Strasbourg, France (AFP) - Ag2r manager Vincent Lavenu said he will ban his team leader Francisco Mancebo from racing the Tour de France if the Spaniard's name appears on any official list of alleged blood dopers.
The fallout from recent raids by Spanish police investigating a reported blood doping network led Thursday to publication in Madrid media of a 58-strong list which contains the names of some of cycling's biggest stars including Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso.
All the riders on the list are alleged to be clients of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who after the recent raids is being accused of masterminding a blood doping network.
Mancebo, Joseba Beloki, Roberto Heras, Tyler Hamilton, Santi Perez, Santiago Botero and Enrique Gutierrez also appear on a list, published by several Spanish media outlets after investigating judges lifted reporting restrictions.
Although the probe has yet to reach official status, Ag2r manager Lavenu has warned that Mancebo - who finished fourth overall on the Tour last year - could be sidelined.
"We've signed a code of ethics, and we will respect it," he said only a few hours before Tour de France organizers were due to unveil the race's 22 teams ahead of Saturday's opening prologue. "I would have no problems whatsoever pulling him out of the race if he is presumed not to have respected the rules."
A code of ethics signed by Tour de France teams allows for any of their riders or the teams themselves to be forbidden from participating if they are linked to ongoing doping cases.