French police searched hotel rooms occupied by Arkéa-Samsic on Wednesday evening during the Tour de France, according to reports in Le Journal du Dimanche and L’Équipe.
Team manager Emmanuel Hubert confirmed that the search had taken place when contacted by L’Équipe, but he declined to comment further. The sports daily reports that Nairo Quintana was the target of the raid, which was carried out by officers from the Central Office for the Fight against Threats to Environmental and Public Health (OCLAESP).
According to L’Équipe, police also searched the rooms of Colombian riders Dayer Quintana and Winner Anacona, as well the team’s soigneurs and the team cars. Arkéa-Samsic were staying near Méribel, after stage 17 to the Col de la Loze.
The raid, which was carried out as part of a preliminary inquiry, was not organised in cooperation with the French anti-doping agency (AFLD).
Quintana joined Arkéa-Samsic ahead of the 2020 season after seven years with Movistar. He was joined at the French team by his brother Dayer and fellow countryman Anacona. Quintana began his time with Arkéa-Samsic with five wins in the opening weeks of the season.
That sequence of wins placed Quintana among the contenders for Tour victory, though his preparation was hindered by a training crash in Colombia in July. He crashed again on stage 13 of the Tour and his podium challenge collapsed on the Grand Colombier two days later.
Quintana reached Paris in 17th place overall, his lowest finish in a Grand Tour since the 2012 Vuelta a España.
