Riders body wants end to dispute over Paris-Nice race

The International Riders' Association (CPA) has urged the International Cycling Union and Amaury Sport Organisation to settle their dispute after the UCI asked the teams to boycott the Paris-Nice stage race.

Tour de France organisers ASO said on Tuesday the race would "take place as planned from March 9-16 and (would) be organised according to the technical rules of the French Cycling Federation, in application of the French law."

The UCI had asked the French Cycling Federation (FFC) not to recognise the event and asked professional teams not to take part, warning they would face sanctions.

That was in response to ASO's decision not to invite the Astana team to any event they organise, among them Paris-Nice and the Tour de France, because of their implication in doping scandals.

"ASO's decision not to organise Paris-Nice according to the UCI regulations put the riders in a dilemma of which they are incontestably the victims and the hostages," the riders' body said yesterday.

"It is undeniable that all the stakeholders involved in cycling must respect the regulations in force and that these should not be questioned nor changed in the course of the season.

"This is absolutely necessary for stability."

The Giro organisers RCS and Vuelta organisers Unipublic have also been at odds with UCI because the big Tour owners refuse to be part of the sport's governing body ProTour series.

Under UCI rules, the 18 ProTour teams have a guaranteed place in the major races, while RCS, ASO and Unipublic want to retain their right to decide which outfit to invite.

Astana, the team Tour de France winner Alberto Contador joined during the off-season, have been left out of this year's Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.

The 2007 Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca should serve a two-year ban for a doping offence CONI said yesterday.

The ban must be rubber-stamped by a sporting judge and refers to a doping test Di Luca took after the 17th stage of last year's Giro.

CONI made the surprise announcement after months of wrangling over whether Di Luca's results from the test last May had broken any doping rules.