Briton Mark Cavendish from team Columbia won his third stage in the 2008 Tour de France on July 17, but his success took a backseat to the news that team Saunier Duval-Scott pulled out of the race after its rider Riccardo Ricco tested positive for the endurance-boosting EPO hormone.

"Just before midday, we received a telephone call from Pierre Bordry, director of the French agency for the fight against doping, informing us of the positive control of Riccardo Ricco, and the fact that the notification of that control had been handed over to the rider. The team Saunier-Duval, whom we subsequently spoke to, took the decision to withdraw from the race," the president of Amaury Sport Organisation, which organises the Tour, Patrice Clerc said in a statement.

Even though teams are no longer required to leave the race if one of their riders tests positive for doping, Saunier Duval-Scott decided to do so nevertheless.

Ricco was ninth in the overall rankings, wearing the polka-dot jersey of the leader in the king of the mountains competion and was the best-placed young rider in the race. The Italian, who finished second in this year's Giro d'Italia, had won two mountain stages in the Tour.

He is the third rider to test positive for EPO in the 2008 Tour de France, after Spaniards Manuel Beltran from Liquigas and Moises Duenas from Barloworld were suspended earlier in the race.

"I think we have to remember, in essence, the positive side of this situation. What happened today is good news for the fight against doping, and is great news for riders themselves," Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said.

At least two riders - Juan Cobo Acebo, who was eighth in the overall standings and had designs on a high-placed finish at the end of the race in Paris, and David de la Fuente, second in the climbers' standings - are unlikely to agree.

Saunier Duval-Scott's withdrawal now hands the polka-dot jersey to Sebastian Lang from team Gerolsteiner, while Vincenzo Nibali is the new leader in the young rider standings and will wear the white jersey on the 182km stage 14 between Narbonne and Nimes.

It is another flat one and unlikely to bring about a major change at the top of the overall standings, with Australian Cadel Evans still wearing the yellow jersey by the slimmest of margins ahead of Frank Schleck, who is one second behind. In the sprinters' standings, Oscar Freire kept his green jersey, even slightly ecpanding his lead over Kim Kirchen.