Editing Tour de France (section)

==Doping==
{{Main|Doping at the Tour de France}}
{{See also|Festina affair|Doping at the 1998 Tour de France|Doping at the 1999 Tour de France|Floyd Landis doping case|Doping at the 2007 Tour de France|Lance Armstrong doping case}}
[[File:Tour de Doping.jpg|thumb|left|Spectators' banner during the [[2006 Tour de France]]]]
Allegations of [[Doping in sport|doping]] have plagued the Tour almost since it began in 1903. Early riders consumed [[ethanol|alcohol]] and used [[diethyl ether|ether]] to dull the pain.<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://www.academia.edu/7065151| author = Mika Rissanen| title = Beer Breaks during the Tour de France. Some observations on beer and cycling in the early 1900s | journal = Ludica, Annali di Storia e Civiltà del Gioco, 17–18 (2011–2012), Pp. 188–190.| date = May 2014|publisher= Ludica, annali di storia e civiltà del gioco |access-date = 27 September 2016}}</ref> Over the years they began to increase performance and the [[Union Cycliste Internationale]] and governments enacted policies to combat the practice.

In 1924, [[Henri Pélissier]] and his brother [[Charles Pélissier|Charles]] told the journalist [[Albert Londres]] they used [[strychnine]], [[cocaine]], [[chloroform]], [[aspirin]], "horse ointment" and other drugs.<ref>''Tour de France, 100 ans, 1903–2003'', L'Équipe, France 2003, p149</ref> The story was published in ''[[Le Petit Parisien]]'' under the title ''Les Forçats de la Route'' ('The Convicts of the Road'){{sfn|Woodland|2007|p=}}{{sfn|de Mondenard|2003|p=}}<ref name="abcc01">{{cite web|url=http://www.abcc.co.uk/Articles/DrgsTdeF.html |title=Association of British Cycling Coaches (ABCC), Drugs and the Tour De France by Ramin Minovi |publisher=ABCC |date=1 June 1965 |access-date=18 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627210659/http://www.abcc.co.uk/Articles/DrgsTdeF.html |archive-date=27 June 2007 }}</ref>{{sfn|Moore|2011|p=145}}

On 13 July 1967, British cyclist [[Tom Simpson]] died climbing [[Mont Ventoux]] after taking [[amphetamine]].

In 1998, the "Tour of Shame", [[Willy Voet]], [[soigneur]] for the [[Festina (cycling team)|Festina]] team, was arrested with [[erythropoietin]] (EPO), [[growth hormone]]s, [[Testosterone (medication)|testosterone]] and amphetamine. Police raided team hotels and found products in the possession of the cycling team [[TVM (cycling team)|TVM]]. Riders went on strike. After mediation by director [[Jean-Marie Leblanc]], police limited their tactics and riders continued. Some riders had dropped out and only 96 finished the race. It became clear in a trial that management and health officials of the Festina team had organised the doping.

Further measures were introduced by race organisers and the [[Union Cycliste Internationale|UCI]], including more frequent testing and tests for [[blood doping]] ([[blood transfusion|transfusions]] and [[erythropoietin|EPO]] use). This would lead the UCI to becoming a particularly interested party in an [[International Olympic Committee]] initiative, the [[World Anti-Doping Agency]] (WADA), created in 1999. In 2002, the wife of [[Raimondas Rumšas]], third in the [[2002 Tour de France]], was arrested after [[erythropoietin|EPO]] and [[anabolic steroids]] were found in her car. Rumšas, who had not failed a test, was not penalised. In 2004, [[Philippe Gaumont]] said doping was endemic to his [[Cofidis]] team. Fellow Cofidis rider [[David Millar]] confessed to [[erythropoietin|EPO]] after his home was raided. In the same year, [[Jesús Manzano]], a rider with the Kelme team, alleged he had been forced by his team to use banned substances.<ref>{{cite news
 |title=Ex-Kelme rider promises doping revelations
 |publisher=VeloNews
 |date=20 March 2004
|url=http://velonews.com/article/5743
 |access-date=27 May 2007
|url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319010616/http://www.velonews.com/article/5743
 |archive-date=19 March 2008
}}</ref>

From 1999 to 2005, seven successive tours were declared as having been won by [[Lance Armstrong]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/sports/cycling/armstrong-stripped-of-his-7-tour-de-france-titles.html|title=Lance Armstrong Stripped of 7 Tour de France Titles|last=Macur|first=Juliet|date=22 October 2012|work=The New York Times|access-date=31 January 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In August 2005, one month after Armstrong's seventh apparent victory, ''L'Équipe'' published documents it said showed Armstrong had used EPO in the 1999 race.<ref>L'Équipe, France, 23 August 2005, p1</ref><ref>{{cite news
 |title=''L'Équipe'' alleges Armstrong samples show EPO use in 99 Tour
 |publisher=VeloNews
 |date=23 August 2005
|url=http://velonews.com/article/8740
 |access-date=27 May 2007
|url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508010255/http://velonews.com/article/8740
 |archive-date=8 May 2008
}}</ref> At the same Tour, Armstrong's urine showed traces of a glucocorticosteroid hormone, although below the positive threshold. He said he had used skin cream containing [[triamcinolone]] to treat [[saddle sores]].<ref>{{cite news
|title =Armstrong's journey : Tour leader rides from Texas plains to Champs-Élysées
|publisher = CNN Sports Illustrated
|date =22 July 2000
|url =http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cycling/2000/tour_de_france/news/2000/07/22/amstrong_journey_ap/
|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20000824153915/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cycling/2000/tour_de_france/news/2000/07/22/amstrong_journey_ap/
|url-status =dead
|archive-date =24 August 2000
|access-date =27 May 2007}}</ref> Armstrong said he had received permission from the UCI to use this cream.{{sfn|Armstrong|Jenkins|2001|p=}} [[History of Lance Armstrong doping allegations|Further allegations]] ultimately culminated in the United States Anti Doping Agency ([[USADA]]) disqualifying him from all his victories since 1 August 1998, including his seven consecutive Tour de France victories, and a lifetime ban from competing in professional sports.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usada.org/media/sanction-armstrong8242012 |title=Lance Armstrong Receives Lifetime Ban And Disqualification Of Competitive Results For Doping Violations Stemming From His Involvement In The United States Postal Service Pro-Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy |date=24 August 2012 |publisher=U.S. Anti-Doping Agency|access-date=29 June 2013}}</ref> The ASO declined to name any other rider as winner in Armstrong's stead in those years.

The [[2006 Tour de France|2006 Tour]] had been plagued by the [[Operación Puerto doping case]] before it began. Favourites such as [[Jan Ullrich]] and [[Ivan Basso]] were banned by their teams a day before the start. Seventeen riders were implicated. American rider [[Floyd Landis]], who finished the Tour as holder of the overall lead, had tested positive for [[Testosterone (medication)|testosterone]] after he won stage 17, but this was not confirmed until some two weeks after the race finished. On 30 June 2008 Landis lost his appeal to the [[Court of Arbitration for Sport]], and [[Óscar Pereiro]] was named as winner.<ref>{{cite news
|title = Landis loses appeal, must forfeit Tour de France title
|work=Houston Chronicle
|date =30 June 2008
|url = http://www.chron.com/disp/commnts.mpl/sports/5863703.html
|access-date =30 June 2008}}</ref>

On 24 May 2007, [[Erik Zabel]] admitted using EPO during the first week of the 1996 Tour,<ref>{{cite news
 |first=Susan
 |last= Westemeyer
 |title= Zabel and Aldag confess EPO usage
 |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/may07/may24news2
 |work=CyclingNews
 |date=24 May 2007
|access-date=27 May 2007}}</ref> when he won the points classification. Following his plea that other cyclists admit to drugs, former winner [[Bjarne Riis]] admitted in [[Copenhagen]] on 25 May 2007 that he used EPO regularly from 1993 to 1998, including when he won the 1996 Tour.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aG.4N3TyZIVM&refer=europe
|title=Riis, Tour de France Champ, Says He Took Banned Drugs
|publisher=Bloomberg
|date=25 May 2007
|access-date=26 May 2007}}</ref> His admission meant the top three in 1996 were all linked to doping, two admitting cheating. On 24 July 2007 [[Alexander Vinokourov]] tested positive for a blood transfusion ([[blood doping]]) after winning a time trial, prompting his Astana team to pull out and police to raid the team's hotel.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072400938.html Astana Pulls Out of Tour de France] Washington Post, 24 July 2007</ref> The next day [[Cristian Moreni]] tested positive for [[Testosterone (medication)|testosterone]]. His Cofidis team pulled out.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6915683.stm Tour hit by second doping result] BBC Sport, 25 July 2007</ref>

The same day, leader [[Michael Rasmussen (cyclist)|Michael Rasmussen]] was removed for "violating internal team rules" by missing random tests on 9 May and 28 June. Rasmussen claimed to have been in Mexico. The Italian journalist [[Davide Cassani]] told Danish television he had seen Rasmussen in Italy. The alleged lying prompted Rasmussen's firing by Rabobank.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aIr0zYGwnFr8&refer=home |title=Rasmussen, Tour de France Leader, is Expelled by Team |publisher=Bloomberg |date=26 July 2007 |access-date=18 July 2009}}</ref>

On 11 July 2008, [[Manuel Beltrán]] tested positive for EPO after the first stage.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j99v8lGDDLVr7JnBjqOPuu0iupiwD91RQJG01 |title=Doping agency: Beltran positive for EPO |access-date=7 November 2008 |agency=Associated Press |via=Google News }}{{dead link|date=July 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> On 17 July 2008, [[Riccardo Riccò]] tested positive for [[Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta|continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator]], a variant of EPO,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7511518.stm |title=Tour 'winning war against doping' |publisher=BBC Sport|date=17 July 2008|access-date=4 November 2008}}</ref> after the fourth stage. In October 2008, it was revealed that Riccò's teammate and [[2008 Tour de France, Stage 1 to Stage 11#Stage 10|Stage 10]] winner [[Leonardo Piepoli]], as well as [[Stefan Schumacher]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/oct08/oct07news |title=Piepoli and Schumacher Tour de France samples positive for CERA |work=Cycling News|date=7 October 2008 |access-date=18 July 2009|publisher=Immediate Media}}</ref>&nbsp;– who won both time trials&nbsp;– and [[Bernhard Kohl]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/oct08/oct14news |title=Kohl positive confirmed |publisher= Immediate Media|work=Cyclingnews.com |access-date=18 July 2009}}</ref>&nbsp;– third on general classification and King of the Mountains&nbsp;– had tested positive.

After winning the [[2010 Tour de France]], it was announced that [[Alberto Contador]] had tested positive for low levels of [[clenbuterol]] on 21 July rest day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/09/news/contador-tests-positive-for-clenbuterol_143791 |title=Contador tests positive for low levels of clenbuterol |publisher=VeloNews|date=30 September 2010 |access-date=7 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710071433/http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/09/news/contador-tests-positive-for-clenbuterol_143791 |archive-date=10 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 26 January 2011, the [[RFEC|Spanish Cycling Federation]] proposed a 1-year ban<ref>{{cite web |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/01/news/spanish-federation-proposes-one-year-ban-for-contador_157185 |title=Spanish federation proposes one-year suspension for Contador |publisher=VeloNews |date=27 January 2011 |access-date=7 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627155824/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/01/news/spanish-federation-proposes-one-year-ban-for-contador_157185 |archive-date=27 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but reversed its ruling on 15 February and cleared Contador to race.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/02/news/it%E2%80%99s-official-spanish-fed-clears-contador_159920 |title=Spanish fed clears Alberto Contador, Contador plans to start Algarve |publisher=VeloNews |date=15 February 2011 |access-date=7 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710074744/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/02/news/it%E2%80%99s-official-spanish-fed-clears-contador_159920 |archive-date=10 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite a pending appeal by the [[Union Cycliste Internationale|UCI]], Contador finished fifth overall in the [[2011 Tour de France]], but in February 2012, Contador was suspended and stripped of his 2010 victory.<ref name="cascontador">{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cas-sanction-contador-with-two-year-ban-in-clenbuterol-case|title=CAS sanctions Contador with two-year ban in clenbutorol case|date=6 February 2012|access-date=6 February 2012|publisher=Future Publishing|work=Cyclingnews}}</ref>

During the 2012 Tour, the 3rd placed rider from 2011, [[Fränk Schleck]], tested positive for the banned diuretic [[Xipamide]] and was immediately disqualified from the Tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/18880417 |title=Frank Schleck fails drugs test at Tour de France |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 July 2012 |access-date=28 July 2021 }}</ref>

In October 2012, the [[United States Anti-Doping Agency]] released a report on doping by the [[U.S. Postal Service cycling team]], implicating, amongst others, Armstrong. The report contained [[affidavit]]s from riders including [[Frankie Andreu]], [[Tyler Hamilton]], [[George Hincapie]], [[Floyd Landis]], [[Levi Leipheimer]], and others describing widespread use of [[Erythropoietin]] (EPO), blood transfusion, testosterone, and other banned practices in several Tours.<ref>[http://cyclinginvestigation.usada.org/ U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team Investigation], USADA, 2012 October, retr 2012 10 14</ref> In October 2012 the UCI acted upon this report, formally stripping Armstrong of all titles since 1 August 1998, including all seven Tour victories,<ref name="BBCArmstrong">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20008520 | title=Lance Armstrong stripped of all seven Tour de France wins by UCI | publisher=BBC Sport| date=22 October 2012 | access-date=22 October 2012}}</ref> and announced that his Tour wins would not be reallocated to other riders.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20103406 | title=Lance Armstrong's Tour de France victories will not be reallocated | publisher=BBC Sport| date=26 October 2012 | access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

While no Tour winner has been convicted, or even seriously accused of doping in order to win the Tour in the past decade, due to the previous era, questions frequently arise when a strong performance exceeds expectations. While four-time champion Froome has been involved in a doping case, it is out of an abundance of caution that modern riders are kept under a microscope with bike inspections to check for "mechanical doping"<ref>{{cite web|title=Mechanical Doping Cycling Probe Closes
|publisher=Dan Fletcher |date=28 June 2020 |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1095748/mechanical-doping-cycling-probe-closes
}}</ref> as well as [[Biological passport|Biological Passports]] as officials try not to have a repeat of EPO with 'H7379 Haemoglobin Human'.<ref>{{cite web|title=Operation Aderlass Investigators Discover New Doping Product
|publisher=cyclingnews.com |date=25 September 2020 |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/operation-aderlass-investigators-discover-new-doping-product/
}}</ref>
Despite initially beginning as an operation to investigate the winter sport of Nordic Skiing, [[Operation Aderlass]] is of particular interest to this sport because it involved people formerly and presently involved in cycling. Including the since vacated 2008 podium finisher [[Bernhard Kohl]], who made accusations that a team doctor instructed riders how to dope, which prompted further investigation into this matter by authorities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kohl Accuses Gerolsteiner Doctor of Doping Involvement
|publisher=Gregor Brown |date=12 October 2009 |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kohl-accuses-former-gerolsteiner-doctor-of-doping-involvement/
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor at Centre of Aderlass Scandal Admits to Doping Athletes
|publisher=Alex Ballinger |date=30 September 2020 |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/doctor-at-centre-of-operation-aderlass-scandal-admits-to-doping-athletes-471127
}}</ref>