NIAMEY, Aug 30, 2007 (AFP) - Niger's main desert tour operator has cancelled all flights this 2007 season because of Tuareg unrest, it announced Thursday as President Mamadou Tandja asked Libya to help deal with the insurgency.

Point Afrique, which in 2006 flew more than 4,500 people from France to the barren but beautiful Agadez region inhabited mainly by Tuareg nomads, 'thinks it would be irresponsible' to go ahead, the firm's Niamey representative told AFP.

PARIS, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - A French sports scientist has claimed the famous Tour de France cycling race could be won without doping, adding that cynics ought not to discount top individual performances as evidence of cheating.

Spaniard Alberto Contador's victory in the doping-tainted race on the Champs-Elysees in Paris just over a week ago is shrouded with suspicion even though he was cleared after being named in the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal in Spain.

ANGOULEME, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Frenchman Sandy Casar picked himself up after crashing into a stray dog to finally end his victory drought on the Tour de France, winning the 18th stage over 211 km here on Friday.

Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador retained the yellow jersey with a 1min 50sec lead on Australian Cadel Evans, and 2:49 on his American teammate Levi Leipheimer.

BERLIN, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme wants to stop working with the International Cycling Union (International Cycling Union) on next year's race, it will be reported here on Saturday.

'One should not make the Tour de France organisers responsible for everything,' said Prudhomme in an explosive interview with German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

'Just like in every sport, there is an international organisation in cycling, but despite all the respect it warrants, it does nothing.

ANGOULEME, France, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - International Cycling Union (International Cycling Union) chief Pat McQuaid has played down fears that cycling could be axed from the Olympic Games.

A senior European IOC member told AFP on Wednesday, speaking under anonymity, that the troubled sport risks being ejected from the Games because of the consistent spate of drug scandals.

However, International Cycling Union chief McQuaid said Friday that was not on the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) agenda.

MARSEILLE, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Disgraced Tour de France cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov has invested over a million euros in a rehabilitation centre for athletes, it was claimed on Friday.

French daily newspaper Le Parisian on Friday reported that the project involves the renovation of an hotel.

It was bought at the end of 2006 and will be a 'top-of-the-range establishment', said Grasse town secretary, Danielle Dominichine.

Le Parisien also reported that the Kazakh rider will invest 1.3 million euros in the project aimed at top level athletes.

ANGOULEME, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Ahead of Saturday's crucial time trial on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, Australian Cadel Evans knows that whatever he has done in the past will count for little.

To add to the pressure of the 55.5km challenge, which will decide who wins this year's yellow jersey, Evan's Spanish rival Alberto Contador is primed to race the time trial of his life.

ANGOULEME, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Class standings from the 18th stage of the Tour de France, a 211km ride from Cahors to Angouleme on Friday:

Points:

King of Mountains:

Team overall:

1. Discovery Channel 258h27:02.

2. CSC at 16:12.

4. Rabobank 28:01.

5. Euskaltel 39:07.

6. Saunier Duval 1h30:53.

MANCHESTER, England, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - British Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins believes the drug-tainted Tour de France has lost all credibility as the race struggles from one crisis to another.

Wiggins' Cofidis team were withdrawn from the race after team-mate Cristian Moreni failed a drugs test and was questioned by police.

'No-one has faith in who is wearing the yellow jersey,' said the 27-year-old Wiggins.

'This year's Tour has lost all credibility. It's null and void as far as I am concerned this year.

ANGOULEME, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Factfile on Sandy Casar after his win in the 18th stage of the Tour de France, a 211km run from Cahors to here on Friday.

Name: Sandy Casar

Place of birth: Mantes-la-Jolie

Nationality: French

Height: 179cm

Weight: 63kg

Teams: fdjeux.com (2000-2004), Fran?aise des Jeux (since 2005)

Tour de France record

Appearances: 6

Stage wins: 1 (2007)

Best overall ranking: 16th (2004)

Other victories

Route du Sud (2005)

BRUSSELS, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Two Belgium punters have started legal proceedings after being left out of pocket when Astana retired from the Tour de France following their leader Alexandre Vinokourov's positive dope test.

The duo, who placed bets of 100 euros and 25 euros on Astana's German rider Andreas Kloden, are suing the Kazakh team, Tour organisers ASO and also plan to pursue Vinokourov if his positive test for blood doping is confirmed.

Their lawyer, Christophe Bleret told AFP on Friday: 'The interest for them is not money, it's symbolic.

COPENHAGEN, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - A bitter Michael Rasmussen on Friday accused his Rabobank team manager of 'stealing' what he regarded as certain victory in the Tour de France.

And the embattled Danish cyclist has enlisted the services of a lawyer after being dramatically kicked out of the Tour when wearing the leader's yellow jersey and sacked by Rabobank over a row about missed drug tests.

'I was really in control of the race, but he (Rabobank manager Theo De Rooy) stole victory from me,' Rasmussen told Danish daily Politken on Friday.

PAU, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Spain's Alberto Contador will wear the Tour de France's yellow jersey at the start of Friday's stage, after the previous race leader was sacked by his own team in a row over doping tests.

No rider wore the emblematic yellow jersey designating the overall leader Thursday, after the Rabobank team sensationally withdrew Denmark's Michael Rasmussen on suspicion of doping.

On Thursday the Dutch outfit's manager, Theo de Rooy, said Rasmussen, was not only out of the Tour but had also been sacked from the team.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - The question as to how the race for the Tour de France yellow jersey would have panned out without the participation of suspected drugs cheats may never be known.

All Cadel Evans knows is that he has to overcome a deficit of 1min 53sec to race leader Alberto Contador, and keep the Spaniard's Discovery Channel teammate Levi Leipheimer from taking 56secs off him, to win the coveted yellow jersey.

NEW YORK, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The doping scandals wreaking havoc on the 2007 Tour de France should come as no surprise, three-time Tour champion Greg LeMond told AFP on Thursday.

In a dramatic few days on the crisis-hit race, long-time race leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark has been sensationally turfed out by his own Rabobank team.

France`s number one team Cofidis pulled out after it was revealed that Italian Cristian Moreni had tested positive for testosterone while Astana have also left the race following favourite Alexandre Vinokourov`s dope test failure.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The Tour de France temporarily lost its emblematic yellow jersey Thursday -- a victim of the latest in a string of doping scandals that have taken the sheen off the world`s greatest cycle race.

The jersey was absent at the start of the 17th stage after the race leader, Denmark`s Michael Rasmussen, was sensationally withdrawn by his own Rabobank team on Wednesday on suspicion of doping.

PARIS, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - World anti-doping body, WADA, on Thursday upped the stakes in the Tour de France`s battle to save its damaged credibility by calling for a high-level summit to discuss the doping crisis.

WADA president Dick Pound admitted he was concerned by developments in the Tour this week which have seen yellow jersey Michael Rasmussen axed from the race and long-time favourite Alexandre Vinokourov fail a test for blood doping.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Thursday confirmed that pre-Tour de France favourite Alexandre Vinokourov has tested positive for blood doping.

An `A` sample taken from the Astana team rider after his victory in the race`s time trial on the 13th stage revealed the presence of 'two distinct blood populations'.

That suggested Vinokourov had injected the blood from a compatible donor to boost his performance in the race against the clock.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Top French cycling team Cofidis have sacked Italian Cristian Moreni, who tested positive for testosterone at the Tour de France.

Moreni admitted after his positive control that he had used the banned hormone to improve his performance.

Cofidis and all their riders pulled out of the race on Wednesday after it was announced that Moreni had tested positive following the 11th stage to Montpellier that was won by South African Robert Hunter.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Germany`s Jens Voigt led the criticism of the drugs cheats who have plunged this year`s Tour de France into a new doping crisis.

Voigt, who had claimed his first ever stage win here in 2001, came fourth and last from a leading four-man breakaway after a long, hard 188.5km race from Pau to here on Thursday as the peloton finally waved goodbye to the Pyrenees.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Italy`s Daniele Bennati attempted to put racing back on the agenda of the crisis-hit Tour de France on Thursday, claiming his first win on the race after a tough 188.5km ride from Pau to here.

In the absence of ejected race leader Michael Rasmussen, who was sacked over doping suspicions by his Rabobank team on Thursday, Spaniard Alberto Contador pulled on the race`s yellow jersey.

Contador was quick to insist that he was drug-free.

LONDON, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - British sport bosses want to bring the Tour de France back to London despite the doping scandals that have tarnished the event.

The Tour has been plunged into chaos this week as race leader Michael Rasmussen was sacked by his Rabobank team and thrown out of the race.

The Danish rider`s exit came hot on the heels of positive drug tests for Alexander Vinokourov and Cristian Moreni.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Spaniard Alberto Contador brushed off queries over his credibility as a clean, potential Tour de France winner after pulling on the race`s yellow jersey on Thursday.

A day after Denmark`s Michael Ramsussen exited the race in disgrace, Contador took over and has three days in which to defend his lead ahead of the final stage in Paris on Sunday.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Disgraced Cofidis rider Cristian Moreni of Italy was released from police custody on Thursday after being detained since Wednesday, announced the Pau county prosecutor.

Moreni was arrested in south western French town of Pau for questioning after the Italian failed a doping control on July 19 which subsequently led to the rider and his team to withdraw from the Tour de France.

'Moreni has been released as from 1530 local time,' said Erick Maurel, 'The first wave of hearings is over.'

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Standings from the 17th stage of the Tour de France, a 188.5km ride from Pau to Castelsarrasin on Thursday:

10. Sebastien Chavanel (FRA/FDJ) 9:37.

16. Sébastien Hinault (FRA/C.A) 9:39.

19. Xavier Florencio (ESP/BOU) 9:39.

20. Alberto Contador (ESP/DIS) 9:39.

25. Aliaksandr Kuschynski (BLR/LIQ) 9:39.

29. Paolo Longo Borghini (ITA/BAR) 9:39.

30. Christophe Rinero (FRA/SDU) 9:39.

35. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR/DIS) 9:39.

39. Benoît Vaugrenard (FRA/FDJ) 9:39.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Italy`s Daniele Bennati, of the Lampre team, won the 17th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday, a 188.5km ride from Pau to here.

In the absence of ejected race leader Michael Rasmussen, who was sacked over doping suspicions by his Rabobank team on Thursday, Spaniard Alberto Contador pulled on the race`s yellow jersey.

Contador began the stage with a 1min 53sec lead on Australia`s Cadel Evans in the general classification, and the deficit stayed that way after a rare breakaway managed to go all the way to the finish line.

CASTELSARRASIN, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Australia`s Cadel Evans suggested Thursday he has always harboured doubts over the sporadic performances of Denmark`s Michael Rasmussen, who was thrown out of the Tour de France by his Rabobank team on Wednesday.

After a week of their suspicion being aroused over four missed random doping controls, his Dutch outfit finally cracked after learning that Rasmussen had been in Italy in June, and not in Mexico as he had claimed.

Rabobank first threw the Dane off the race, then sacked him on Thursday.

THE HAGUE, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Dutch International Cycling Union (UCI) official Joop Atsma said Thursday that the union would impose sanctions on Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen who was fired by his team and thrown out of the Tour de France on Wednesday.

'Rasmussen lied about his whereabouts. He also lied to the UCI, sanctions must be applied,' Atsma, the president of the UCI Road Commission told the ANP news agency.

COPENHAGEN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Michael Rasmussen has reacted angrily to being kicked out of the Tour de France and sacked by his team after allegedly lying over a missed random dope test.

Rabobank dramatically split with Rasmussen after the Danish rider had consolidated his race lead with victory in Wednesday`s 16th stage.

The Dutch team justified their action by saying Rasmussen had lied when he said he`d been in Mexico rather than Italy for one of the four dope tests he failed to show up for in the past 18 months.

PARIS, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - `The Tour is dead` commented French daily Liberation and German paper `Bild` on Thursday after the dramatic dropping of yellow jersey leader Michael Rasmussen from the Tour de France late on Wednesday.

Rasmussen`s withdrawal by his Rabobank team - they were to sack him on Thursday - for many of the European press was the death knell for the world`s greatest cycling race and placed enormous question marks about the future of the sport itself.

COPENHAGEN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Denmark`s disgraced former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sacked on Thursday by his Rabobank team the Dutch outfit`s manager Theo de Rooy told Danish news agency Ritzau.

Rasmussen was sensationally withdrawn from the Tour de France late on Wednesday by the team after they discovered he had lied to them about his whereabouts in June.

COPENHAGEN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Denmark`s disgraced former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sacked on Thursday by his Rabobank team the Dutch outfit`s manager Theo de Rooy told Danish news agency Ritzau.

Rasmussen was sensationally withdrawn from the Tour de France late on Wednesday by the team after they discovered he had lied to them about his whereabouts in June.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The Tour de France was to begin its 17th stage Thursday without the famed yellow jersey of the race leader after he was ejected on suspicion of doping, as many questioned how the world`s biggest cycling race and indeed the sport could recover.

Denmark`s Michael Rasmussen, the winner of two stages who had been wearing the yellow jersey for over a week, became the latest victim of the race`s ongoing search for transparency when he was kicked out by his Dutch team Rabobank late on Wednesday.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The Tour de France set out here on Thursday for the 17th stage shaken by the doping scandal that has claimed as its latest victim yellow jersey leader Michael Rasmussen.

Rasmussen was kicked out of the race by his Dutch team Rabobank late on Wednesday for lying about where he was last month - he had said he was in Mexico when in fact he was in Italy.

There had also been revelations that he had missed four random dope tests over the past 18 months.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The yellow jersey hopes of Australia`s Cadel Evans went sky high here early Thursday only hours after race leader Michael Rasmussen was ousted from the race by his Rabobank team.

The 33-year-old Danish climbing specialist has been at the centre of doping speculation since it was revealed last week that he missed four random controls over the past 18 months.

GOURETTE, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The Tour de France took a new twist in more ways than one on Wednesday as the peloton waved a thankful goodbye to the hairpins of the Pyrenees mountains - and another dope-tainted cycling team.

Denmark`s Michael Rasmussen, the skinny Rabobank climber who has been courting controversy since last week, took a significant step towards winning the yellow jersey after another speedy performance which gave him his second mountains stage victory of the race.

PAU, France, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - International Cycling Union (UCI) chief Pat McQuaid