Italy's Ricco the third doping bust at Tour de France
NARBONNE, France - Drugs hit the Tour de France again Thursday, and the third doping bust netted the biggest name yet: Italy's Riccardo Ricco, a winner of two stages.
The disclosure came hours before the 12th stage, which was won by Britain's Mark Cavendish while Australia's Cadel Evans kept the yellow jersey.
But as is often the case in cycling, drugs overshadowed racing. This is the third straight year the sport's showpiece event has been undercut by doping.
"May the cheaters get caught. May they go away," Tour president Christian Prudhomme said. "I said to the riders before the race, behind closed doors, that you have the key. ... Some didn't get the message."
Evans said he welcomed the drugs busts, and "that the sport is being cleaned up in serious, fair and transparent way. Our sport is being crucified for doing the right thing."
Ricco was detained by police and booed by spectators before the stage. All three busts have involved the performance enhancer EPO, cycling's drug of choice.
His Saunier-Duval team withdrew from the Tour and suspended all activities. The team bus was detained by gendarmes, said the prosecutor for the Foix region, Antoine Leroy.
Ricco tested positive after the fourth stage, a time trial in Cholet. The Giro d'Italia runner-up won the sixth and ninth stages of this Tour and was ninth overall entering Thursday.
"It's just amazing. It's irresponsible," British cyclist David Millar said. "This guy does not have any love or care for the sport."
Pierre Bordry, the head of the French anti-doping agency, announced the result shortly before the stage. Saunier Duval sporting director Matxin Fernandez said the team suspension will remain in place until it's clear precisely what happened.
"It's a team decision not to start the race," Fernandez said. "He's our leader. We can't act as if nothing happened."
Saunier-Duval is the first team to drop out of this year's Tour. Last year, two teams withdrew and race leader Michael Rasmussen was kicked out just days before the end for lying about his whereabouts to avoid pre-Tour testing.
This year, organizers pledged a tougher approach regarding drug cheats. Eight specially trained chaperones shadow riders after each stage, even climbing onto team buses, to ensure that cyclists go to doping checks.
Cavendish led a group sprint to the finish, completing a 105-mile ride through rolling hills and plains from Lavelanet to Narbonne. Evans, trailing in the main pack, leads Frank Schleck of Luxembourg by one second and Christian Vande Velde of the United States by 38.