Marseilles (AFP)

Barely 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, whose leader, the Colombian Nairo Quintana has assured to be a "clean" runner.

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.

The custody of two people from the Arkea-Samsic team, a doctor and a physiotherapist, were still in progress Tuesday evening, according to the Marseille prosecutor's office.

In a statement released in the early evening, Ms. Laurens also said that the team's runners had "been heard in a hearing free of suspect" Monday.

To replace his doctor absent for health reasons, Arkéa-Samsic had exceptionally appealed for the Tour de France to a Colombian, compatriot of his leader Nairo Quintana, we note in the entourage of the team.

During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, Quintana assured to be a "clean" runner: "I mean that no doping substance has ever been found (...) I have nothing to hide and have never nothing had to hide (...) I have been a clean runner throughout my sporting life, "said the 2nd in the Tour de France 2013 and 2015 in a press release.

- Search in Méribel -

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 declared for his part " obviously support (its) riders. But if it turns out that at the end of the current investigation, elements come to confirm the veracity of doping practices, the team would immediately dissociate itself from such acts and take without waiting for the measures which are necessary to put an end to the links which could unite them with unacceptable methods and always fought ".

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

Emmanuel Hubert for his part simply indicated that the search "concerned only a very limited number of runners, as well as their close entourage, not employed by the team".

"The team, its general manager and its staff are not kept informed of any element from near or far, relating to the progress of the investigation which does not target neither the team nor its staff directly," he said. he adds.

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

- Colombian accent -

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

This case is the first notable for several years on the Tour de France, after a period marked by police raids during the event following 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 South American 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) 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 in the 13th stage, he finished the race anonymously, in 17th place, more than an hour behind the winner, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar.

jm-mdm-clv-dep / pyv / lrb

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