Prudhomme voices anti-drug stance

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme prefaced Wednesday's announcement of the route for the 2010 race by reiterating his organisation's commitment to eliminating the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Prudhomme's presentation - one of the major annual occasions in the cycling world - had been overshadowed by two items of news in the last two days.

The premature death of Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke on Monday and reports in France on Tuesday that public prosecutors in Paris were investigating syringes discovered in medical waste belonging to the Astana team, home of 2009 winner Alberto Contador and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, were a reminder of the sport's persistent association with doping.

Referring to Vandenbroucke, who is reported to have died of a blood clot while on holiday in Senegal, Prudhomme confirmed that the fight against doping remained fundamental to Amaury Sports Organisation, who run the Tour de France and several other races.

Addressing an audience including Contador and Armstrong as well as British 10-stage winner Mark Cavendish and British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford, he said: "This is our priority - it is an absolute necessity."

The 34-year-old Vandenbroucke enjoyed considerable success in 1999 and 2000 but a promising career was ruined by a series of drugs controversies and personal problems. In 2004, he admitted to using growth hormones, EPO, amphetamines, morphine and steroids in his racing career.

Astana issued a statement on Tuesday saying they had "nothing to hide" and denying any of their riders had used any banned substances.

Johan Bruyneel, team director at Astana but now in the process of setting up a new team with long-time associate Armstrong told Eurosport: "I don't have any answers because I don't know anything about the case.

"I'm confident that our team has been racing clean. We just have to deal with it and get on with it."