ROME —  Italian rider Riccardo Ricco was fired by Saunier-Duval on Friday for testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO during the Tour de France.

The team said in a statement that it felt it had been a "victim" of irresponsible behavior and denied any involvement in any doping practices.

Ricco, who won two Tour de France stages, is the latest among three cyclists involved in doping cases at the Tour. Ricco tested positive after the fourth stage, a time trial in Cholet.

The team also fired rider Leonardo Piepoli for "violation of the team's ethical code." A team spokesman declined to elaborate.

Team executive Mauro Gianetti expressed "surprise and bitterness" at the news that Ricco had tested positive, and said he was sorry to "have been deceived and trusting those who didn't deserve it."

He said the team has always monitored its athletes.

"Despite all of our efforts _ trusting the effectiveness of internal and external tests _ we haven't been able to avoid this absurd situation and today, as a team, we feel like victims," Gianetti said.

The team said such behavior put at risk sponsors' investments worth millions of dollars. Saunier-Duval had already withdrawn from the Tour de France and suspended all of its activities after Ricco was found positive.

The 24-year-old Ricco won the sixth and ninth stages and was ninth overall before the start of Thursday's 12th stage _ 2 minutes, 29 seconds behind race leader Cadel Evans of Australia.

The head of France's anti-doping agency, Pierre Bordry, said Friday that Ricco tested positive for CERA, or continuous erythropoietin receptor activator, an advanced version of the blood-booster EPO.

Ricco was runner-up at the Giro d'Italia this year.

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