Brit blasts Tour doping scandal

British Olympic cycling champion Bradley Wiggins has blasted the "pure stupidity" of the doping scandals that threaten to plunge the Tour de France into crisis.

Wiggins has been forced to withdraw from the prestigious cycling race after his Cofidis team were rocked by positive test of team-mate Christian Moreni, who was questioned by police after stage 16.

The 27-year-old, who struck gold in the 4km individual pursuit in Athens three years ago, said: "It is completely gutting to have to quit the Tour, but everyone knows where I stand on doping.

"It's pure stupidity on the part of Moreni. I don't know how he can have slipped through the net.

"That is the way it goes. It's just unfortunate. When you get a team of 26 riders there may always be one idiot."

In addition to Moreni and Cofidis leaving the Tour, race leader Michael Rasmussen was forced to withdraw after being sacked by the Rabobank team for "lying about his whereabouts" in training.

Rabobank say they will race, with sporting director Erik Breukink saying: "All our riders (minus Rasmussen) will be on the start of the stage."

And Wiggins, who is a fierce anti-doping advocate, has also admitted that the continuing controversy over the Tour could make him reconsider his career.

He added: "It makes you think about your future as a professional cyclist. You say to yourself 'what is the point? I could be doing better things'.

"But then you think why not continue because I get a lot of pleasure out of it. Why should I give up because of one individual."

Following Rasmussen's expulsion from the Tour, the 17th stage began with nobody wearing the leader's yellow jersey.

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