RIDERS' PROTEST FORCES ORGANIZERS TO NULLIFY 17TH STAGE

AIX-LES-BAINS, France (AP) - Angry Tour de France riders crossed the finish
line holding hands in symbolic victory, only to be told their entire day of
racing through the Alps would not count.

In another jarring day for cycling's showcase event, the Tour de France was
again hit wiht a protest Wednesday over a drug investigation.

It was the second such protest by the riders, who have grown increasingly
indignant since the race began July 11.

"I can't race in this climate of permanent suspicion where we are taken for
criminals," star French rider Laurent Jalabert said.

Organizers nullified the 17th stage after riders either dropped out or
slowed in protest.

The Dutch team TVM, implicated in the drug scandel, led the pack across the
line holding hands. The stage ended more than two hours later than scheduled.

Seventeen riders from three teams - ONCE, Banesto, Riso Scotti - dropped out
of the leg altogether.

Riders, fearing further police action, stopped for 15 minutes early in the
race and cruised slowly through more than three-quarters of the leg.

Many of the 133 riders stripped off their race numbers and briefly stopped
at the 20th mile of the leg from Albertville to Aix-les-Bains.

The tour has become vulnerable in the face of the growing police inquiry
into the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The Festina team has been
expelled, and at least five other teams have come under suspicion.

On Wednesday night, police in nearby Chambery detained Casino team coach
Vincent Lavenu following a search of the team hotel. Casino was one of at
least three teams susjected to searches Wednesday.

Tour judge Joel Menard announced that the stage was annulled. He said only
116 riders who crossed the line could continue riding today.

That put Jalabert of ONCE out of the competition, which is scheduled to end
Sunday in Paris.

"We're not animals, Everyone, including police, should treat us like normal
people," said Bjarne Riis, winner of the 1996 race. "What we did today was
to save the tour, save cycling, because it's our life."

"They're robbing our dreams," said Thierry Bourguiginon of the Dutch team.
"I have the impression the tour is finished. I'm sick."

Police on Wednesday descended on team hotels, around the Alpine town of
Chambery, including the ONCE team, a day after testing and searching the
Dutch TVM team.

Police were seen removing garbage bags full of objects from a van bearing
the ONCE insignia. France 2 television said that Jalabert was among those
questioned.

Also searched were the hotels of the Casino team and the La Francaise des
Jeux team.

Jalabert had led the riders' protest before his team simply dropped out of
the go-slow race.

Former champion Stephen Roche, speaking on the Eurosport network, said he
spoke to Jalabert before he withdrew.

"Jalabert was crying," he said. "He said, 'I cannot ride a bike in these
conditions. I prefer to work in a factory and be a normal person than be
treated like this.'"

Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc asked riders to restart. He promised to
speak with them and have "assurances concerning the conditions."

"We will restart when we have some guarantees from the police that we would
be treated well," overall race leader Marco Pantani said. "We want to be
treated like athletes and not as delinquents."

Leblanc said on Franc 2 radio that any police questioning would take place
in riders' hotels. He added the tour would continue today despite the protest.

On Tuesday night, member of the TVM team were taken by police for testing.
Police also seized suspect medication in a van driven by officials of the
Bigmat team. Earlier in the race, the top-ranked Festina team was expelled
from the tour.

The first protest came Friday with a sit-down strike, delaying the start of
the 12th stage by two hours.

One Tuesday, about 100 doses of medication were found in briefcases
belonging to Bigmat officials during a routine customs inspection in
Chambery on the Franco-Swiss border. The drugs were sent to a police labe in
Lyon.

Festina riders are accused of using the hormone EPO. TVM officials also are
being investigated for supplying the banned substance.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett