2006 controversy leaves no.1 out in the cold

Tour enthusiasts will have noticed the absence of the no. 1 jersey this year as the time trial gets under way this weekend…

As the world’s greatest riders make their way from London to Whitehall this weekend ahead of the first phase, Tour de France enthusiasts will notice the absence of the number 1 jersey. The traditional jersey is usually reserved for the previous year’s winner, but Floyd Landis is missing this year having tested positive for synthetic testosterone. The American is currently attempting to clear his name in an ongoing legal battle. Unfortunately the official declaration of a winner from last year can’t be announced until the outcome of Landis’s legal proceedings become clear – but second placed Spaniard Oscar Pereiro is waiting in the wings to see if he is handed the yellow jersey. Ironically French newspaper Le Monde reported that Pereiro has also tested positive during the 2006 Tour de France, alleging that salbutamol, a treatment for asthma was found in two of his urine samples. Later that month France's anti-doping agency dropped its investigation, saying Pereiro provided sufficient justification for use of the asthma medication This all means that no one will be wearing the number one jersey – or any number from one to nine. Instead the lowest number will be 11, probably worn by Pereiro as his Caisse d'Epargne team have been handed the numbers 11-19. [See Oscar in action],(http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rLV3b40ATJY)