Drug Scandal at Tour de France

Mario Cipollini of Italy scored his second consecutive stage victory in the Tour de France on Friday at Brive-La Gaillarde. But the big news came from off the road.

The Festina team was kicked out of the Tour and team director Bruno Roussel was being investigated for importing prohibited substances, among other things.

The Festina doctor, Eric Ryckaert, also was being investigated for importing and circulating prohibited merchandise.

In a statement read by Roussel’s lawyer, Thibault de Montbrial, the team director admitted to a “concerted” practice of providing cyclists with doping products. He said doctors, masseurs and cyclists were involved.

“The object was to optimize performances under strict medical control,” the statement said, “in order to avoid cyclists personally and uncontrollably supplying themselves under conditions that could be bad for their health.”

On the course, Australian Stuart O’Grady added two seconds to his overall lead, and American George Hincapie held second place going into today’s 36-mile time trial from Meyrignac-L’Eglise to Correze.

Pro Football

Running back Robert Edwards, New England’s first pick in April’s NFL draft, signed with the Patriots for a reported $5.7 million over five years.

Edwards, who played at Georgia, will be expected to help fill the role of Curtis Martin, who went to the New York Jets as a free agent.

The Green Bay Packers came to terms with free-agent running back Raymont Harris, bolstering a rushing attack that is without Dorsey Levens, the team’s top runner from a year ago. No terms of the deal with Harris were disclosed.

Levens, a free agent and the Packers’ designated franchise player, is seeking a four-year, $21.2-million deal.

The Miami Dolphins’ top pick, John Avery, signed a five-year contract with the team.

Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson is seeking a suitable combination with Avery, who played two seasons at Mississippi, incumbent starter Karim Abdul-Jabbar and talented-but-troubled Lawrence Phillips.

The Dolphins also signed guard Scott Shaw, their fifth-round pick, to a three-year deal.

A former investment advisor agreed to settle civil charges by federal regulators that he bilked his clients, many of them professional athletes, out of more than $11 million.

John W. Gillette Jr. of San Diego, who is already serving a 10-year state prison sentence for swindling investors, didn’t admit or deny wrongdoing in the agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Of the allegedly stolen money, $5.6 million was invested by NFL players, including Dallas Cowboy safety Darren Woodson, Washington Redskin safety Stanley Richard and Charger linebacker Junior Seau.

Tennis

Top-seeded Conchita Martinez defeated unseeded Karina Habsudova of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Warsaw Cup at Poland. . . . Jennifer Capriati was eliminated by unseeded Barbara Rittner of Germany, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Palermo Grand Prix at Sicily.

Hockey

Detroit Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman was released from the hospital after undergoing an angioplasty Thursday. Bowman, 64, now needs to lower his cholesterol and blood pressure before he can make a decision on whether he will return as Red Wing coach next season.

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Michal Sykora and a fourth-round draft pick in 1999.

Miscellany

Patrick Femerling, a 7-foot-1 center-forward, has signed a contract with Berlin of the German professional basketball league and won’t return to the Washington Huskies for his senior season.

A grand jury in Houston declined to indict Hall of Fame basketball player Calvin Murphy on charges that he lied on his time sheets while working as the city’s youth athletic director.

Murphy, who holds the NBA record for best free-throw shooting percentage in a season, was accused of claiming overtime for days he was out of town serving as an analyst on Rocket broadcasts.

Former boxer Tommy Morrison was charged at Tulsa, Okla., with drunk driving, running a red light and driving with a revoked license.

Morrison, 29, was arrested before dawn Thursday in Broken Arrow, Okla., after failing two breath tests.

Alex Zanardi grabbed the provisional pole for the Toronto Molson-Indy with a lap of 105.480 mph.

Two hundred inner-city children are expected to attend Kid’s Day at the U.S. Senior Open featuring Chi Chi Rodriguez on Tuesday at Riviera Country Club.

Seven people were sentenced Friday to jail terms ranging from one to four months for rioting in Marseille during the World Cup, and three defendants were banned from returning to France.