Events Immediately Before The Tour
Alessandro Petacchi, a sprint specialist, tested positive for salbutamol at Pinerolo on 23 May in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, the same day he claimed the third of his five stage wins in the event. As a result Petacchi, an asthma sufferer, was suspended by Team Milram and forced to miss the Tour de France because of the charges. Though he seemed cleared of the charges at one point, he was later suspended for one year.
On May 25, Bjarne Riis admitted he had won the overall competition of the 1996 edition under the effects of performance-enhancing drugs, claiming "for a time was a part of everyday life for me", and he was later stripped of the title. Five other former Telekom teammates were also implicated in doping. On May 24, riders Erik Zabel and Rolf Aldag had earlier admitted to using banned blood booster EPO in the mid-1990s.
Other high-profile potential Tour riders were caught up in doping controversies. Giro d'Italia winner Danilo di Luca remained under investigation and 2006 Giro winner Ivan Basso was banned for two years on 15 June for his part in events uncovered by Operación Puerto.
Read more about this topic: Doping At The 2007 Tour De France
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