Dan Martin is eyeing up the next three stages of the Tour de France as potential days where he could make a real statement of intent.

The Saunier Duval-Scott team have voluntarily withdrawn from the Tour de France in the wake of the positive drug test returned by their star climber Riccardo Ricco.

A cache of explosives allegedly belonging to the outlawed Basque separatist group ETA and ready for immediate use was found near the French border with Spain, Spain's interior minister said today.