PARIS -- Cyclists who have admitted using banned drugs say the Tour de France may need years to recover from the stigma of cheating, denial and lying that devastated the 2007 race.

The Tour from a year ago was bad enough, with Floyd Landis' positive test coming days after the race. This time, doping rocked the 104-year-old institution to its core.

"I thought this year would have been better," former rider Frankie Andreu said. "Obviously it wasn't. So I'm not confident that even next year will be better."

But things got even worse yesterday.

Spanish rider Iban Mayo tested positive for EPO during the final week of the Tour, his team said in a statement. Three riders, including former overall leader Michael Rasmussen, and two teams were expelled during the three-week race.

Mayo's Saunier Duval team was told of the results of the July 24 test by cycling's governing body and "immediately suspended" Mayo, according to a statement posted on the team's Web site. A second test is needed to confirm the initial positive result for Mayo, who finished 16th in the event.

French Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot promised yesterday that the 2008 Tour will be "clean and renovated," likely with tougher doping sanctions, unannounced hotel room searches and other measures.

This time, fan favorite Alexandre Vinokourov, Rasmussen and Italian rider Cristian Moreni were cited for doping or, in Rasmussen's case, for lying about his whereabouts while skipping tests.

German rider Patrik Sinkewitz also tested positive, except his test was from before the race and revealed during it.

"It's going to take five and 10 years until we have faith in the riders," Britain's David Millar said.

Many now look to the new guard of young riders to stand up against doping. But will 24-year-olds such as Tour winner Alberto Contador, Linus Gerdemann and Markus Fothen speak their minds? Gerdemann, who won an Alpine stage on July 14, already has.

"We have to go that way, otherwise cycling is dead," Gerdemann said.