Top Tour de France official Patrice Clerc said Barloworld would remain in the race unless new evidence from a police investigation pointed to organised doping within the team.

Barloworld, along with two other teams, have come under the doping spotlight following Spaniard Moises Duenas's positive test for EPO (erythropoietin).

On Thursday police discovered a stash of medical material and banned substances from a hotel room used by Duenas, who was pulled out of the race by Barloworld on Wedneday after his positive test was revealed.

Duenas is the second Spaniard to be pulled out, following Liquigas's decision to suspend Manuel Beltran last week after he tested positive for EPO.

On Thursday the entire Saunier Duval team volunteered to leave the race when it was revealed that Italian star climber, Riccardo Ricco, had also tested positive for EPO. Ricco has won two stages while teammate Leonardo Piepoli won one.

Barloworld and Liquigas insist they have been the victims of "isolated" cases, and are continuing to race.

Clerc, the president of the Tour's holding company ASO (Amaury Sports Organisation) said the British-registered Barloworld team would be allowed to continue until police evidence suggested otherwise.

"For the moment I don't have any information other than that given to me by the investigating magistrate, who has mentioned the discovery of medical material (blood) transfusion bags," said Clerc.

"At this time we are not in a position to say whether this is linked to any kind of organised team activity."

Prosecutor Gerard Aldige told a Toulouse court on Thursday that numerous doping items were seized from Duenas's room.

"In the cupboard and among the rider's personal belongings gendarmes (officers) found many things including medical material," said Aldige.

Aldige said that the products included "syringes, needles and blood bags" and a drug called TAD which is not authorised for import or sale in France.

"A multitude of other products... in liquid and sachet form" were also seized.

Duenas was charged with "use and possession of plants and poisonous substances" and could face up to two years in prison and a €3750 fine.

He could also be jailed for up to three years for "the importation of banned goods".

Barloworld team manager Claudio Corti, speaking before the start of the 12th stage in Lavelanet on Thursday, denied all knowledge of the discovery and said he had yet to speak to Duenas.

"It's a serious situation we are in but I have explained to the organisers that we, as a team, are not implicated in this affair," said Corti.

"If he (Duenas) is the only one implicated then why should the whole team pay for it? We are cooperating and trying to deal with this together."

Australian Baden Cooke became the fifth rider from Barloworld to pull out of the Tour de France on Thursday. Cooke pulled up after 25km of racing shortly after he had crashed, picking up a back injury.

Colombian Felix Cardenas and Italian Paolo Longo pulled out on Wednesday's 11th stage. Colombian climber Mauricio Soler — the reigning 'King of the Mountains' — pulled out earlier in the race due to a fractured wrist.

The remaining riders are sprinter Robert Hunter of South Africa, compatriot John-Augustyn Lee, Italian Giampaolo Chuela and Briton Chris Froome.

AFP