Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong returned to haunt the Tour de France on the eve of the 100th running of the race as he once again raised the spectre of doping.
The Texan, stripped of the record seven Tour titles he won between 1999 and 2005 after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs, created a storm by giving an interview to French daily newspaper Le Monde and then claiming his comments were presented out of context. A bold headline in the newspaper read: "The Tour de France? Impossible to win without doping."
But Armstrong then took to Twitter to insist he had only answered questions relating to the years in which he was competing for the famous yellow jersey, while saying he was "hopeful" current riders could win by legitimate means.
"1999-2005. I was clear with Stephane Mandard on this," Armstrong wrote, referring to the Le Monde journalist. "Today? I have no idea. I'm hopeful it's possible [to win without drugs]."
Armstrong's comments, and the initial portrayal of them as relating to the Tour today, had earlier brought a strong response from Pat McQuaid, the president of the sport's world governing body the UCI.
In the interview, Armstrong suggested that doping had been so widespread in the sport a decade ago that only those involved could hope to contend.
McQuaid commented: "It is very sad that Lance Armstrong has decided to make this statement on the eve of the Tour de France. However, I can tell him categorically that he is wrong. His comments do absolutely nothing to help cycling.
"Armstrong's views and opinions are shaped by his own behaviour and time in the peloton. Cycling has now moved on."
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