PARIS, 21 January 2005 — French prosecutors have opened proceedings into possible doping by six-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, it was reported yesterday.

The investigations stem from a magistrate’s interview with Armstrong’s former British masseusse Emma O’Reilly, who was reported to have confirmed the allegations of the Texan using the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) she made in “LA - Confidential - The Secrets of Lance Armstrong” last year.

Armstrong, who has only tested positive once in his career - for a cortisone-based cream back in 1999 - denies any wrongdoing.

He is sueing the authors for defamation, claiming two million euros in damages.

He is also involved in a legal battle with his US insurers over a $ 5 million bonus they have withheld since LA Confidential was published.

“This preliminary enquiry has only just begun and it would be premature to draw any conclusions, one way or another,” the Annecy prosecutors’ office told Le Parisien daily. The enquiry was transferred to Annecy from the Paris office which looked into the Cofidis scandal last year which led to the suspension of Britain’s world time-trial champion David Millar.

In Adelaide, Australia, time-trial specialist Luis Sanchez of Spain blew a hole in Stuart O’Grady’s hopes of overall victory on the Tour Down Under after winning the third stage in style yesterday.

The 21-year-old, seen as a potential heir to five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain, was part of a 26-strong breakaway group which turned the race on its head.

After two days of domination by Australian champion Robbie McEwen, Sanchez decided the sprinters had had their day.

With less than 20km of the 139km stage from Glenelg to Victor Harbor remaining, he launched an audacious attack for victory. He was joined by Davitamon-Lotto rider Johan Van Summeren, but the Belgian was no match for the Spaniard, who eased over the finish line in just under 3hr 20min.

Van Summeren came second, with Australian Gene Bates finishing third to claim the sprinter’s jersey.

As well as giving Liberty their first stage win of the race, Sanchez’s victory has had major ramifications for the general classification.

He now leads Van Summeren by 2sec, Davis by 13sec and O’Grady is further behind.

Overall victory is now certain for one of the early stage finishers. More than likely, it will be grabbed by either Sanchez, or his Liberty teammate Allan Davis.

The early breakaway, which included all of the early finishers, took advantage of the windy conditions on some undulating terrain to build a significant lead which, by the end, had relegated most of the peloton over 20 minutes in arrears.

Going into the stage McEwen led Queenslander Davis by six seconds and O’Grady by 10sec.

However O’Grady, who managed to get into the 26-man breakaway group, could do nothing about Sanchez’s late attack.

As Liberty took control at the front, the Cofidis sprinter only had one teammate to help him and by the time Sanchez had gone, the 31-year-old O’Grady had run out of juice.

Worse for the former winner from Adelaide, who had been hoping to win here for a third time, is the fact that he only has one team-mate to help him against the well-placed riders from Liberty in the remaining three days.