EYEWITNESS: THE POLICE RAID ON BARLOWORLD’S HOTEL

Tour de France 2008 logo

A chance reservation meant I was staying in the Barloworld team hotel on Tuesday night in the Tour de France. And that meant that when I went downstairs on Wednesday morning at around 9.30 am it was to find a large number of gendarmes buzzing around the lobby.

They?d come to arrest Moises Dueñas, the Spanish rider on the Barloworld team, following his positive ?A? test for EPO. Doping is a criminal offence in France, and to judge by the number of policemen - a guesstimate would be around 40, with some eight or nine police vehicles in the street outside - it?s not one they take lightly.

Four or five blue-shirted gendarmes form a line across the main door of the Hotel Le Rex, a large building situated on a side-street close to Tarbes central square. Others are standing around outside.

Their mood is businesslike to say the least. ?Either stay in or go out, but don?t hang around here.? one gendarme growls at me when I approach the hotel?s main door.

Yet more are on the sixth floor, where the entire Barloworld team have their accommodation and Dueñas's room is being searched, just like Manolo Beltran?s when the results from his failed dope test came through last week.

Back downstairs there?s a real feeling of tension in the air, coupled with confusion. Journalists staying in the hotel stand around in tiny knots in the centre of the lobby, trying to find out what has happened and waiting to see who, if anybody, gets taken away by the police. Meanwhile, in one corner, a Barloworld team official is talking nineteen to the dozen into his mobile phone.

Nobody seems to know what is going on, although the rumour that it is Dueñas who?s been caught circulates persistently.

There are other Barloworld riders in the lift I catch back up to my room on the fourth floor, their faces grim. They don?t say anything although one team assistant is talking shrilly to them in Afrikaans. Whatever she?s saying it?s not good.

TV cameramen gradually appear outside the hotel, but the gendarmes don?t seem to want to let them in. It later emerges that Dueñas has been escorted out the hotel?s back entrance. Slowly but surely whilst the media gather, the tension deflates.

Ninety minutes after the first policemen have arrived, with a wailing of sirens, they?re gone. The impact of the Tour?s second failed dope test of 2008 will surely last a lot longer.

RELATED LINK

Second doping case hits Tour de France

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: STAGE REPORTS

Stage 10: Evans takes yellow jersey by one second

Stage nine: Ricco wins in the Pyrenees

Stage eight: Cavendish wins again in Toulouse

Stage seven: Sanchez takes action-packed stage

Stage six: Ricco storms to win

Stage five: Cavendish takes first Tour win

Stage four: Schumacher wins TT and takes race lead

Stage three: Dumoulin wins stage from break

Stage two: Hushovd wins chaotic sprint

Stage one: Valverde wins

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: NEWS

Analysis: Tour de France rest day summary

Cavendish battles through Pyrenees

Evans suffers but takes yellow jersey [stage 10]

Analysis: Hautacam shakes up 2008 Tour

Ricco silences critics with solo attack in Pyrenees [stage nine]

Cavendish talks about his second stage win [stage eight]

Beltran heads home but doubts remain about other Tour riders

David Millar: the dope controls are working

Manuel Neltran tests positive for EPO at the Tour

Comment: How the Tour rediscovered its spirit

Doping back in Tour de France headlines

Millar: close but no cigar in Super-Besse [stage six]

Super-Besse shows form of main contenders [stage six]

Millar to go for yellow [stage six]

Team Columbia's reaction to Cavendish's win [stage five]

Cavendish talks about his Tour stage win

Tour comment: Why Evans should be happy [stage four]

Millar: Still aiming for Tour yellow jersey [stage 4]

Who is Romain Feillu?

Cavendish disappointed with stage two result

Millar too close to Tour yellow jersey

Stage 2 preview: A sprint finish for Cavendish?

Millar happy after gains precious seconds in Plumelec

Valverde delighted with opening Tour stage win

Comment: Is Valverde's win a good thing for the Tour?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: PHOTOS

Stage 10

Stage nine

Stage eight

Stage seven

Stage six

Stage five

Stage four

Stage three

Stage two

Stage one

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: BLOGS

Life at the Tour part three

Life at the Tour part two

Life at the Tour part one

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: GUIDE

Tour de France 2008 homepage>>

News and features>>

All the riders (start list, list of abandons)>>

Day by day summary>>

Route & stages>>

Teams and riders>>

About the Tour>>

Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.