LILLE France AP Medical tests suggest that cyclists on the Festina team expelled from the Tour de France this summer took banned drugs judicial sources said Tuesday citing a judge's report. But top Festina cyclist Richard Virenque said the figures vindicate his claim that he didn't take banned substances. Judge Patrick Keil called Virenque and teammates Pascal Herve and Laurent Brochard to Lille to give them the results of tests carried out in July. According to judicial sources who saw the report the results showed Virenque had a hematocrit level of 49.3 percent. The hematocrit level measures the proportion of red blood cells in a blood sample one sign of doping since the substances increase red blood cells. But Virenque's level is just within the limit of 50 percent set by the International Cycling Union the sport's governing body. Herve had a level of 52.6. Medical experts have been analyzing blood urine and hair tests since Festina team manager Bruno Roussel admitted during the race to the use of the banned substance erythropoietin EPO among cyclists. Virenque and Herve both deny they knowingly took any banned substances. ``The biological parameters demonstrate scientifically that I didn't take doping agents'' Virenque said as he left the hearing. ``Today I am relieved and I hope soon hope to get back on a bike. It is the end of a nightmare.'' Gilbert Collard Virenque's lawyer said that ``no traces of anabolics growth hormones amphetamines or masking products were brought to attention concerning Richard Virenque.'' However testing remains an inexact science and the results announced by Keil suggest that eight of Festina's nine cyclists took banned substances. Virenque's future remains uncertain. Festina has cut by half its budget for next season is renegotiating contracts with all its riders and has already said the Frenchman will probably not be a member of the team next year. Three of the Spanish team's Swiss cyclists Alex Zuelle Laurent Dufaux and Armin Meier have been banned from all competition until May 1 after they admitted taking EPO. parf-ae-jn APW19981201.0979.txt.body.html APW19981201.0313.txt.body.html