Just as Spanish cycling was celebrating the Tour de France victory of Alberto Contador, the breaking news Monday that Iban Mayo tested positive for EPO put a chill on Spain's cycling renaissance.

Mayo finished 16th in this year's Tour de France

photo: Graham Watson

With six riders in the top 10 and Contador's dramatic victory seemed to put Spanish cycling back on the forefront of the European peloton, but Mayo's positive doping test threw cold water on the fiesta.

Saunier Duval-Prodir quickly suspended the Basque climber after receiving notification from the UCI that Mayo revealed traces of the banned blood booster in a anti-doping control taken on the Tour's second rest day.

Saunier Duval sport director Josean "Matxin" Fernández said he was shocked by the news.

"It's all too much. This doesn't make sense and I am without words, I don't know what to say," he told Spanish radio. "I talked with him and he told me it was impossible. He's a rider with a high salary, he's not paid based on racing or wins. He passed four controls during the Tour and six internal team tests, and none were suspicious."

Mayo finished the Tour 16th overall at 27:09 behind Contador and showed signs of his previous best when he was second to Michael Rasmussen in stage 8 to Tignes. The 29-year-old Mayo joined Saunier Duval this season after racing his entire pro career with Euskaltel-Euskadi.

In 2003, Mayo won the climbing stage to l'Alpe d'Huez and finished sixth overall in the 2003 Tour and won the Dauphine Libéré in 2004 before a string of health problems and poor results sidetracked his career.

If the B-sample confirms the initial results, Mayo would become the third rider to test positive during the 2007 Tour. Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) tested positive for homologous blood transfusions and Cristian Moreni (Cofidisi) failed tests for testosterone.

For Fernández, the news comes just as Contador's win was giving Spanish cycling a much-needed boost following a tumultuous year marred by the Operación Puerto doping scandal that implicated some of Spain's biggest names.

"It seemed that the ambiance had changed with Contador's win and we were hoping that things were going in a new direction, but we now we've received another blow," he said. "There's a feeling of desperation in cycling, but we have to try to look at the positive. ... It shows that the controls serve something."

Contador, meanwhile, was received as a conquering hero when he returned to Madrid on Monday. Rowdy Spanish fans met him at the Barajas airport and he was subject of an emotional celebration at Madrid's Cibeles fountain, usually reserved for parties after big soccer matches. Later, some 4,000 fans welcomed him to his hometown in Pinto south of Madrid.

"It would be a shame if there's another scandal of this type," Contador said. "On a day that's so happy for me and my family, I don't want anything to destroy it and I don't want to make any judgment on these type of things."

Spanish viewers give Tour a miss until late
Spanish TV viewers didn't pay much attention to the Tour de France until it looked like Alberto Contador had a chance of winning going into the final weekend.

Overall viewer numbers was down compared to last year and averaged about 1 million viewers per day, the lowest number in seven years, according to information released by TVE - Spain's public television station.

Numbers hit 2 million viewers for Sunday's finale when Contador was crowned Spain's fifth Tour champion, much lower than the 5 million that watched Miguel Indurain win in 1993, but up from last year's final stage.

Contador to give Vuelta miss
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador won't be racing next month's Vuelta a España, but a strong list of contenders will be at the start line for the Sept. 1 kick off in Galicia.

Vuelta director Victor Cordero told the Spanish news wire EFE that Contador has already notified him he won't be racing the season's third grand tour.

"Contador promised me he would come to the Vuelta, but we'll see. It's evident that it's difficult to have the winner of the Tour at the Vuelta because there are so many celebrations that it's hard for the racer to concentrate," Cordero said. "I've already told him that this year we'll pardon him, but for next year, there's no excuse. He's an ambitious rider and I know he wants to win the Vuelta."

Cordero said the Vuelta will have plenty of contenders, including Carlos Sastre, Haimar Zubeldia, Óscar Pereiro, Samuel Sánchez and Damiano Cunego.

London working for another Tour visit
London's Mayor Ken Livingstone has started talks to bring the Tour de France back to the British capital.

Livingstone insists the doping scandals that tainted the Tour would not stop him attempting to secure a return for the event, which got underway in London this year.

Alexander Vinokourov and Cristian Moreni were forced to quit over blood doping and testosterone respectively, while Michael Rasmussen was sacked by his Rabobank team while leading in a row over missed drug tests.

That controversy did not detract from the Grand Depart's successful staging in London and and Livingstone has already begun discussions to host another stage of the Tour before 2010.

"It is an absolutely amazing race," Livingstone said. "We have made it clear that we want them to come back for the Grand Depart as soon as possible, but that is probably not for another six years.

"We have also been negotiating with them to see if we can get a stage coming through London before 2010."

Livingstone is adamant the profile of the Tour, eventually won by Spain's Alberto Contador, would not be ruined by the drugs use of a section of the riders.

"It is a unique event," he said. "There are people who break the rules in every profession. I do not think that a small handful of riders that are breaking the rules diminishes those riders who finish the course."

T-Mobile to decide within two weeks
T-Mobile officials say the team's future could be decided within two weeks.

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