Marseilles (AFP)

Hardly finished, the Tour de France finds itself again confronted with the suspicion of doping, with the opening of an investigation targeting members of the French team Arkéa-Samsic, and the placement in police custody of two people.

During this investigation led by the Marseille prosecutor's office as part of the public health pole and targeting "a small part of the runners" of the team, "many health products including drugs were discovered in their personal belongings, but also and above all a method that can be qualified as doping, "said Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens.

Two police custody were in progress Monday, in the entourage of a runner, added the magistrate, without specifying the identity of the people heard by the investigators.

According to Le Parisien, it is a doctor and a physiotherapist.

To replace its titular doctor absent for health reasons, the team had exceptionally appealed for the Tour de France to a Colombian, compatriot of its leader Nairo Quintana, we note in the entourage of the team without specifying whether this practitioner is one of the detainees.

Asked by AFP about these investigations carried out by the Central Office for the fight against attacks on the environment and public health (OCLAESP), the general manager of the Breton team Emmanuel Hubert did not comment.

According to details provided to AFP by a source familiar with the matter and confirming information from Journal du Dimanche and L'Equipe, a search carried out by OCLAESP targeting several riders of the team, including the Colombian Dayer Quintana, the Nairo's brother, and members of the medical team, was conducted.

This search, according to the two newspapers, took place on Wednesday near Méribel (Savoie).

- Colombian accent -

The investigation was opened on counts "of administration and prescription to an athlete without medical justification of a substance or method prohibited within the framework of a sporting event, aid in the use and incitement to the use of substance or method prohibited to athletes, transport and possession of substance or method prohibited for use by an athlete without medical justification ", also specified Ms. Laurens, recalling that the penalty incurred was 5 years imprisonment and a 75,000 euros fine .

This case is the first notable for several years on the Tour de France, after many years marked by police raids during the event since the Festina affair in 1998.

Among the most recent, the intervention during a day of rest of the Tour 2012 targeting Rémy Di Grégorio, but also systematic searches of the OCLAESP at each positive doping control announcement, in particular that of Luxembourgish Frank Schleck in 2012.

Arkéa-Samsic took on a Colombian accent during the last offseason by recruiting Nairo Quintana as leader but also other riders, in particular Winner Anacona and Dayer Quintana, the younger brother of Nairo.

The team is the direct heir to the formation called Bretagne then Fortuneo.

It has taken on an additional dimension in recent years by signing for 2018 Warren Barguil, who had just completed a remarkable Tour de France (two mountain stages, best climber polka dot jersey) and then at the end of 2019 Nairo Quintana, three times present on the podium of the Tour in the past.

If Nairo Quintana was very efficient at the start of the year, until his victory in the queen stage of Paris-Nice, he was clearly behind in the Tour.

Caught in a fall during the 13th stage arriving at Puy Mary, he ended the race anonymously, in 17th place, more than an hour from the winner, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar.

For his part, Dayer Quintana, who was taking part in the Tour for the first time, finished 95th.

© 2020 AFP