MADRID -- Lithuanian rider Raimondas Rumsas, who became embroiled in a doping probe after customs officials found drugs in his wife's car following this year's Tour de France, has denied taking any banned substances.

"I have ridden this tour in a completely honest and legal manner," the 30-year-old cyclist, who came third in the race, told Spanish daily ****El Mundo**** on Tuesday.

Rumsas's wife Edita was arrested after customs officers performing a routine check on her car in the Alpine town of Chamonix on Sunday found drugs which they are having analyzed.

The Lampre-Daikin rider claimed that his wife had no part in supplying him with any pharmaceutical products.

"She is not my doctor and does not supply me with any medicines," he said. "She just accompanies me to the races because she is my biggest fan. "I think it must all be a misunderstanding. She has never hidden anything from me and if it is true that she was carrying all that in the car then she will have to explain it to me when she is released from custody."

Rumsas has been suspended by his team, pending an investigation, and faces the sack if found guilty of doping, although Tour de France Deputy Director Daniel Baal said on Monday that he had been tested twice during the race and the results were negative.

Baal did, however, make it clear that if the probe showed Rumsas to be involved in any doping he would be stripped of his third place. "If they do take the third place from me it will be because of reasons that have nothing to do with the sport, it would be incomprehensible," said Rumsas. "I have taken nothing."

Lampre-Daikin team Dr. Jose Ibarguren insisted that he gave no banned substances to the rider.

"I can only say what I gave him, and they were all legal products just like those given to the rest of the team," Ibarguren was quoted as saying by sports daily ****Marca**** on Tuesday.

"What I don't know is what he may have taken on his own," he added.

Ibarguren said that he had only been concerned with giving the team's cyclists legal products to aid recovery from the exertions of each day's riding, Reuters reported. "If they have found remains of these medicines then there will be no problem," he said. "If they are prohibited products then that will be a matter for the cyclist."

Rumsas, who won the Tour of Lombardy in 2000, was taking part in his first Tour de France, which was won for the fourth time in succession by American Lance Armstrong.

This year's tour was free of major doping scandals, although the last two editions of the Giro d'Italia have been tainted by high-profile drug scandals.