Tour de France - Tour "winning war on drugs"
Eurosport - Tue, 24 Jul 19:50:00 2007
Tour de France organisers have claimed they are winning the war against drugs in cycling despite Alexandre Vinokourov's positive blood doping test.
"I am not downcast and I am all the more determined to go all the way in this fight," ASO president Patrice Clerc said.
"It may seem paradoxical but we are closing in on victory. I have been saying we have started a merciless war against doping.
"We live in dark times and it is out of the question to give up, it is out of the question to leave the place to those who cheat."
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said the cheats should now be worried.
"I told the riders before the start that this was a fantastic opportunity for renewal," he said.
"That has failed. But the cheats must understand that they are playing Russian roulette. We are utterly determined."
Asked if part of the problem was that the Tour was too difficult for the riders, Prudhomme said: "You do not cheat because it is too hard, you cheat because you want to be first.
"If there were sack races in the Olympics, with money and TV, people would cheat."
Prudhomme slammed the UCI for not doing enough.
"The system is a complete failure. It does not protect the greatest cycling race. We have to blow this system," he said.
He added that organisers had been informed of Vinokourov's positive test by Astana, not the UCI.
Clerc said that if ASO had been informed of yellow jersey holder Michael Rasmussen's two warnings for failing to provide his personal training schedule, the Dane would not have been invited to race.
"We should have been aware of this failure to abide by the rules and he would not have been invited on the Tour de France because he is not a good example for the rest of the riders.
"A so-called champion has to act like a champion."
Reuters / Eurosport
Tour Standings
-
Stage
Name Nat. Team Time Fabian CANCELLARA 
SAX 00:19:32 Alberto CONTADOR 
AST +00:00:18 Bradley WIGGINS 
GRM +00:00:19 Andréas KLÖDEN 
AST +00:00:22 Cadel EVANS 
SIL +00:00:23 Levi LEIPHEIMER 
AST +00:00:30 Roman KREUZIGER 
LIQ +00:00:32 Tony MARTIN THR +00:00:33 Vincenzo NIBALI 
LIQ +00:00:37 Lance ARMSTRONG AST +00:00:40 -
Yellow
Name Nat. Team Time Fabian CANCELLARA SAX 00:19:32 Alberto CONTADOR AST +00:00:18 Bradley WIGGINS GRM +00:00:19 Andréas KLÖDEN AST +00:00:22 Cadel EVANS SIL +00:00:23 Levi LEIPHEIMER AST +00:00:30 Roman KREUZIGER LIQ +00:00:32 Tony MARTIN THR +00:00:33 Vincenzo NIBALI LIQ +00:00:37 Lance ARMSTRONG AST +00:00:40 -
Green
Name Nat. Team Points Fabian CANCELLARA SAX 15 Alberto CONTADOR AST 12 Bradley WIGGINS GRM 10 Andréas KLÖDEN AST 8 Cadel EVANS SIL 6 Levi LEIPHEIMER AST 5 Roman KREUZIGER LIQ 4 Tony MARTIN THR 3 Vincenzo NIBALI LIQ 2 Lance ARMSTRONG AST 1 -
Mountain
Name Nat. Team Points Alberto CONTADOR AST 3 Tony MARTIN THR 2 Bradley WIGGINS GRM 1