Third crazy cyclist tumbles out of Tour de France taking chemical cocktails

It was to be hoped that after last year, the Tour de France would be clean. We now have 3 rider testing positive for EPO (erythropoietin) . Today 's result on 24year old Riccardo Ricco of team Saunier-Duval (who have pulled from the race) was a result after testing in the 4th stage, an individual time trial in Cholet last week, the same as Moisés Dueñas Nevado . Manuel Beltran has also been tested positive for EPO.

Ricco, is the winner of two stages in this year's Tour - the 6th and the 9th - he was 9th in the general classification and was holder of both the polka-dot and white jerseys, for the race's leading climber and youth rider respectively.He finished 2nd in the Giro d'Italia earlier this year - pic at the prize ceremony.

Rumors have been circulating that some cyclists were using an allegedly undetectable variant of EPO. The French Anti-Doping Agency, have said a urine sample provided last week by Riccò after the fourth stage of the race in Cholet contained metabolites of synthetic EPO as well as evidence of a new substance known generically as CERA, or continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator.

The new drug is a longer-lasting treatment for anemia associated with kidney disease that is marketed in Europe by Roche. Clinical tests by the company showed that patients who required injections of EPO three times a week to treat their anemia could use Micera once or twice a month with the same effect. Micera or Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta injection was only approved for clinical use by the US Food and Drugs Administration on November 14, 2007 and was approved by the European Commission in August 2007.

These guys and their "medical advisors" are playing on the edge.

International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid who has tried so hard to ensure a clean race said "It's completely shocking - someone must have advised those guys to take some form of EPO thought to be undetectable because we haven't caught guys in this fashion for a long time."

McQuaid accused Spanish cycling in particular of failing to clean up its act. "He's not Spanish but he's connected to Spain,"

In the real race Mark Cavendish made cycling history by becoming the first British rider to land three stage victories in a single Tour de France by winning the 12th stage 168.5-km from Lavelanet to Narbonne.

Ricco's team-mates, Juan Joes Cobo Acebo, 8th overall and David De La Fuente, was just behind Ricco, in the King of the Mountains standings are hit hardest of all. The unbeleivable lure of the Mountains and the money that goes that entrapped their colleague will hit their reputation and their pockets.