Stage 13: Nimes-Narbonne

 

Today was a pretty flat, uninteresting stage.  It was really hot, at least 100 degrees.  The peloton was mostly together and there was a bunch sprint at the finish with Mark Cavendish winning again.

 

Yesterday morning the entire Saunier Duval team was thrown out of the race because of a positive test from Riccardo Ricco.  It was pretty obvious when he was on the podium-he had been really nervous, never smiled and didn’t seem happy to be there.  Today the gossip is that his teammate Piepoli was almost positive-internal controls showed some irregularities, so he was fired from his team.  And so, it continues….