PAU • French prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into doping allegations against Tour de France cycling team Bahrain Victorious after police searched the outfit's accommodation and bus on Wednesday following the 17th stage of the race.
The prosecutor's office in the port city of Marseille said the investigation was into "acquisition, transport, possession, import of a prohibited substance or prohibited method for use by an athlete without medical justification".
Bahrain Victorious said in an earlier statement: "On the eve of Stage 18 of (the) Tour de France, Team Bahrain Victorious were subject to an investigation by French Police.
"The investigation involved a search of riders' rooms as part of the process. Despite being unaware of the investigation reasons, the team was also requested to provide all training files which were compiled and presented to the officers as requested."
Team technical director Vladimir Miholjevic added: "Following Stage 17, we were greeted by several French police officers. We were not given a warrant to read through, but the team complied with all the officers' requests."
The search was performed by officers of the Central Office on the Fight against Threats to Environmental and Public Health of the National Gendarmerie of France (OCLAESP) amid doping suspicions since last year, a police source told Reuters.
Slovenian rider Matej Mohoric said the team had nothing to hide as he was about to start yesterday's 18th stage, a 129.76km mountain ride from Pau to Luz Ardiden in the French Pyrenees.
"It was like 50 of them (police officers)," he said.
"They went through all the phones, personal messages... they checked all our belongings, all the buses, all the cars but, of course, they didn't find anything because we have nothing to hide."
His teammate Sonny Colbrelli said the riders had little time to recuperate after a gruelling mountain stage on Wednesday.
"We're good, a bit nervous because these aren't great things for cycling because these are the last days of the Tour, yesterday was a hard stage and we could not sleep until 2.30am-3am, and then this morning we were up again early."
Bahrain Victorious have won two stages on this year's Tour de France through Mohoric and Belgian Dylan Teuns, while Dutchman Wout Poels leads the mountains classification.
"We are committed to (the) highest level of professionalism and adherence to all regulatory requirements and will always be cooperating in a professional manner," the team statement added.
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates won the 18th stage yesterday - his third stage win - to extend his overall lead. The Slovenian beat Dane Jonas Vingegaard and Ecuador's Richard Carapaz, who were second and third, respectively.
Pogacar, who also takes the polka-dot jersey from Poels, leads Vingegaard by 5min 45sec with Carapaz in third place, a further six seconds back.
REUTERS
