Organisers cancelled the 18th stage of the Giro d'Italia today when top cyclists threatened to pull out of the race after police found banned anabolic steroids in raids on team hotels.
About 50 cyclists held an emergency meeting in a San Remo hotel early today, forcing organisers first to shorten the stage.
Two hours later, when the riders showed no sign of wanting to race, the stage was cancelled. Team directors were then summoned to the meeting for last-ditch talks to save the Giro.
"For me it would be a very serious mistake to end things here," said Gianni Savio, manager of the Selle Italia team, after meeting the riders.
"Let's hope they change their minds. I tried to explain to them that their method of protest is completely wrong."
The meeting was attended by Italy's Marco Pantani, the former Tour de France champion who pulled out of the Giro earlier today because of influenza. Race leader Gilberto Simoni and Mario Cipollini, an Italian sporting hero, were also there.
Raised voices could be heard from the meeting and Hein Verbruggen, head of the sport's governing body UCI, was applauded when he addressed the riders.
"I would prefer that the race goes on, that's normal for the spectators, the organisers and everybody. But if the race doesn't continue the UCI is with the riders," he told reporters.
Italian police raided hotels on Wednesday evening in the biggest crackdown on doping in cycling since the notorious 1998 Tour de France. Earlier Mercatone rider Riccardo Forconi of Italy had been suspended by his team for failing a dope test.
Some 200 officers searched the rooms of riders from all 20 teams after the 17th stage in this northern coastal resort.
Italian news agency ANSA quoted police sources as saying substances including testosterone, caffeine, adrenal and anabolic steroids and other stimulants had been seized