PAU, France – Frank Schleck of Luxembourg pulled out of the Tour de France and spent several hours in a police station in southwest France Tuesday after failing a doping test. The UCI said Schleck tested positive for a banned diuretic called Xipamide on July 14, another reminder of the doping cloud that has damaged the image of cycling – and its biggest event. The 32-year-old RadioShack Nissan Trek leader placed third in the Tour last year, and was in 12th place overall – 9 minutes, 45 seconds behind leader Bradley Wiggins – going into Tuesday's rest day. His brother Andy was awarded the 2010 Tour victory after Alberto Contador was stripped of the title because of his positive test for clenbuterol, but missed this year's race with a spinal injury. Governing body UCI said the diuretic Xipamide turned up in an anti-doping test conducted by the French anti-doping lab in Chatenay-Malabry south of Paris on a sample from Schleck taken July 14. The RadioShack team said in a statement that it had decided to withdraw Schleck from the race, and said that the diuretic is not present in any medicine used by the team. The statement said “the reason for the presence of Xipamide in the urine sample of Mr. Schleck is unclear to the team. Therefore, the team is not able to explain the adverse findings at this point.” The team is likely to ask for the “B'' sample to be analyzed, which it must do within four days. “If it comes back positive he will be suspended by the team,” Maertens said. The team said that police did not search the riders' rooms at the hotel, and that RadioShack will continue to compete in the race, he said. Still, it was more bad news for the RadioShack squad, which was built on the remains of former teams of Lance Armstrong, who helped land the top-line sponsorship of the American retail chain for the team. The case is also likely to cast new doubt on cycling's ability to root out drugs cheats despite vigorous controls put in place by the UCI and its allies in the anti-doping fight. It is the second doping-related case to emerge at the Tour this year. Cofidis rider Remy Di Gregorio of France was arrested on the first rest day on July 10 as part of a Marseille doping probe.
Wiggins tightens grip
Bradley Wiggins took another step towards securing his maiden Tour de France crown after a 16th stage won in stylish fashion by Frenchman Thomas Voeckler. Yellow jersey holder Wiggins repelled a number of attacks by Vincenzo Nibali to come over the finish with his Italian rival and Sky teammate Chris Froome around seven minutes behind a triumphant Voeckler. Defending champion Cadel Evans of Australia finished nearly 12 minutes behind Voeckler and nearly five minutes behind Wiggins' group after being dropped on the Col du Peyresourde. It means Evans drops from fourth overall to seventh at 8:06 behind Wiggins and virtually ends his bid to defend his 2011 title. After another impressive day in the mountains by Sky, Wiggins retained his 2min 05sec lead over Froome, with Liquigas rider Nibali still third at 2:23. — Agencies
