Tour de France organizers on Tuesday withdrew an invitation for Spanish team Comunidad Valenciana to participate in this year's race, after the squad's deputy director was arrested in a doping probe.
Comunidad Valenciana will not be replaced, Tour organizers said, which cuts the field to 21 teams or 189 riders for cycling's showcase event that starts July 1 in the eastern French city of Strasbourg.
In a statement, the Tour's management said it was being "faithful to its principles with regard to the fight against doping" in withdrawing the invitation to Comunidad Valenciana.
Spanish police seized large amounts of steroids, hormones and 100 bags of frozen blood and equipment for treating blood. Comunidad Valenciana's deputy director Jose Ignacio Labarta was among those arrested.