Riders boycott Spanish national championships

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Spanish riders with foreign teams will not race at the Spanish National Championships later this month.

Biciciclismo confirmed today that riders have refused to take part as the Royal Spanish Federation (RFEC) have failed to pay travel and food costs. For the last three years, riders being forced to pay out of their own pockets to compete.

So far, requests to the RFEC to make the payments have been met with silence. The Association of Professional Cyclists's riders have been unanimous in their decision and hope to resolve the issue soon.

This year’s Spanish championships are set to take place in Ponferrada, with the road race following the same route that will be used at the World Championships in September.

Currently there are 17 Spanish riders racing with foreign teams - at the WorldTour level – including Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Samuel Sánchez (BMC).

There has been no confirmation as to whether the Spanish team Movistar will follow suit. Both defending Spanish champions, Jesus Herrada (road) and Jonathan Castroviejo (time trial) are on the team. However, 2010 champion José Iván Gutiérrez tweeted his support. "Respect to the professional group of me affected colleagues, but I feel the shame of the ACP… Amazing the ineffectiveness of our Association and my most sincere support to the cyclists who have not been paid."

The Spanish championships will go ahead as planned, between June 27-29, but with a severely diminished field.