Sprint star Tom Boonen of Belgium has been cleared to compete in the Tour de France after winning his appeal of a ban for testing positive for cocaine. The French Olympic committee's arbitration panel handed down the decision Friday, a day before the Tour is set to start in Monaco. “The ruling is: ‘We win'. Tom Boonen will ride in the Tour,” said Boonen lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont by phone. Boonen's Quick Step team welcomed the ruling, but regretted that a decision took so long. “I'm relieved but I'm sorry that we had to go up to here,” team manager Patrick Lefevere told The Associated Press. “The pressure has been huge, not only on Tom Boonen's shoulders, but on the whole team.” Boonen appealed to French sports authorities for permission to ride in the three-week race after a court said it didn't have jurisdiction in the case. Tour organizer ASO had sought to ban Boonen by saying the Belgian had damaged the race's image after he tested positive in an out-of-competition test. Cocaine is not banned during out-of-competition periods, and the International Cycling Union (UCI) decided not to take action against the rider. Boonen, one of the world's best sprinters and one-day classic riders, resumed cycling last month – including the Dauphine Libere stage race. In 2007, Boonen won the green jersey awarded to the Tour's best sprinter. He has already proved his form this season by winning Paris-Roubaix for a third time. Riders make noise over radio ban Tour de France riders are voicing their discontent about the decision by organizers to hold two stages in which radio equipment and ear-pieces will be banned. “Why not have two days without helmets and two days without brakes?” mused German Jens Voigt. The 10th and 13th stages will be held without any radio device, in a bid to help riders decide on their own tactics without waiting for instruction from their team directors. The move, which has been approved by the International Cycling Union (UCI), aims at restoring a bit of suspense and action after criticism from past riders that races were becoming too predictable while competitors had lost all sense of tactics and strategy. “I hope for a little bit of fantasy to return to the race and for riders who take risks to go all the way, said Tour director Christian Prudhomme. “There is a will from all the actors in the world of cycling to suppress ear-pieces.” But some riders fear for their safety if team officials can no longer warn them about a demonstration, crash or an oil slip on the course. “If there is a big crash involving several leaders and all the team directors rush to the spot at the same time, there will be real mayhem,” said team Saxo Bank director Bjarne Riis. “It's a huge risk and I sincerely hope it doesn't happen. We should live with our time,” he added. Lance Armstrong also deplored the temptation to look back to the good old days when cycling was supposedly more exciting. “If we go back to the days before the radio, we should start with woollen jerseys and tires around our neck like in the old days,” the seven-time Tour champion said in an interview to French television.
