International Cycling Union dismisses Tour de France doping results

The Swiss-based International Cycling Union has dismissed the results of drug tests carried out by a French anti-doping agency on riders during the Tour de France.

The UCI said it disputed a report by the Council for Prevention of Drug Use which found that 45 per cent of riders who provided samples had traces of drugs in their systems.

The UCI said it stood by the results of its own doping controls and that it had followed guidelines laid down by the International Olympic Committee.

Last week, the Lausanne-based group announced that all doping tests carried out during the Tour had come back negative for banned substances.

French officials announced on Tuesday that of 96 tests performed during the race, 28 had come back positive for corticosteroids which reduce fatigue and act as painkillers, and ten tests were positive for stimulants which aid breathing. It said five tests revealed the presence of both types of drug.

In a statement, the UCI said the French results did not necessarily point to doping.

It pointed out that 26 of the 28 riders who tested positive for corticosteroids had medical clearance to use the drug and that, as announced last week, they were still investigating the two remaining cases.

The UCI also dismissed the other ten stimulant cases, saying that nine tests were within or below IOC approved limits, and that in the one positive result, the substance had been prescribed for the rider.

The Council for Prevention of Drug Use, set up by the French government after the scandal-ridden 1998 Tour, is an independent body that carries out its own testing.

Under French law, it can impose sanctions on both French and foreign riders if it is not satisfied with the actions taken by sporting bodies.

swissinfo with agencies