Customs search Schlecks' car
2008-07-24 15:12
Vizille - French customs officers
stopped and searched a car driven by Johnny Schleck, the father
of riders Frank and Andy, during Thursday's 18th stage of the
Tour de France, Reuters witnessed at the scene.
Customs officers first stopped a press car with Luxembourg
number plates and searched it 35km into the day's 196.5km ride
from Bourg d'Oisans to St Etienne.
The car left some 20 minutes later.
They then stopped a second car, driven by Johnny Schleck,
whose sons are riders from Luxembourg representing the CSC team
on the Tour de France.
Johnny Schleck, who drives guests around for one of the Tour
sponsors, was asked to step out of the car at a roundabout and
was searched by a police officer.
He was then asked to drive the car towards the other side of
the roundabout, where the vehicle was searched by customs
officers for 30 minutes.
"We will search the car," a customs officer told Reuters
without giving any further details.
The car later continued on the stage course behind a customs
vehicle towards Grenoble.
Frank Schleck, who lost the race leader's yellow jersey on
Wednesday, is second overall one minute and 24 seconds behind
Spanish team-mate Carlos Sastre.