Armstrong pledges to defend Tour

Armstrong will again be in the saddle for the 2001 Tour

Defending Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will seek a third successive title in 2001 despite claims he was ready to boycott the event, according to his US Postal team.

The managing director of the US Postal team, Mark Gorski, said in a statement that the 1999 and 2000 winner will take his place on the start line on 7 July next year.

Armstrong had said on 13 December that he was ready to pull out of the race over a French judicial investigation into doping allegations involving his team. But Gorski moved to allay fears he would not defend his title.

US Postal boss Gorski won an Olympic 100m gold in 1984

"Lance and Directeur Sportif Johan Bruyneel have given me an assurance that our objectives remain the same - to defend the yellow jersey in 2001.

"This will be our team's main competitive focus and we will enter the 2001 season with a goal of winning cycling's greatest event for the third consecutive year," said Gorski.

Armstrong's boycott threat stemmed from his belief that his team was being singled out for special attention by French drug investigators.

A film shown by a French television channel allegedly showed team staff throwing away empty bags, which were suspected to have contained products used for blood doping.

Subsequent tests revealed no traces of EPO, which boosts oxygen in the bloodstream, but purportedly showed the evidence of Actovegin.

The ongoing probe into alleged doping is looking at the use of EPO and a legal product called Actovegin, which contains calves' blood.

None of the nine riders representing the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team at the 2000 Tour de France used Actovegin

  Mark Gorski, US Postal team boss

But Gorski refuted claims that the US Postal team were using Actovegin to dope its riders.

"Since the preposterous rumour continues to fester in the international press, I want to clearly state that none of the nine riders representing the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team at the 2000 Tour de France used Actovegin," he said.

Gorski's statement said prior to the start of the 2000 Tour the team physician had the authorisation of the French medical control agency to bring the product into France.

He said it was to be used to treat severe skin abrasions and assist a staff member who had diabetes.