Doping uncertainty over tour

Tour de France rider Raimondus Rumsas has been suspended after his wife was picked up at a border post in a car containing ‘‘doping substances’’.

The Lampre-Daikin team have suspended Lithuanian Rumsas less than 24 hours after his third place finish overall behind American legend Lance Armstrong.

Rumsas, making his debut in this year’s tour, was one of the biggest surprises in cycling’s premier event.

French customs officials detained Rumsas’ wife at the Mont Blanc Italian border crossing.

‘‘It happened yesterday during a routine control as it often happens,’’ said Anne Risterrucci, communication director for the Custom General Office in Paris (DGD).

‘‘She was alone in her car which was not showing any external sign of the Lampre team.

‘‘The custom officers did their job, stopped her car and discovered a lot of medicines in her luggage, some of them can be considered as doping substances.

‘‘We do not have a list of these products, nor their names.

‘‘But this was enough for the custom officers to put her in custody at the police central office (SRPJ) in Lyon where she is still being held.

‘‘An inquiry will follow and this is the Bonneville tribunal in Haute Savoie that will be in charge of it.’’

Lampre have acted swiftly by dropping their star pending an investigation.