on Friday, exerting “a lot of pressure to win” in races where ampoules, syringes and pills were used.

He was heard as a compelling witness called by the team’s former sporting director Nuno Ribeiro in the Prova Limpa trial of 26 defendants, including former cyclists, which is taking place in a pavilion adjacent to the Paços de Ferreira prison facility. Maximino Pereira has never admitted to knowing or seeing doping practices at W52-FC Porto, but has acknowledged feeling it was happening while following the team in several national competitions.

A witness known within the team as “Max” said he resigned in September 2021 because “he was a good person” and for family reasons, as well as because of the “bad environment” that existed at W52-FC Porto and the “shame” he said he felt when, during races such as the Tour of Portugal, the public accused him of “doping the whole team”.

Maximino Pereira told the court that he had slept “in the team room” in the hotels where the team stayed during the competition and where food such as water, fruit and energy supplements were stored, as well as ampoules, syringes and tablets of which cyclists they would pick up after the stages.

When asked by the panel of judges about the purpose of the syringes and ampoules, the witness, who is now 61 and has been involved in the sport for more than 40 years, replied: “It must have been doping, but I never saw it,” admitting, however, that there were “rumors” about doping on the team, a practice that he said was common in all teams and even globally.

The court asked the witness whether he had ever asked questions or tried to find out why the cycling team had ampoules, syringes and tablets at the athletes’ disposal.

“I never asked, I never wanted to know. I had nothing to do with it, it was a taboo, confidential topic, and it passed me by. It stayed in my corner,” replied Maximino Pereira.

Adriano Teixeira de Souza, known as Adriano Quintanilla, was the team’s owner and is one of the defendants in the case.

A former member of the W52-FC Porto governing bodies told the court that, with the exception of the sporting management, “everything went through” Adriano Quintanilla, who, according to the witness, put “a lot of pressure” on the staff and cyclists to win, aware of the existence of a “bad environment, a difficult atmosphere” and even intimidation within the team.

“I no longer saw myself in charge. It was like a dictatorship,” said Maximino Pereira, who later said in a statement: “We fled from Mr. Adriano.”

A hearing was scheduled for this Friday to examine Pinto da Costa, whom the accused Nuno Ribeiro also named as his final witness, but the court was unable to notify the former president of FC Porto about it.

26 defendants are charged with trafficking in prohibited substances and methods, but only 14 are responsible for the use of prohibited substances and methods.

Among them were Adriano Teixeira de Souza, known as Adriano Quintanilla, Associação Calvário Várzea Clube De Ciclismo – the club that was at the origins of the team – the then sporting director Nuno Ribeiro and his “deputy” José Rodrigues.

João Rodrigues, Rui Vinhas, Ricardo Mestre, Samuel Caldeira, Daniel Mestre, José Neves, Ricardo Vilela, Joni Brandão, José Gonçalves and Jorge Magalhães are former W52-FC Porto cyclists convicted of trafficking prohibited substances and methods, as well as Daniel Freitas, who represented the team from 2016 to 2018.