TOUR CHIEF DEMANDS REVOLUTION
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme is calling for cycling to clean up its act after yet another drugs scandal.
Prudhomme believes that a "revolution" is needed throughout a sport which has been plagued with drug scandals in recent years.
His comments come after Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for blood doping following Saturday's time-trial victory in Albi. His team Astana have withdrawn from the tour and Vinokourov, who started the tour as one of the favourites, faces a two-year ban from the sport should his B-sample also show signs of blood doping.
Vinokourov's withdrawal is the latest in a long line of drug revelations that have dogged cycling. This year's leader Michael Ramussen is fending off suspicions after missing pre-tour doping tests and even though he seems the likely victor in Paris on Sunday, the controversy seems unlikely to go away.
This comes against the backdrop of the drugs saga that has kept 2006 winner Floyd Landis from defending his crown. The US rider was found to have what was described as an "unusually high" T/E ratio and the wrangle is still on-going as to the validity of his 2006 victory. Giro d'Italia winner Danilo di Luca is also under investigation.
Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi was forced to pull out of this year's competition whilst under investigation although the case against him was later dropped.
Ivan Basso, 2006 Giro winner Ivan Basso is currently serving a two-year suspension whilst back in 1996; Le Tour winner Bjarne Riis admitted using performance enhancing drugs, along with five former team-mates.
The Tour organisers will be frantically trying to divert attention back onto the cycling and Sunday's finale in Paris. Ramussen is tipped by many to maintain his lead although the spread betting markets also have 24-year-old Spaniard Alberto Contador as Ramussen's strongest challenger.
Related links:
