Armstrong slams Tour organisers' comments

Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong hit out at organisers of the world's greatest race who said his return to cycling was embarrassing.

"The last time I checked, I won the Tour seven straight years and was never once found to be guilty of doping despite seven years of intense scrutiny," the American, who announced his return to competition last month, said in a statement.

"Not to mention that my team of 25 riders over those seven years was also never found to be positive."

Jean-Etienne Amaury, who replaced Patrice Clerc as Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) CEO last week, told Saturday's L'Equipe: "We cannot say that he does not embarrass the Tour de France, with whom he has had a complicated history."

L'Equipe, owned by ASO's parent company EPA (Editions Philippe Amaury), claimed three years ago that samples of Armstrong's urine from 1999 showed traces of the banned blood-boosting substance erythropoietin (EPO).

However, Armstrong never tested positive and was cleared by a Dutch investigator appointed by the International Cycling Union (UCI). At that time, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Dick Pound said Armstrong's clearance was "strange".

Armstrong added: "Also, according to industry standards, the TV ratings, worldwide media impressions, spectators along the route, and global sponsorships were at an all-time high. Where's the embarrassment in that?"

"It comes down to an issue of distraction. While I love the event and France's people, I cannot accept this sort of grandstanding," he added.

Armstrong is to start racing again at the Tour Down Under in January, 2009 or at the Tour of California the following month with the Astana team, managed by Johan Bruyneel.

The Belgian was Armstrong's team director for all of his Tour de France victories with the US Postal and Discovery teams from 1999-2005.

Vinokourov

Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov's newly-announced plans to come out of retirement have been dismissed by the UCI. Vinokourov, who retired after testing positive for blood doping on the 2007 Tour de France, was quoted saying he wanted to race next season and rejoin the Astana team. However, UCI president Pat McQuaid said yesterday that Vinokourov would first have to serve a two-year suspension, ruling out the possibility of a return in January 2009.