Drugs Police Question Millar

Britain's leading cyclist David Millar spent yesterday in police custody in his home town of Biarritz being questioned as a witness as part of a Paris judge's investigation into alleged drug taking and dealing within his professional team Cofidis.

The Scot, who is the world time-trial champion and a member of the British Olympic team, was detained by three plain clothes officers, apparently from the Paris drugs squad, on Tuesday night and his flat was searched. He was released from custody last night. He is the first British cyclist to be questioned in the French drugs investigations following the Festina scandal of 1998.

The gendarmes arrived as he was dining with friends in a Biarritz restaurant after finishing the Route du Sud race, his final warm-up event before the Tour de France, starting in eight days' time in Liege.

Police sources said yesterday that he was being questioned as a witness in the investigation, which began in March 2003 and has resulted in eight cyclists and personnel from several teams being placed under formal investigation.

"We were expecting this to some extent," said Millar's sister Fran, who is his manager. "If allegations are made against you, you get taken in and asked to put your side of the story. We thought they wouldn't be so cynical as to wait five months and do it just before the start of the Tour de France. It's pretty standard but the timing is not standard.

"We had spoken to his lawyers in the UK and were told what to expect. If it was not for the timing, he would be pleased to have the chance to put his side of the story but they have picked the worst possible time. Mentally he was picking himself up again after the spring, and physically he was beginning to find form."

Millar had said he expected to be questioned after he was named by his former team-mate Philippe Gaumont in police interviews in the spring. Gaumont has been placed under investigation and has been sacked by the team after admitting using drugs.

Like the rest of Cofidis Millar stopped racing during April and May while the team decided how to proceed in the face of the investigation. The break came after the publica tion of lengthy transcripts from police interviews with the riders and masseurs placed under investigation.

He said the disruption to his Tour de France build-up and his preparation for the Olympics, where he will represent Great Britain in the time-trial and possibly the individual track pursuit, had left him depressed.

Francis van Londersele, the Cofidis team manager, said yesterday: "This is not about David, it is just a consequence of the Gaumont affair. For the moment David is simply a witness. I think it's a pity they've waited so long to meet him a few days before the start of the Tour de France."

The Cofidis Tour team already includes one cyclist under formal investigation as part of the inquiry, the Frenchman Cedric Vasseur, tests having proved that he will not face charges.