Tour de France Gets Off to Sober Start

Despite the fact that several yellow jersey favorites will now be absent from the Tour de France, reactions to the scandal were almost unanimous, with the evictions being seen as a positive sign that the fight against doping may finally be paying dividends.

The French teams, which since the 1998 drugs scandal have complained that foreign rivals are not adhering to the country's strict anti-doping laws, were particularly vociferous.

"Now there's a real change of direction," exclaimed Jean-Rene Bernaudeau, the manager of the only fully French team on the race, Bouygues Telecom. "At the side of the road, the fans will now be applauding real champions and not a bunch of guys who have been pottering about with drugs."

Ullrich denies involvement

On Friday, two of the top contenders -- Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso -- were among the riders suspended from a race which will now feature none of last year's top five finishers. Their names appeared on a list of 58 cyclists implicated in a blood-doping network.

Ullrich told German broadcaster ZDF that he was innocent.

"I can only say, that I had nothing to do with this," the cycling star said, adding that he sees himself as a victim, and will attempt to prove his innocence with the help of a lawyer.

"I'm in an absolute state of shock," Ullrich said.

The German press rounded on the former champion on Saturday.

"The lies of sporting life," was the title of Berliner Zeitung, which applauded the battle against drug cheats. "Finally some good news. The suspension of Ullrich and Co, clients of a doping laboratory in Spain, is without doubt wonderful news for all the nostalgic people who believe it is worth fighting against the criminal system of doping in top level sport."

Meanwhile, Germany's most popular newspaper, Bild, demanded an explanation from Ullrich.

"Jan, have you been lying to us all this time?" it asked. "Have Ullrich's many victories over the years been honestly achieved? His fans will never forgive him if he is found to have lied about doping."

And Berlin's Tagesspiegel damned this season's Tour and all its riders, claiming the latest doping scandal removes any hope that anyone in the peloton is clean of performance enhancing products.

"What is sad is that what remained of the tiny hope, this rudimentary confidence that there are some individuals who take part in this sport with passion and talent and without the help of shady pseudo-medicines, has disappeared."