<![CDATA[
BBC SPORT | Boonen banned from Tour de France:
Former world champion Tom Boonen will not be allowed to compete at next month’s Tour de France after testing positive for cocaine.
With last year’s Tour winner, Alberto Contador, out of this year’s Tour because he rides for Team Astana, which was banned for doping after last year’s race, this year’s Tour de France is looking pretty frayed even before it begins. Contador won a classic Giro d’Italia last week and looks like the odd’s-on favorite to win in Paris in July, if only he were riding.]]>