Some 100 medicaments were seized from a van belonging to the Tour de France team Big Mat in a customs check at Albertville in the French Alps, French judicial sources said yesterday.

The authorities have constantly been on their guard following the drugs scandals which have broken over the Tour in the past fortnight with the expulsion of the Festina team and the detention of TVM officials after doping products were uncovered.

Festina's team masseur Willy Voet was arrested in a team car on July 8th on his way to the Tour start in Dublin in possession of 400 vials of assorted drugs.