AIGCP: No Tour for ethics violators

The International Association of Professional Cycling teams (AIGCP) met yesterday in Anneyron, the site of stage three of the Dauphiné Libéré, and re-stated the necessity to adhere to the Code of Ethics put in place in 2005.

The meeting started with all 19 ProTour teams (Unibet.com was not invited). Discussions were lively according to LePoint.fr, and Bouygues Telecom (Jean-René Bernaudeau) and Cofidis (Eric Boyer) left the meeting before it concluded. The remaining representatives voted unanimously that any of the teams who have not respected the Code of Ethics would not be allowed to race in the Tour de France.

The French paper went on to report that if by next Tuesday, when the UCI will meet with AIGCP, Caisse d'Epargne, Saunier Duval and Discovery Channel (due to their riders being allegedly involved Operación Puerto) do not uphold the ethics agreed upon, the other teams will quit the AIGCP and create a parallel association.

Three riders implicated in Operación Puerto are said to be collaborating and will provide more details on the Eufemiano Fuentes network.