Writing for his “Inside the Tour” column, VeloNews journalist John Wilcockson covers the circumstances surrounding the departure of Riccò before the start of stage 12.
From the article: “Ironically, Vaughters’s Garmin-Chipotle team bus was parked next to that of Riccò’s Saunier Duval Pullman at Thursday’s stage start…The juxtaposition could not have been more stark. One set of riders was driven away from the race in humiliation, the others set off on another stage of a Tour that will reach the Alps on Sunday. There, Riccò and his too-good-to-be-true teammates will not be ripping the race apart in the mountains, and that will suit Garmin’s third-placed Christian Vande Velde, who has shown that you can have superbly consistent climbing form without drugs.”
