(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-09 11:45

 

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, who has been linked with a Spanish doping investigation, will make a public statement on Friday.

The rider will publicize a communique at the offices of Spain's Superior Council for Sports along with Discovery Channel Team head Johan Bruyneel, Contador spokesman Jacinto Vidarte said Wednesday.

Vidarte said Contador would read a statement but not take questions. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the announcement.

The appearance comes as Contador faces increased scrutiny over his alleged links to the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal.

Contador's name was associated with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who was at the center of the investigation set off last May when Spain's Civil Guard raided a Madrid clinic that allegedly provided doping services to more than 50 riders.

Contador won this year's Tour de France by 23 seconds over Cadel Evans after race leader Michael Rasmussen was removed by his team after evidence that he lied about his whereabouts during training to evade drug testing.

On Wednesday, organizers of the ProTour's Cyclassics event in Hamburg, Germany, said Contador was not welcome to compete in their Aug. 19 event. He was not expected to enter in any case.