Tour de France:The Cofidis team have pulled out of the Tour de France after confirming one of their riders Cristian Moreni has failed a drugs test.
In a statement posted on their official website, www.equipe-cofidis.com, the team announced that it has "suffered a blow today with the news of a positive test for Cristian Moreni.
"Despite all the measures taken within the team to fight against doping, despite all of our warnings, we have not been able to prevent this.
"The whole team has become a victim. In reaction to this terrible news, the Cofidis team has withdrawn from the Tour de France."
According to reports, Moreni tested positive for testosterone following the 11th stage of the Tour last Thursday. British rider Bradley Wiggins, a Cofidis rider, is now out of the Tour through no fault of his own.
Wiggins's compatriot Mark Cavendish believes imprisonment is a suitable punishment for those found guilty of drugs offences in his sport.
The 22-year-old earned the nickname 'Cannonball' for his ability to blast through crowds of riders when he was the most promising talent in British Cycling's academy team. And he does not hesitate to turn his fire on those who abuse the rules on doping in the sport.
"They are robbing people," Cavendish said today. "They should go to prison in my book."
Alexandre Vinokourov, the pre-race favourite in the Tour de France, had failed a test for blood-doping prior to Moreni's positive test, though he has protested his innocence and claims the positive result is a "mistake" and that his Astana team have been victimised.
Cavendish and others like him feel they are the true victims of cycling's doping problem.
As broadcasters question the wisdom of devoting hours and hours of air time to a sport which seems to spend each summer in convulsions over the latest doping scandal, sponsors get colder and colder feet.
"I'm contracted to T-Mobile until the end of 2009," said Cavendish. "But there's talk now that the sponsorship is already hanging by a thread and because of some fool who's nothing to do with us, I could be without a team and so could 28 other riders."
Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was jeered by the crowd when the race resumed today, before going on to win the 16th stage. The Dane has been at the centre of controversy since the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) announced last Thursday he had been dropped from the national team for the world championships.
The DCU has since gone on to query his eligibility to compete saying the rider has received four warnings for failing to provide information of his whereabouts during training.
Under International Cycling Union (UCI) rules, a rider must inform the sport's governing body of his personal schedule so random tests can be conducted. If the cyclist fails to do so, he receives a warning. Three such warnings over a rolling 18-month period is considered the equivalent of a positive test and results in a two-year suspension.
Rasmussen has been dropped from his national team for the world championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Today, the Radobank rider started the 218.5-km stage to the Col d'Aubisque with a 10 minute delay after the six French and two German teams competing in the race staged a protest against doping.
"He (Rasmussen) should be kicked out of the race by organisers, whatever the cost," said AG2r team manager Vincent Lavenu. "He is a disgrace to the sport."