The Tour de France is in turmoil, with the issue of doping rather than sporting glory making headlines worldwide. Earlier this week there were positive dope tests on two tour competitors, one of them a pre-race favourite. Then leader Michael Rasmussen was dismissed by his Rabobank team. It says he lied about where he was in the build-up to the Tour.

The team’s Head of Sponsorship Heleen Crielaard is unrepentant. “We are trying very hard to get the world of cycling clean and, if you want to do that, you have to make strong rules, and if you really want to make the sport clean you have to make sure that the rules are followed by everybody and, in the first place, by your own cyclists,” she said.

Riders must reveal their whereabouts so random doping tests can be carried out. Rasmussen is strongly protesting his innocence. He says his withdrawal from the Tour has left him “broken and destroyed.”

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