Professional cycling team Liberty Seguros' managing company, Active Bay S.L., has announced the contract termination with team doctor Alberto Garai in the light of recent race exclusions of Nuno Ribeiro and Isidro Nozal because of too high hematocrit values. The Portuguese Ribeiro was declared unfit to race at the 2005 Giro d'Italia for having a hematocrit level of 52 - two points over the UCI limit. Soon after, the Spaniard Nozal could not take the start at the Dauphiné Libéré for that same reason.
While Liberty Seguros suspended the two riders immediately, its managing society made public today that the team is waiting for further analysis of Nozal's blood samples, which he gave voluntarily after being tested at the Dauphiné Libéré, before re-integrating the rider in the team. As to Ribeiro, he has been reported to have found a new squad: the Portuguese LA Aluminios-Liberty Seguros, the ProTeam Liberty reserve.
