Spanish rider Joseba Beloki, who earned three successive podium places behind Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France between 2000 and 2002, has left French team La Boulangere and will not ride in this year's race. He said: "I'm leaving a team where things weren't going well. Rather than go to the Tour de France without being able to compete I decided to avoid problems with the sponsor and rescind my contract for this season and the next. It was all brought about by a combination of circumstances. Physical problems prevented me from preparing properly, the sponsor had announced that they would not be continuing and the situation was very tense so I thought it was better to leave."
Beloki, who joined La Boulangere from ONCE this season, finished second in the 2002 Tour and was third in 2000 and 2001. He said he now wanted to find a new team to prepare for the Tour of Spain in September and the end-of-season world championships. Beloki has struggled since suffering multiple fractures when he crashed out of last year's Tour.
His season start was delayed by an Achilles tendon injury and he has since been plagued by allergy problems that have hindered his training. Beloki said that French anti-doping regulations prevented him from taking his usual allergy treatment and had made it impossible for him to prepare properly for the Tour.
"With my usual medication I wouldn't have had the problems that I've had over the last month and a half and I would have been ready for the Tour," he added.
The Tour de France starts in Liege on July 3 with Armstrong bidding for a record sixth successive win.
Filed by Mark O'Neill-Cummins
