Cycling-Danish police search Bahrain Victorious hotel ahead of Tour de France

Danish police carried out a search at the hotel of cycling team Bahrain Victorious at the request of French authorities on Thursday, Copenhagen Police said in a statement on the eve of the Tour de France Grand Depart. Authorities searched all team vehicles and the rooms of staff and riders at 5:30 a.m. local time in Brondby.

Danish police carried out a search at the hotel of cycling team Bahrain Victorious at the request of French authorities on Thursday, Copenhagen Police said in a statement on the eve of the Tour de France Grand Depart.

Authorities searched all team vehicles and the rooms of staff and riders at 5:30 a.m. local time in Brondby. The homes of riders and staff were also searched by police on Monday before their departure for the Tour. French prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into doping allegations against Bahrain Victorious after police searched the team's hotel late in last year's race.

"Based on a request from the French police, as part of an ongoing investigation in France, we have carried out a search at a hotel in Brondby," Chief Superintendent Dannie Rise said. "We have no further information about the operation, and I shall refer you to the French police for more about the investigation itself."

The team said in a statement that it fully cooperated with the authorities and the search was completed within two hours. "No items were seized from the team," it added.

Bahrain Victorious won three stages in last year's Tour. Their accommodation was raided after the 17th stage. At the time, the prosecutor's office in Marseille said the investigation was into "acquisition, transport, possession, import of a prohibited substance or prohibited method for use by an athlete without medical justification".

This year's Tour begins on Friday in Copenhagen.

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