Cycling is ‘in the toilet’ after tour doping scandal

DICK POUND believes cycling “is in the toilet” following the latest doping scandal to rock the sport.

Tour de France pre-race favourites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso were withdrawn by their teams on Friday after they were implicated in a Spanish police investigation into a blood-doping operation in Madrid. Italian Basso and 1997 Tour de France winner Ullrich of Germany were joined by Spaniard Francisco Mancebo — the trio were second, third and fourth last year — along with six other riders.

None have been proven guilty, with their withdrawal in accordance with an agreement signed by teams on January 1 last year that they would not allow a rider to compete while under investigation in any doping affair.