Pubdate: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 Source: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (CA) Section: Sports, page C-1 Contact: http://www.sanluisobispo.com RIDERS' PROTEST FORCES ORGANIZERS TO NULLIFY 17TH STAGE AIX-LES-BAINS, France (AP) - Angry Tour de France riders crossed the finish line holding hands in symbolic victory, only to be told their entire day of racing through the Alps would not count. In another jarring day for cycling's showcase event, the Tour de France was again hit wiht a protest Wednesday over a drug investigation. It was the second such protest by the riders, who have grown increasingly indignant since the race began July 11. "I can't race in this climate of permanent suspicion where we are taken for criminals," star French rider Laurent Jalabert said. Organizers nullified the 17th stage after riders either dropped out or slowed in protest. The Dutch team TVM, implicated in the drug scandel, led the pack across the line holding hands. The stage ended more than two hours later than scheduled. Seventeen riders from three teams - ONCE, Banesto, Riso Scotti - dropped out of the leg altogether. Riders, fearing further police action, stopped for 15 minutes early in the race and cruised slowly through more than three-quarters of the leg. Many of the 133 riders stripped off their race numbers and briefly stopped at the 20th mile of the leg from Albertville to Aix-les-Bains. The tour has become vulnerable in the face of the growing police inquiry into the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The Festina team has been expelled, and at least five other teams have come under suspicion. On Wednesday night, police in nearby Chambery detained Casino team coach Vincent Lavenu following a search of the team hotel. Casino was one of at least three teams susjected to searches Wednesday. Tour judge Joel Menard announced that the stage was annulled. He said only 116 riders who crossed the line could continue riding today. That put Jalabert of ONCE out of the competition, which is scheduled to end Sunday in Paris. "We're not animals, Everyone, including police, should treat us like normal people," said Bjarne Riis, winner of the 1996 race. "What we did today was to save the tour, save cycling, because it's our life." "They're robbing our dreams," said Thierry Bourguiginon of the Dutch team. "I have the impression the tour is finished. I'm sick." Police on Wednesday descended on team hotels, around the Alpine town of Chambery, including the ONCE team, a day after testing and searching the Dutch TVM team. Police were seen removing garbage bags full of objects from a van bearing the ONCE insignia. France 2 television said that Jalabert was among those questioned. Also searched were the hotels of the Casino team and the La Francaise des Jeux team. Jalabert had led the riders' protest before his team simply dropped out of the go-slow race. Former champion Stephen Roche, speaking on the Eurosport network, said he spoke to Jalabert before he withdrew. "Jalabert was crying," he said. "He said, 'I cannot ride a bike in these conditions. I prefer to work in a factory and be a normal person than be treated like this.'" Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc asked riders to restart. He promised to speak with them and have "assurances concerning the conditions." "We will restart when we have some guarantees from the police that we would be treated well," overall race leader Marco Pantani said. "We want to be treated like athletes and not as delinquents." Leblanc said on Franc 2 radio that any police questioning would take place in riders' hotels. He added the tour would continue today despite the protest. On Tuesday night, member of the TVM team were taken by police for testing. Police also seized suspect medication in a van driven by officials of the Bigmat team. Earlier in the race, the top-ranked Festina team was expelled from the tour. The first protest came Friday with a sit-down strike, delaying the start of the 12th stage by two hours. One Tuesday, about 100 doses of medication were found in briefcases belonging to Bigmat officials during a routine customs inspection in Chambery on the Franco-Swiss border. The drugs were sent to a police labe in Lyon. Festina riders are accused of using the hormone EPO. TVM officials also are being investigated for supplying the banned substance. - --- Checked-by: Melodi Cornett