Cristian feeds his teammates to the lions

    

THE Tour de France was plunged into yet more controversy tonight following the withdrawal of Cofidis - British Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins's team.

Cofidis acted after Italian cyclist Cristian Moreno tested positive for testosterone, the second proven doping violation of this year's race and the second in the space of 24 hours, coming hot on the heels of double stage winner Alexandre Vinokourov's failed drugs test.

And with today's mountain stage from Orthez to Gourette-Col d'Aubisque being won by Michael Rasmussen - under suspicion after being booted out of the Danish national team following a series of missed tests - the future of the 2007 Tour remains shrouded in controversy.

How different it all is from the sizzling midsummer afternoon on the streets of London which kicked off this year's carnival of cycling. Though only three weeks have passed, to those of us who were there, it feels a lifetime ago.