COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Team manager Bjarne Riis, who
recently admitted doping when he won the 1996 Tour de France, plans
to attend this month's race against the wishes of organizers.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has said the Dane,
now manager of the CSC team, was not welcome after Riis admitted in
May that he used the blood-booster EPO from 1993-98.
The Tour de France, which no longer considers Riis the winner of
the 1996 race, begins Saturday with a 5-mile prologue in London.
Team CSC spokesman Brian Nygaard said Riis plans to join the team
in London on Thursday to present the riders.
"As it is now, it seems that Bjarne will be at the news
conference and that he will follow the Tour,'' Nygaard said
Wednesday.
The team's main sponsor, CSC, has backed Riis, saying he
launched the cycling team's rigorous anti-doping program.