A spokesman for Belgian super team Quick Step firmly denied links to doping practices Thursday after police arrested a dozen people following raids which netted large quantities of banned doping products.

The regional prosecutor's office, after initially saying the raids were on homes of members of the Quick Step team, refused to name any of those arrested, the team who employed them or the type of products uncovered.

Quick Step spokesman Alessandro Tegner claimed none of the team's riders were involved, and that their implication in the investigation is the result of a major communication mix-up.

"I've contacted all our riders and not one of them has been questioned by police," he said. "This is not and should not be branded a ‘Quick Step affair.’ It's about doping in Belgium, which obviously concerns amateur riders, but has nothing whatsoever to do with Quick Step.”

"There was been a mix-up with both the communication surrounding this affair, and its reporting by the media,” Tegner said. “This has unjustly tarnished our reputation."

Another judicial source said that one of the people arrested was a trainer with the Quick Step team, a claim later confirmed by team manager Patrick Lefevere.

Tom Janssens, spokesman for the public prosecutor, said that the raids were the result of a lengthy investigation.

"Ten raids were carried out this morning and, in different locations, investigators seized large quantities of doping products,” Janssens said. “A dozen people were arrested. These people are currently being questioned. Some meetings are also being organized by the federal police. An examining magistrate will then decide if these people have to be placed in provisional detention."

According to Belgian media, several amateur riders were among those arrested.

One of Quick Step's trainers, Johan Molly, whom private TV station VTM claim is a relative of Quick Step's former world champion Tom Boonen, was taken in for questioning.

However team spokesman Tegner added: "Johan was quickly released, and the police had nothing to charge him with. And nothing was found at his home."

The team was at the center of doping allegations earlier this year when the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws claimed that a doping culture was allowed to flourish because the team had a mole at the UCI who tipped them off when tests were due to be carried out.The newspaper published a series of articles accusing Quick Step team manager Lefevere of complicity in doping at his team, citing blood-boosting drug EPO and cocaine as the drugs in circulation.

The paper published its accusations through several anonymous sources.

Quick Step, which employs 2005 world champion and one-day specialist Boonen, as well as Olympic and reigning world champion Paolo Bettini, had been plunged into controversy when ex-rider Johan Museeuw, a former world champion, admitted that he had doped in his career.

The newspaper published a series of articles accusing Quick Step team manager Patrick Lefevere of complicity in doping on his team, citing blood-boosting drug EPO and cocaine as the drugs in circulation.

The paper published its accusations through several anonymous sources.

Quick Step, which employs 2005 world champion and one-day specialist Tom Boonen, as well as Olympic and reigning world champion Paolo Bettini, had been plunged into controversy when ex-rider Johan Museeuw, a former world champion, admitted that he had doped in his career.

The Belgian team denied the allegations, and Lefevere claimed that story caused him 20.5 million euros (27 million dollars) in damages, but he has yet to file a suit against Het Laatste Nieuws.

On Thursday Lefevere was still in the dark over the house raids.

"I'm en route for Paris. I don't know anything about this business. I can't really say anything," Lefevere told Belgium’s Belga news agency.

The team's sporting director, Wilfried Peeters, added that he had heard news of the raids on the radio.