A cloud hung over the start of the eighth stage of the Tour de France in Rennes on Saturday following the first positive doping case in three years, although Italian cyclist Luca Paolini has apologised after testing positive for cocaine at the Tour de France.
The 38-year-old was taken off the Tour and suspended by his Katusha team on Friday evening after returning a positive result for cocaine from a test conducted on Tuesday.
Paolini apologised to Tour organisers and his own team but neither admitted to the offence nor denied it in a long post on Twitter.
His Words:“Excuse me but I’ve had to absorb the blow! I believe and always have believed in the controls, they are making this sport more credible, ever more so,” he said.
“I wanted to stay silent and resolve this thing in my own way!! I’m not the type to scream of a scandal and hopelessly try to run away.
“And as for what’s happened, I take full responsibility and will look to clarify this as best as I can! I apologise to all my colleagues, riders and of course @tour, ASO, knowing that it was the least appropriate moment, especially due to the very high media concentration.
“I apologise to my fantastic teammates at @katushacycling and I hope that my absence won’t prejudice a good final result...
“Over the coming days I’ll do what I can to understand how it was possible... But there’s one thing I want to clarify! There’s enough evil in the world to undo.
“But there are even more people who like me! Hence [expletive] off those who criticise freely and I hope, with collaboration from the UCI to clarify as much as possible what happened!
“Good night to the envious and especially to those who’ve proved to be friends. Once again I’m sorry.”
Katusha said they were “surprised because cocaine is not a substance that improves performance”, but said they were following UCI regulations and had suspended Paolini.
The use of cocaine outside of competition is not banned but when taken in competition it is considered a doping substance.
Paolini’s was the first positive test at the Tour since Frank Schleck in 2012, who was caught taking a diuretic, which can be used as a masking agent for other banned substances.
This news somewhat overshadowed Mark Cavendish’s first stage win in almost two years on the Tour and 26th in total, taking him into sole possession of third place on the all-time list behind five-time Tour winners Eddy Merckx (34) and Bernard Hinault (28).
The 30-year-old’s acceleration past Andre Greipel - who had triumphed in the previous two sprint finishes - was a timely reminder to his Etixx-Quick Step team of what the Manx Missile is capable.
His contract runs out at the end of this season.
“I’ve grown with this team, I’m really happy, you can see the ambiance we’ve got at Quick Step. I’d love to stay here, I really would,” said Cavendish.
Meanwhile, the 181.5km eighth stage from Rennes to Mur de Bretagne will see the return of the race leader’s yellow jersey.
Gulf