Thomas Bach, the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), yesterday cast a doubt over cycling's future in the Games after two more cases of doping during the Tour de France were exposed.

 

Stage winners Leonardo Piepoli of Italy and Stefan Schumacher of Germany from the race held earlier this year tested positive for doping from blood samples.

 

The pair became the second and third riders to test positive for CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator), an advanced version of the blood booster EPO (Erythropoietin).

 

Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco has already admitted to CERA use.

 

Wiggins, who won two gold medals in Beijing to add to the one he won in Athens four years ago, said: "The sport is always getting tainted by it but the testing procedure is showing that more and more people are getting caught.

 

"And I still think it is a minority out there who are doing it - there are other sports that are worse than cycling.

 

"Cycling is coming to the forefront because they are finding people.

 

"Cycling has invested so much money in testing and that's good.

 

"It is also costing the riders money.

 

"I pay three per cent of my contract this year towards our own in-house testing at Team Columbia.

 

"The riders have all agreed to pay for it to prove we are not taking anything.

 

"A lot of the teams are taking that stance."

 

Wiggins also reassured the British public that there is no chance of any cyclist in this country having used illegal methods as the team won a record 14 medals in Beijing, including eight gold, to finish top of the medals for their sport.

 

He said: "I can't speak for other nations but here there is no way you can do it here now.

 

"UK Sport know where I am at all time so they could turn up and test me at any time.

 

"It is not like I could disappear to Land's End for a week on growth hormones."