'Spectacular' rider demonstration planned

By Susan Westemeyer

Tour de France riders are planning a demonstration on Sunday's final stage, to protest against those of their colleagues who continue to use dope. The demonstration comes after another doping tainted Tour, which saw Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) and Cristian Moreni (Cofidis) and their entire squads thrown out of the event following positive samples, while former yellow jersey Michael Rasmussen was dumped by his Rabobank team while leading the event for lying about his whereabouts.

"It is supposed to be something spectacular," said T-Mobile sport director Rolf Aldag, who confessed in May to using EPO during his own career as a professional rider. "The suggestion has been made to stop riding one metre before the finish line on the Champs Elysees. But I don't know if they will find enough riders to go through with it."

A meeting of team representatives is planned for Saturday after the Time Trial. The point must at least be made that the Tour and cycling can only be saved by functioning structures, Aldag said. "What is going on now between the UCI and the ASO, as Tour organiser, hurts everyone in the long run," he concluded.