UCI tests blood of Tour riders

Cycling’s governing body says all 180 riders expected to start the Tour de France — plus one — have undergone planned pre-race blood tests.

The UCI said nine riders from each of the 20 teams were tested Thursday along with Quick Step sprint star Tom Boonen.

The blood tests are part of UCI’s anti-doping program known as the “biological passport” that provides individual profiles of riders’ blood parameters.

L’Equipe is reporting that four to seven more doping cases could happen before the start of the race Saturday. These would come from recent testing at the Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse.

Garmin-Slipstream’s Martin pulled from Tour team

Mountain specialist Dan Martin will miss the Tour de France with a knee injury. He will be replaced in the Garmin-Slipstream team by Dutch rider Martijn Maaskant.

Martin has tendinitis and the team does not want to risk aggravating the problem during the three-week race. The former Irish national champion said Thursday that “I would have loved to start the Tour, but I want what is best for the team.”

Martin is the nephew of former Tour de Frace winner Stephan Roche and would have started with his cousin Nicholas Roche.

Martin was to be a key ally for Christian Vande Velde in the grueling mountain stages.

Another distraction for Team Astana – Vinokurov says, “It’s Bruyneel or me.”

Banned cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov plans to return to competition with former team Astana when his doping suspension ends on July 24.

Vinokourov, who was given a two-year ban for blood doping during the 2007 Tour de France, said Thursday that he is negotiating his return with team manager Johan Bruyneel.

“I’m going to relaunch my professional career on July 24,” the 35-year-old rider told a news conference. “I can’t imagine myself riding with another team than Astana. The Kazakhstan federation wants me to ride again in this team, I’m currently negotiating with Johan Bruyneel and I think we are going to find a deal in the coming week.

“This team was created for me and thanks to my efforts,” Vinokourov said. “I have served my suspension and I do not see why I could not return. If Bruyneel does not want me, it will be Bruyneel who will be leaving the team.”

Astana, which gets most of its support from a Kazakhstan state holding company, was initially created to help Vinokourov win the Tour. But he and his Astana teammates were forced out of the 2007 race when he tested positive for a banned blood transfusion after winning the 13th stage. He retired last year, then said he planned to race again.

Vinokourov, who wants to revive his career for “one season or two,” intends to compete in the Spanish Vuelta which starts Aug. 29 and wants ride at the world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in September.

The Astana team will have two key riders on this year’s Tour, which starts Saturday in Monaco: Spaniard Alberto Contador, who won the race in 2007, and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.