AS HOSTILITIES were resumed yesterday in the Tour de France, so were doping scandals. Moises Duenas Nevado, sitting 19th on general classification as the race left the Pyrenees, became the second rider to test positive and be expelled from this year's race.

Like his fellow Spaniard Manuel Beltran, who was expelled on Friday, Duenas tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO), in his case following last Tuesday's time-trial in Cholet.

The news of Duenas's positive was quickly followed by the arrival of about 40 French police officers at his team's hotel in Tarbes; the 27-year-old was taken away for questioning while a two-hour search of his hotel room was conducted.

Later, his team, Barloworld, confirmed banned substances had been discovered.

"These medicines were absolutely not supplied or prescribed by the team doctor," said a spokesman.

The priority for the team's manager, Claudio Corti, was to convince the Tour organisation the team had nothing to do with it.

"We're absolutely stunned by (Duenas's) behaviour," said Corti. "He seems to have secretly used banned substances, hiding everything from everybody in the team."

Patrice Lamielle, a colonel in the French gendarmerie, told reporters: "He has been taken into custody and will be presented before the investigating judge tonight.

"We found some substances in his room, but I can't tell you what it is until they have been analysed. The investigation is on Moises Duenas Nevado only."

Barloworld, whose two British riders, Geraint Thomas and Steve Cummings, are not riding the Tour, were allowed to remain in the race because of a pre-race contract with organisers saying teams could carry on if an offending rider were removed.

Not that it got much better for the South African-backed, British-registered team. After Duenas's withdrawal, which follows that of the team leader, Mauricio Soler, last week because of injury, they were further depleted during the stage when Paolo Longo Borghini and Felix Cardenas were involved in a crash after 57 kilometres. Both pulled out, Longo Borghini with a broken collarbone, Cardenas with a sore knee.

The news of Duenas's expulsion overshadowed a stage that conformed precisely to those described as transitional, coming between the Pyrenees and Alps.

It was not mountainous enough to provoke a sort-out in the general classification, Cadel Evans safely negotiating his first day in yellow, or flat enough to suit sprinters such as Britain's Mark Cavendish.

Rather, it was ideal for a large break comprising riders who are no longer a threat to the top overall placings. That theoretically includes around 150 riders, so it was no surprise that there was a ferociously fast start from Lannemezan, as the opportunists and bounty hunters sought their day pass from the peloton.

After 35 kilometres two riders, Kurt-Asle Arvesen and Fabian Wegmann, were allowed to go clear. They were joined by 10 others, the most notable among them being the Italian classics specialists Filippo Pozzato and Alessandro Ballan.

Yet it was the man who started the move, Arvesen, who triumphed, instigating a split with 4 kilometres remaining, then out-sprinting three riders to win the stage by two centimetres from the late-charging Martin Elmiger.

Arvesen went to throw his arms in the air before the line, then became aware of Elmiger drawing level and quickly gripped the bars again, a look of sheer panic on his face.

Behind, the peloton ambled a quarter of an hour in arrears, until Oscar Pereiro jumped clear on the Col de Portel, after 110 kilometres. At 17th overall he poses an outside threat, and so it was no surprise that he was reeled in.

Like the other contenders, he is now likely to bide his time until the race enters the Alps.