French cycling federation (FFC) chief Daniel Baal was charged yesterday in connection with last year's Tour de France doping scandal.

Baal, the 13th person to be placed under investigation, was charged with "complicity in helping others to obtain and use illegal performance enhancing substances," judicial sources said.

FFC vice-president Roger Legeay and leading rider Richard Virenque, formerly with the Festina team, were charged earlier this week.

Tour de France director JeanMarie Leblanc was . later in the day.

Jean-Marie Leblanc, the director of the Tour de France organising body, told the press as he left the Lille court buildings that he had not been formally charged. He said that the judge had been satisfied with his replies. "As a consequence, I have not been put under formal investigation. And now it's back to work," he said.

Leblanc had spent eight hours with investigators answering questions on a previous occasion, but this time emerged only 45 minutes after entering the court buildings.

Leblanc's organising group has come under fire for not taking enough action to prevent drug use in the race. The race director has made it clear he may resign if he is implicated in the case.

Baal, saying he had done all he could against the practice of doping in the sport, said: "This charge is unjust and absolutely unfounded . . . I will fight with all my strength to get the charges dismissed as quickly as possible to be cleansed of this affront I don't deserve," he said on leaving Lille's palace of justice.

Baal said that he had asked the French sports ministry for an increase in anti-doping controls.

"I have provided information that shows the accusations against me and the (cycling) bodies are absolutely unfounded. They are lies," he said.

Baal said he believed some of those charged were trying to implicate others to try to reduce their responsibility in the affair.

Last year's Tour, which started in Ireland, was won by Italian Marco Pantani. It came close to being abandoned halfway through because of the scandal. Several teams were expelled or withdrew and only half the riders who started the race reached the Champs Elysees finish in Paris.