July 19, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1429

NARBONNE (France), July 18: Drugs hit the Tour de France again on Thursday, and the third doping bust this year 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 Mark Cavendish of Britain while Cadel Evans of Australia kept the yellow jersey.

But as is often the case in cycling, drugs overshadowed racing. This is the third straight year that the sport's showpiece event has been undercut by doping.

Ricco was detained by police and booed by spectators before the stage. He is the third rider in this race to test positive for the performance enhancer EPO, cycling's drug of choice. His Saunier-Duval team withdrew from the Tour and suspended all activities.

Ricco, a 24-year-old rider who won two Tour stages this year, tested positive after the fourth stage, a time trial in Cholet.

Ricco's team bus was later detained by gendarmes, said the prosecutor for the Foix region, Antoine Leroy.

Cavendish led a group sprint to the finish, completing a 168.5-kilometer (104.7-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.

Cavendish, a Team Columbia rider who had never won a stage before this year, was followed by Sebastien Chavanel of France in second place, with Gert Steegmans of Belgium third.

Ricco, the Giro d'Italia runner-up, won the sixth and ninth stages of this Tour and was ninth overall entering Thursday. He was 2 minutes, 29 seconds behind Evans.

Ricco had come under suspicion about what he says is his naturally high hematocrit level – the volume of red blood cells. High hematocrit levels can suggest EPO use but do not confirm it.

Results of the 12th stage:

1. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Columbia) 3h 40m 52s; 2. Sebastien Chavanel (France / Francaise des Jeux) same time; 3. Gert Steegmans (Belgium / Quick-Step); 4. Erik Zabel (Germany / Milram); 5. Oscar Freire (Spain/ Rabobank); 6. Francesco Chicchi (Italy / Liquigas); 7. Thor Hushovd (Norway / Credit Agricole); 8. Leonardo Duque (Colombia / Cofidis); 9. Julian Dean (New Zealand / Garmin - Chipotle); 10. Heinrich Haussler (Germany / Gerolsteiner); 11. Robbie McEwen (Australia / Silence - Lotto); 12. Jimmy Casper (France / Agritubel); 13. Robert Hunter (South Africa / Barloworld); 14. Martin Elmiger (Switzerland / AG2R); 15. Alessandro Ballan (Italy / Lampre); 16. Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg / Columbia); 17. Kanstantin Sivtsov (Belarus / Columbia); 18. Xavier Florencio (Spain / Bouygues Telecom); 19. Robert Forster (Germany / Gerolsteiner); 20. Cadel Evans (Australia / Silence - Lotto); 21. Eduardo Gonzalo (Spain / Agritubel); 22. Martijn Maaskant (Netherlands / Garmin - Chipotle); 23. Ruben Perez (Spain / Euskaltel); 24. Steven de Jongh (Netherlands / Quick-Step); 25. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine / Silence - Lotto); 26. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland / Team CSC); 27. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic / Liquigas); 28. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg / Team CSC); 29. Christian Vande Velde (U.S. / Garmin - Chipotle); 30. Daniele Righi (Italy / Lampre).—Agencies