Doping Case Involving Marc Soler’s Father Deepens After Report Alleges 2023 Meeting with Banned Coach

​The anti-doping case surrounding the father of UAE Team Emirates: XRG rider Marc Soler has taken a new turn after Spanish outlet Ciclo21 published a detailed reconstruction of events dating back to August 2023.

​Earlier this week, Spain’s anti-doping authority CELAD confirmed that Jaume Soler Serrano, an amateur cyclist and Soler’s father, received an 18-month suspension. The sanction relates to links with banned coach Jose Marti, a figure associated with the US Postal Service doping era who is currently suspended until June 2027.

​According to the new report, a meeting took place on 9 August 2023 in Adrall, near the Andorran border, involving Marti, Jaume Soler and Marc Soler.

​Ciclo21 states that Spain’s Guardia Civil had placed the individuals under surveillance following anonymous complaints submitted to CELAD earlier that year.

​Jaume Soler and Marti were reportedly stopped at a roadside control where officers discovered equipment including latex gloves, alcohol, a lactate meter, oxygen saturation devices and testing strips, tools commonly used in performance testing.

​The publication notes there are “no direct proofs” of wrongdoing, but suggests the scenario could raise questions under anti-doping rules concerning prohibited association.

​No sanction has been announced against Marc Soler, and no formal verdict has been issued regarding his involvement. The case remains under CELAD’s jurisdiction.