Two days after Lance Armstrong's vehement defence of his work with the controversial Italian coach Michele Ferrari, further allegations about the scientist emerged yesterday from another cyclist.
On Monday, Armstrong was adamant that Ferrari, with whom he has worked since 1995, was "a clean man . . . an honest man . . . an innocent man". However, the Italian magazine GQ has printed extracts from statements given to police by the Italian rider Filippo Simeoni, who said Ferrari advised him to use the red blood cell booster erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone and human growth hormone to improve his performance.
An inquiry led by the magistrate Pierguido Soprani is investigating Ferrari on charges of providing or recommending performance-enhancing drugs to cyclists. A key part of the evidence are diaries kept by Simeoni in which he recorded the substances he took between 1992 and 1999, when he was questioned by Italian police.
Simeoni told Soprani he worked with Ferrari between October 1996 and July 1997, and alleges Ferrari advised him how to dodge the tests for blood thickness, intended to restrict the use of EPO.
In one of his diaries Simeoni alleges "Doctor Ferrari advised me to use two alternatives. Hemagel (a blood thinning agent) on the morning of the control, albumin (an element contained in white blood cells) the evening before a possible control." Simeoni, who won four races last year, added that Ferrari had not warned him about possible side-effects of the drugs, and he stopped working with him because he felt Ferrari was giving preferential treatment to others.
Asked about the new allegations about the trainer, whom he consults over diet, altitude training and the use of a depleted oxygen tent, Armstrong said yesterday morning: "It's a story that is three years old. Anyone can print old articles."
As well as the pressures off the bike, there were reminders yesterday he Texan can take nothing for granted until Sunday's finish in Paris. Early on, before the lime avenues of the Lot departement gave way to the oakwoods and limestone gorges of the Dordogne, Jan Ullrich and the rider lying sixth overall, the Spaniard Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, made a brief escape in a group of 19, quickly retrieved by Armstrong's team-mates.
As they reached the pinewoods of Correze, the peloton hit 50 m.p.h. on the sweeping descent into Tulle, some 25 miles from the finish, and a touch of wheels left 30 men on the ground. Five did not continue, including the Antwerp stage winner and maillot jaune Marc Wauters and the Swiss Sven Montgomery, who had been 17th overall in his first Tour until he opened up his forehead on a metal crash barrier.
The crash slowed up the peloton, but they still stood no chance of catching the day's permitted escapees: a seven-strong group including the eventual winner Jens Voigt and the Australian Bradley McGee, a bronze medallist at the Sydney Olympics on the track, who pulled away from their five companions as they entered the twisting, wooded roads leading to the village.
Voigt was a popular winner, however; he held the yellow jersey briefly after the stage through the Vosges to Colmar, and constantly takes part in long escapes like that yesterday. Usually he is unsuccessful, but McGee offered no resistance. Utterly dehydrated in the 30C heat, and low on blood sugar after 100 miles in the lead, he weaved across the line and had to be supported by team helpers after the finish.
Pale and baggy eyed, he was asked whether he would try and win again, and commented: "Tomorrow? Don't tell me there's another flipping stage tomorrow?"
