Cycling: London Tells Riders Involved in Drug Inquiry to Stay Away

In the most unequivocal message from any British official regarding next year's Tour de France start in London, Brian Cookson, the president of the national governing body, British Cycling, said yesterday that riders involved in current doping inquiries should not be at the start of the 2007 showcase.

"This will be a historic event, in the heart of one of the world's great cities, a fantastic opportunity for our sport," Cookson said, adding: "We really do not want to see this tarnished by a repeat of the doping scandals of 2006, so, frankly, we urge all those with involvement in the various investigations to stay away."

Cookson's statement comes against a background of controversy following the decision of Lance Armstrong's team, Discovery, to hire the Italian Ivan Basso, one of the group of cyclists expelled from the 2006 Tour shortly before the race began over their possible implication in the Operation Puerto blood-doping inquiry.

The Italian Olympic Committee has ruled that Basso has no case to answer but other team managers feel that Discovery has broken an agreement that no squad would hire any rider alleged to be implicated in Puerto. Cookson yesterday urged all teams to implement their ethical charter in full.

The German Jan Ullrich, along with Basso the most high-profile victim of the pre-Tour purge, has reiterated his desire to return to the sport in spite of the fact he is currently without a racing licence or team. Ullrich said he would race for a team outside the elite ProTour circuit if they could guarantee him one last tilt at either the Giro d'Italia or the Tour of Spain.

To date, no sporting sanctions have been taken against any cyclist implicated in Operation Puerto, and there is no immediate prospect of action as the judge leading the inquiry has forbidden the International Cycling Union from using evidence collated by the Spanish police.

There are, however, further allegations of the large sums involved in the alleged drugs ring. According to leaked documents published in the Spanish magazine Interviu, riders paid up to €70,000 (£47,000) for the services of the doctor at the centre of the network, Eufemiano Fuentes. The magazine published hand-written accounts which appear to reveal that one member of the ring, code-named Asterix, may have been paid €150,000.