Britain's Mark Cavendish, riding for the Columbia team, won the 13th stage of the Tour de France here Friday, a 182.5km ride from Narbonne to Nimes, while Australian Cadel Evans retained the leader's yellow jersey. Cavendish scored his fourth stage win of the event as he again proved master of the bunched sprint, edging out Australian Robbie McEwen of Silence and Frenchman Romain Feillu of Agritrubel to finish in 4hr 25min 42sec. Cavendish, who hails from the Isle of Man, had already made history on Thursday when he became the first ever Briton to claim three stage wins in a single edition of the Tour, overtaking former British great Barry Hoban. Friday saw the 23-year-old, in only his second Tour, score yet another win after his impressive team again set up his dash for the line before the Tour train heads for three Alpine stages. Germany's Heinrich Haussler was fourth on the day ahead of Spaniard Oscar Freire. Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel attacked 8.5km out as he put 10sec between himself and the chasing pack with German veteran Erik Zabel and Cavendish in hot pursuit and they reeled him in 3km from the finish. Piepoli, Ricco sacked Italians Leonardo Piepoli and Riccardo Ricco were kicked out of the Saunier Duval cycling team on doping grounds, the team said on Friday. “(Team manager) Mauro Gianetti has lost faith in them and he decided to fire them from the team,” David Garcia, a spokesman for Saunier Duval, said. It was announced on Thursday that Ricco tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO on the fourth stage of this year's Tour de France. Piepoli and the rest of the team were subsequently withdrawn. Gianetti said he knew of no failed test by Piepoli but was unhappy with the rider's answers when questioned. “I did not manage to obtain convincing answers from him and I no longer want to have doubts. “If I have made a mistake I will pay the consequences,” the team manager told Italy's Rai television. “We have not received any communication about a positive test by Piepoli. I did not get a positive feeling to have the same faith in him I had a few days ago.” Piepoli has made no comment. Ricco is to be presented before an investigating judge later on Friday. “He will be heard by investigating judge Elyse Yamani in a moment,” state prosecutor Antoine Leroy told a press conference in Foix. “It could last a few hours.” Under recent French legislation, Ricco is criminally liable for possession and use of drugs and faces a maximum two years in prison as well as a 3,750 Euro ($5,943) fine.
