Commotion at the Spanish federation; Freire claims he was deceived about national coach candidacy: "They tricked me"
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Follow us on GoogleThings are fuming within Spanish cycling. National coach Pascual Momparler is leaving, and the search for a replacement seems nearing an end after Alejandro Valverde was put forward as a new candidate. But Óscar Freire claims that not El Imbatido, but he would become the national coach. The former Rabobank sprinter is furious.
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Freire had talked with federation president José Vicioso about a possible job as Momparler's successor. Freire believes he was given all kinds of promises, but they were not kept. "I heard it Thursday morning when I read the news," he told AS about Valverde's choice. "The reality is that I would be the coach starting Sunday. What hurt me the most is that I discovered it in the newspaper and not through him," he indicated the lack of contact with Vicioso.
The 48-year-old Spaniard sought contact with the president but did not answer. "The only message he sent me later was that he was baffled and gave me no explanation. He told me at the last minute that his priority has always been Valverde. That surprised me even more." Freire, however, sensed some was amiss. "We talked for a few hours and discussed numerous things. I'm not a first-year cadet anymore. I knew something didn't make sense when I saw the situation this morning. I already felt it wasn't going in the right direction."
Read more below the photo!
Óscar Freire is furious after news of Alejandro Valverde's possible spot as national team coach.
Freire furious, Vicioso reacts surprised: "Nothing signed"
The disappointment runs deep: Freire was too eager to become national coach. It feels like a personal betrayal. "I've known him for a while, and now this happens..." The federation is accused of unfair intentions. "Here at the federation, other priorities take precedence," he told Marca. "I can imagine it, but I don't know. I think the sport is not a priority. They think I'm a wimp. They made fun of me."
Vicioso has since had a chance to respond. The 51-year-old Spaniard is surprised at the outraged Freire. "Last Saturday, we met to discuss his national team coaching project," he told Marca. "We talked about what the project would look like, but at no point did we sign a contract. I'm sorry if Óscar got the feeling that everything was concluded because it wasn't like that because we are still in open talks with different candidates to find the best one."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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