"I would not use the term 'historic' but it is a very important date. We can afford to disagree on all issues except this one," the Tour director added.

American team Discovery Channel last week suspended 2006 Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso over his implication in the case while German Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour champion, whose name was cited in the scandal, retired in February.

Media reports also revealed that blood bags seized during the Puerto investigation had been compared by German justice officials to Ullrich's DNA samples and that the two samples matched.

"German justice showed us that there were ways to confound the riders and solid ground on which to act against the cheaters," said Prudhomme.

"Pretty soon, we may have similar results regarding another prominent rider," he added.

RIDERS BANNED

Tour de France organisers, who last year banned riders involved in the Puerto scandal, took the initiative again last month by asking teams not to select them for other events they stage, such as the Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The Puerto case was dropped by the Spanish magistrate in charge of the investigation, Antonio Serrano, who insisted evidence in the case could not be used to take sporting sanctions. But the UCI appealed and separate cases have been opened in Germany and Italy.

UCI chief McQuaid insisted sanctions would be taken once the sport's governing body has access to the whole file and can rely on better evidence against the 52 riders identified in the investigation.

Lefevere said teams had agreed not to select any rider suspected of wrongdoing, regardless of the legal implications.

"It is a risk we must take. The ideal way would be for justice to go all the way but it could take one or two years and by then, our sport would be dead," he said.

The three bodies agreed on Friday to take a common lawyer to address the legal implications and they warned riders that out of competition tests would be increased "like never before".

"We warn riders who would be tempted to cheat that we won't miss them," said Prudhomme.

The Tour de France started last year without some of its leading favourites and ended in more controversy when American Floyd Landis, the overall winner, tested positive for steroids.

UCI boss McQuaid made it clear the sport would not hesitate to do without its leading figures once more.

"If great riders have to be excluded, the will is there. Other riders will replace them. Clean riders," he said.

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