Tour de France:German cycling was thrown into fresh turmoil today when state TV shelved coverage of the Tour de France in response to T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone.
State broadcasters ARD and ZDF said they were halting coverage
of cycling's most prestigious race, watched by more than one
million Germans, until the Sinkewitz case was resolved.
The latest development follows a string of doping confessions
by and allegations against riders associated with T-Mobile and its
predecessor Team Telekom.
"We cannot wait until the Tour is over," ZDF editor Nikolaus
Brender told the broadcaster's lunchtime news. "There is a constant
suspicion of doping."
ARD used to be one of Telekom's sponsors and both it and ZDF
were planning a total of around 90 hours of coverage of this year's
Tour, which ends on July 29th.
Race organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) criticised
the decision of the German television companies, which are the
second biggest source of income for ASO as far as television rights
are concerned.
"This decision is paradoxical as it results in a sanction
against the Tour de France, which shows its will to fight against
doping," ASO chairman Patrice Clerc told reporters in Marseille
where the 10th stage finished today.
"Even if it is difficult to admit that a rider has tested
positive, do we have to complain about the fact that we continue to
track down the cheats?
"Maybe German TV expects us not to track them down."
In the race Cedric Vasseur clinched the host country's first win in this year's Tour with victory on the 229.5-km 10th stage.
The 36-year-old Quick Step rider, who will retire at the end of
the season, beat compatriot Sandy Casar to the line by the width of
a wheel, with Swiss Michael Albasini of the Liquigas team coming
home third.
Dane Michael Rasmussen of the Rabobank team retained the
overall leader's yellow jersey after finishing in the bunch.
"I can now leave with my head high," Vasseur told reporters.
"Ten years ago, I wore the yellow jersey during five days. There
are signs. I knew victory could not slip from my hands today."
Vasseur, who now has two Tour stage victories to his name,
first raised his arms in triumph in La Chatre in 1997. The former
US Postal and Cofidis rider was part of an 11-man breakaway that
shaped up after some 60 km.
In scorching heat, the fugitives built a 10-minute lead over
the peloton, led by Rasmussen's Rabobank team.
With regards the of road confrontation the German cycling
federation (BDR) had earlier said that a test on a first sample
Sinkewitz gave on June 8th had shown increased levels of
testosterone.
The BDR said it would write to the German rider and he would
then have five days to decide whether to request a second sample
given on June 8th be tested. If that confirmed the positive result,
the case would go to the federal court for sport.
The 26-year-old, who pulled out of the Tour earlier this week
with injuries after a collision with a spectator, could face a
two-year suspension. T-Mobile said it would cancel the rider's
contract if the second sample was positive.
"Whether he is really doped or not will be cleared up by the
second test," said ZDF's Brender. "But the suspicion is so strong
that we had to come very quickly to this decision. We want a clean
sport."
Germany's journalist association (DJV) welcomed the
broadcasters' decision.
"Sports plagued by doping are a farce which do not deserve
daily live coverage financed by licence fees," association chief
Michael Konken said.
Coverage will continue on Eurosport, the channel's director
of communications, Werner Starz, told Spiegel Online.