Stage seven winner Matej Mohoric says Bahrain Victorious have "nothing to hide" after the team's hotel was raided by French police last night. Riders rooms were searched and training files handed over to the authorities. The Slovenian spoke to the press before the start of stage 18...
"I don’t feel uncomfortable because they went through all my stuff because I have nothing to hide, I don’t care," Mohoric said. "They went through all the phones and messages, they took some riders’ phones and computers.
"I still find it a little bit weird that at this time in this year they still believe we are doing something illegal. We are more determined than ever to go out there to do as well as we did up to this point, to take control of the race, the team classification. We are more focused than ever to do this mountain stage."
Italian champion Sonny Colbrelli added: "They searched all the rooms, the gendarmes were good and were just doing their job. They put everything back the way they found it in an orderly fashion. We’re good, a bit nervous because these aren’t great things for cycling. These are the last days of the Tour, yesterday was a hard stage and we could not sleep until 2:30 or 3:00 am, and then this morning we were up again early."
Mohoric is in currently in the five-man breakaway alongside Julian Alaphilippe, Sean Bennett, Christopher Juul-Jensen and Pierre-Luc Périchon.
I almost forgot there is a stage today with all that morning drama...It's the final day in the mountains and we have a second HC summit finish in a row. There are a couple of early lumps where you can be sure Michael Matthews will be gunning for the breakaway to nab intermediate sprint points in Pouzac.
The meat of the stage comes in the final 50km, starting with Col du Tourmalet, the Souvenir Jacques Goddet. Luz Ardiden is the site of the finale and is 13.3km @ 7.4 per cent. It's the final chance for Jonas Vingegaard to try and crack Tadej Pogačar and the final chance for many riders to claim a stage win, so expect fireworks.
French prosecutor opens preliminary investigation into doping allegations at Bahrain Victorious #TDF2021
— Julien Prétot (@julienpretotRTR) July 15, 2021
🗞 Team Bahrain Victorious official statement @LeTour#TDF2021https://t.co/IlvAyVlqM5
— Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) July 15, 2021
Bahrain Victorious has released a statement confirming that riders' rooms were searched and training files handed over as part of the raid on the hotel that the team was staying at in Pau last night.
Vladimir Miholjević commented: "Following stage 17, we were greeted by several French police officers. We were not given a warrant to read through, but the team complied with all the officers’ requests.
"We are committed to highest level of professionalism and adherence to all regulatory requirements and will always be cooperating in a professional manner. The process had impacted our riders recovery and meal planning and as a professional team, the well being of our team is a key priority."
Shane Williams has taken up endurance sports since retiring from rugby with 87 caps and his country's try-scoring record. He has completed Ironman events and continued to rack up the records, including the rather niche Guinness World Record for 'Most castles visited in one week by bicycle'...It was 50 castles, all in Wales, and 736.71 miles covered...if you were wondering.
Today, Williams has also announced the launch of his own sportswear range, including a cyclewear line. "We know there’s a big focus on getting people out and active as we emerge from the pandemic," he said. "I’m doing what I can to inspire and encourage people of all ages to get on a bike and keep fit. My new AGILIS clothing venture reflects my latest passions of cycling and triathlon, with a range of high quality, stylish cyclewear and leisurewear."
The range includes female and male race cut jerseys, as well as a long sleeve option, bib shorts and gilets. To mark the launch, Williams will be hosting a Zwift ride at 2pm this afternoon.
Local newspaper @sudouest reports that police search at Bahrain hotel in Lescar last night was ordered by Marseille public prosecutor - who targeted Nairo Quintana & Arkéa-Samsic in a similar mid-Tour raid last year. https://t.co/IyNlmuCMoz
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) July 15, 2021
Local newspaper Sud Ouest is reporting the raid on Bahrain Victorious' hotel and team vehicles was ordered by the Marseille prosecutor's office, the same authority who targeted Nairo Quintana and Arkéa–Samsic at last year's Tour de France.
Back in September, at the 2020 edition, Nairo Quintana's hotel room was raided by authorities - also after stage 17. A team doctor and soigneur were taken into custody but quickly released and little has been heard of the incident since.
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) July 14, 2021
Ah, well. If you need some cheering up after the first two live blog posts then watch how much fun Lukas Pöstlberger had bunny-hopping speed bumps...
Police source says they have been on Bahrain Victorious’s case since last year #TDF2021
— Julien Prétot (@julienpretotRTR) July 15, 2021
Bahrain Victorious' hotel was raided by police at the Tour de France on Wednesday evening, according to Cyclingnews. Reports suggest the team's bus was also searched by up to 50 police officers and that no arrests have been made.
"Nothing special, we have a visit from the police, they ask for riders training files, they check bus and that’s it," team boss Milan Eržen told Cyclingnews. "They disturb riders for one hour and at the end, they said thank you. They didn’t tell us what’s the reason of visit, but we will found this out today through lawyers."
Movistar were also staying at the hotel in Pau but did not get a visit from the officers. Reuters reporter Julien Prétot says a police source told him they have been on the team's case since last year and were in the team's hotel until 2am. Reports in Le Parisien earlier in the season led general manager Milan Eržen to defend the team in light of anonymous doping accusation following the team's impressive Giro d'Italia and Critérium du Dauphiné. Both sources were off the record and had no proof to support the allegations.
At the time, Eržen said: "I don’t care what one sports director has to say. He can say whatever he wants. We’re doing our jobs and we’ve invested in this team, in our riders, coaches, training camps and nutrition. Everything. Sooner or later results need to come.
"I don’t know what kind of suspicions there are. We are following the work of last year and Rod Ellingworth, he taught us a lot and I can be 110 per cent sure that we’re working by the rules."
Three siblings from Berkshire were struck by lightning after sheltering under a tree close to Molesey Lock, near Hampton Court Palace, during Monday's flash flooding and thunderstorms. The selfie captures the moment the trio were struck. Rachel, Isobel and Andrew Jobson were taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting but discharged later in the day after receiving treatment for burns.
The incident happened while they were cycling to see their aunt at her home in Epsom, Surrey. PhD student Isobel, 23, told the BBC: "The picture of us at the moment the lightning strike happened was at 17:05. I took a picture of us smiling and we then wanted a sad picture in the rain. All of a sudden I was on the ground and couldn't hear anything apart from this high-pitched buzzing. My whole right arm was numb and I couldn't move it."
Her sister, Rachel, added: "We were taking the picture with our phone and then the next thing, I was on the ground. I felt disjointed. My sister and I were screaming. I got burnt on my thigh and stomach and it's left lightning-like marks behind on me and my sister. I couldn't feel my arm."
The family were told the titanium plates in Isobel's arm from a cycling crash last year might have led to the lightning surge striking them.
"My sister's arm was very hot, because of the plate. Everyone was amazed at what had happened to us," Rachel said.