Ricco is busted for EPO

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.

“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.”

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.

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.”

--

A review of what happened Thursday and a look at what to expect in today’s

stage:

Thursday’s stage: A flat 104.7-mile route from Lavelanet to Narbonne raced in warm weather.

Winner: Mark Cavendish of Britain won his third Tour stage of the race in a sprint finish. Sebastien Chavanel of France was second, and Gert Steegmans of Belgium was third. All three finished in the same time of 3 hours 40 minutes 52 seconds.

Yellow jersey: Cadel Evans of Australia kept the yellow jersey and remains one second ahead of Frank Schleck of Luxembourg and 38 seconds ahead of Christian Vande Velde of the United States, who is in third place.

Quote of the day: “I am actually happy that the cheats are being caught, and that the sport is being cleaned up in a serious, fair and transparent way. . . . Our sport is being crucified for doing the right thing.” -- Evans, reacting to the third doping case of this year’s Tour, involving Riccardo Ricco’s positive test for the blood-booster EPO.

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

TODAY’S STAGE 13

Today’s 13th stage takes riders on a 113.1-mile flat trek from Narbonne to Nimes:

*--* STAGE 12 RESULTS 1. Mark Cavendish, Britain: 3:40:52 2. Sebastien Chavanel, France: same time 3. Gert Steegmans, Belgium: same time 4. Erik Zabel, Germany: same time 5. Oscar Freire, Spain: same time *--*

--

*--* OVERALL STANDINGS 1. Cadel Evans, Australia: 50:23:05 2. Frank Schleck, Luxembourg: 0:01 behind 3. Christian Vande Velde, U.S.: 0:38 behind 4. Bernhard Kohl, Austria: 0:46 behind 5. Denis Menchov, Russia: 0:57 behind *--*