Ag2r and Francisco Mancebo, excluded from the 2006 Tour de France after being implicated in the Spanish inquiry Operación Puerto, have reached an agreement ending the Spaniard’s contract with the French team.

A day before the start of the 2006 Tour de France, the 30-year-old Spaniard — who finished fourth in the 2005 Tour — was suspended after he was named on a list of riders suspected of being involved in a blood-doping network.

Though he had a contract with Ag2r through 2007, Mancebo said at the time that he would retire from the sport, according to team manager Vincent Lavenu.

"At the breakfast table I could feel what was in store," said Lavenu. "Francisco told me: 'I'm leaving. I'm hanging up my bike.'"

Recently, however, Mancebo is reported to have been in talks with the Tinkoff Credit Systems and Relax-GAM squads. —Agence France Presse contributed to this report