Christian Prudhomme does not want any of the riders named in Operación Puerto to take part in the Tour de France. "I have asked the teams not to use those named riders," the Tour's Director said in an interview with L'Equipe.
"This will not be a unilateral decision," he said. "During the Ardennes week I will talk to all the teams." He added, "Everyone who is committed to this course must do everything to stop the doping. There must be solidarity."
The fact that Jan Ullrich's blood has been identified "has changed the matter," he said. "The named riders are now all the more suspected. We can't simply look on and do nothing at all."
Prudhomme confirmed that he has spoken with Discovery Channel, which signed Ivan Basso. "Yes, I have made clear to Johan Bruyneel how I see the matter, how I want to insure the future of the sport."
He also added that he has not asked Bruyneel not to nominate Basso for the Ardennes Classics. "There was too little time. And again, we must cooperate."
