Rest of race will be ‘full of suspense and serenity’, says Tour chief

TOUR DE FRANCE director Christian Prudhomme claims his changes have made this year’s race one of the most exciting in years.

Prudhomme took control of an event plagued by doping scandals at the end of 2006 and this year has rung some drastic changes in an attempt to put the focus back on the race, dropping the prologue time-trial and creating a race with fewer flats than in recent years.

The result has been a thrilling and unpredictable Tour which has thrown up five different leaders in 10 days and nailbiting finishes to most of the individual stages.

And, as the event approaches the halfway stage, Prudhomme believes there is more of the same to come.

“I’m expecting the rest of the race to be full of suspense but also serenity,” the former television journalist said.

“I don’t regret a single second. The event needed the arrival of a stage where everyone could say to himself: “I can win”. You mustn’t be linear as regards to the course profile so that there will be surprises.

“What has most pleased me this first week is that we have seen riders who have been trying, who have been daring. We saw the third stage victory of Samuel Dumoulin and Romain Feillu taking the Yellow Jersey.

Prudhomme insists the excitement of the first 10 stages will be maintained in the final 11.

“It’s very open and that pleases me a lot,” he added. “I think that the Tour will still be full of suspense as it crosses the Alps.

“You don’t feel that there’s even one rider lagging behind the pack. I think that the third week of the Tour can offer a lot of surprises.

“Naturally, I’m expecting a beautiful battle. I’m expecting suspense that will last as long as possible. I’m expecting serenity and the confirmation there is a world in change where the sport will resume its rights.”

As well as being hailed as one of the best Tours in recent times, the 95th Tour de France has also emerged as one of the cleanest.

However, just as officials were praising themselves on a drug-free race, yet another scandal hit the event as Spanish rider Manuel Beltran tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance EPO. He is now awaiting the results of a B sample.

Prudhomme admits it will be hard if not impossible for the sport to rid itself of the taint of drugs but claims they are doing their best to control and monitor the situation.

“If you want the bicycle world to be perfect, that will never happen,” he continued. “On the other hand the case was con-trolled straight away after the positive test.

“That proves that the net is being tightened more and more.

“The French agency works completely independently. There is not any suspicion behind them.

“Because of the contract with the teams, (Beltran) was excluded immediately.”