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A new drug test will be introduced to this year's Tour de France by the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) in the on-going fight against dopers in the pro peloton.

Speaking to news agency Reuters France, AFLD president Pierre Bordry said that the test was for a new substance that previously could not be detected by conventional testing. However, Bordry would not reveal what the substance was, or how it would be detected.

The test isn't finalised yet, but all samples taken during this year's Tour will be stored and retroactively tested for the new substance.

Several riders' samples from last year's Tour were retroactively tested when a detection procedure for banned blood-boosting drug CERA, a form of EPO, was introduced. It was this test that caught Riccardo Ricco, Leonardo Piepoli and Bernhard Kohl, who all thought that the drug they were taking was not detectable.

Kohl met with AFLD representatives on Monday to see whether the two parties could work together in the fight against doping.

The 2009 Tour de France starts with an opening time trial in Monaco on Saturday, July 4.

RELATED LINKS

Tour de France 2009 - Cycling Weekly's full coverage

Tour de France anti-doping measures explained

CERA: New scourge of the peloton

Ricco admits taking EPO before 2008 Tour de France

Kohl confirms he doped

UCI president comments on doping scandals

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.