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3rd Rider Busted For Doping At Tour

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 18, 2008

NARBONNE, France - With the competition reduced to an afterthought, the Tour de France was rocked by another drug bust Thursday that left cycling's showpiece event all but synonymous with doping.

This was the third time in this race that a rider has been caught, and it netted the biggest name yet: Italy's Riccardo Ricco, a winner of two stages.

"You can't believe that a wave of a magic wand can change the world of cycling," Patrice Clerc, head of Tour organizer ASO, said at a news conference. "It's going to take time."

Ricco was expelled from the race and detained by police to the boos of fans. His Saunier Duval team pulled out of the Tour and suspended all its activities. This is the third straight year the Tour has been undercut by doping.

The day's 12th stage was won by Mark Cavendish of Britain while Cadel Evans of Australia retained the yellow jersey. But, as is often the case in cycling, drugs overshadowed all.

"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."

All three riders were ousted for the performance enhancer EPO - cycling's drug of choice. Ricco tested positive after the fourth stage, a time trial in Cholet.

"It's just amazing. It's irresponsible," said David Millar, a British rider with the Garmin-Chipotle team. "This guy does not have any love or care for the sport."

The Saunier Duval bus was later detained by gendarmes, and its contents were inspected, the state prosecutor for the Foix region, Antoine Leroy, said by phone.

Ricco, the Giro d'Italia runner-up, won the sixth and ninth stages of this Tour and was ninth overall entering Thursday.

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