Tour in turmoil as third rider fails drugs test

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Ricco, who has won two stages on this year's Tour, failed the test after last week's individual time trial in Cholet and his Saunier Duval team have now withdrawn completely from the tour.

The 24-year-old is the third rider to be thrown out after Deunas Nevado and his Spanish compatriot Manuel Beltran.

"It's for the same product as the other two," said Pierre Bordry, president of the French Anti-Doping Federation.

Cycling's reputation has again been left in tatters and this latest episode cast a shadow over today's stage 12 on the 168.5km road to Narbonne, with Cadel Evans clinging to his one-second lead over Luxembourg's Frank Schleck.

Two riders from the Barloworld team - Longo Borghini and Felix Cardenas - have dropped out after falling.