I wonder if Lopez's difficulties in finding a team are not entirely about the suspicion of doping clouding around him. I think that a number of teams that could sign him still have in mind the manner in which he effectively left the Movistar team - mid-stage in the Vuelta - and don't want anything to do with a potentially poisonous element in their team.
Team harmony is important and while a Lopez-type incident might not directly affect many others on the team, such an event can subtly upset the harmony of an organization, even if only through the stress that it imposes on the team's management.
"No thanks" is something I bet a few team managers are thinking.
Key Takeaways: 2023's Intriguing Free-Agent Market
I wonder if Lopez's difficulties in finding a team are not entirely about the suspicion of doping clouding around him. I think that a number of teams that could sign him still have in mind the manner in which he effectively left the Movistar team - mid-stage in the Vuelta - and don't want anything to do with a potentially poisonous element in their team.
Team harmony is important and while a Lopez-type incident might not directly affect many others on the team, such an event can subtly upset the harmony of an organization, even if only through the stress that it imposes on the team's management.
"No thanks" is something I bet a few team managers are thinking.