Cycling: Rumsas' wife charged over drugs haul

The wife of the Tour de France cyclist Raimondas Rumsas was yesterday charged with possession and intention to supply doping substances.

Edita Rumsas, who is now being held in custody at Bonneville prison, was arrested on Sunday evening as she was crossing the Italian border near Chamonix. Custom officers discovered that she was carrying corticoids, erythropoietin, testosterone, growth hormones and anabolic steroids in her car boot. This happened just a few hours after her husband had finished third in the Tour, won by the American Lance Armstrong.

Rumsas, the 30-year-old Lithuanian leader of the Italian team Lampre-Daikin was making his debut in this year's event. He yesterday said that the products in his wife's car were for his mother-in-law.

"I have ridden this Tour in a completely honest and legal manner," he said. "[My wife] is not my doctor and does not supply me with any medicines. She just accompanies me to the races because she is my biggest fan."