ASO try to block Chris Froome from racing Tour de France

Tour de France organisers ASO have told Team Sky that Chris Froome will not be allowed to start in this year’s race, which starts on Saturday.

Under UCI regulations, Froome is allowed to continue racing pending a resolution of his salbutamol case. However, ASO sent Team Sky an email in which they make it clear that Froome is not welcome at the Tour.

"The Tour de France wants at all costs to avoid being in the same situation as the recent Giro d’Italia, where the final victory of Froome is now marked with an asterisk," report Le Monde.

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The ASO has cited article 28 of its rules, which "expressly reserves the right to refuse participation in - or to exclude from - the event, a team or any of its members whose presence would be such as to damage the image or reputation of ASO or the event."

Team Sky has already appealed this decision to the National Olympic Committee of French Sport, and a hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 3 with a decision set to made the following day. The case could then move towards CAS although a ruling might be unlikely before the Tour de France starts. 

Team Sky responded to calls from Cyclingnews stating their confidence in Froome: “We are confident that Chris [Froome] will be riding the Tour as we know he has done nothing wrong.”

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) July 1, 2018

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