A magistrates' court in Lille is waiting on expert advice to determine the precise nature of the drug haul after the Festina team's masseur, Willy Voet, was arrested on his way to the Tour de France start in Dublin last week.

Voet was found by French customs officials in possession of a stock of prohibited substances comprising anabolic steroids, growth hormones and masking agents. He is being held at a prison in Loos, near Lille, after appearing in court last Friday.

His arrest has cast a shadow over the Festina team, with team director Bruno Roussel saying: "The team is surprised and hurt by all the conclusions that have been drawn."