By Gregor Brown in Marseille
ASO President Patrice Clerc made a special announcement only moments after Cédric Vasseur won stage 10 in Marseille. The Frenchman wanted to speak his mind about Patrik Sinkewitz' positive test and German television's subsequent decision to pull the plug on its Tour de France coverage.
"I heard about the positive control of Patrik Sinkewitz today," said Clerc to the gathered Tour de France press on a sizzling hot day in southern France. "I am surprised," continued Clerc. "I think the riders know that we are determined to fight doping. It is a big risk on the part of the riders to make this kind of joke. The controls are more and more effective and it is a risk for them."
A year after the Eufemiano Fuentes affair, Clerc is disappointed that his race has a positive test result linked to it. "I am also sad and I thought the riders understood and that they can't do these kind of things."
"I heard about German television deciding not to air the Tour de France," finished Clerc. "I don't understand why they made a decision against us because we are working hard and... I don't know. Maybe they prefer we don't do controls and don't find anything. But if we find something it means we are trying and to fight against doping. It is not fair to take this decision while we are showing hard that we are fighting hard against doping."
