Sports Digest

With the competition reduced to an afterthought, the Tour de France was rocked by another drug bust yesterday that left cycling's showpiece event all but synonymous with doping.

This was the third time in this race that a rider has been caught, and it netted the biggest name yet: Italy's Riccardo Ricco, a winner of two stages.

Ricco was expelled from the race and detained by police to the boos of fans. His Saunier Duval team pulled out of the Tour and suspended all its activities. This is the third straight year the Tour has been undercut by doping.

The day's 12th stage was won by Mark Cavendish of Britain, and Cadel Evans of Australia retained the yellow jersey.

Ricco, who was ninth overall entering yesterday, tested positive for EPO after the fourth stage, a time trial in Cholet.

• NFLBrowns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius could miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season because of his recent knee surgery. ... The Vikings said they would not comment on allegations by the Packers that they made inappropriate contact with quarterback Brett Favre before or during the three-time Most Valuable Player's effort to unretire. ... Redskins assistant Don Breaux retired because of a heart condition after 27 seasons.

•BoxingWelterweight contender Oscar Diaz, 25, had surgery for bleeding on the brain after collapsing between rounds of a bout in San Antonio on Wednesday. Ron Katz, a matchmaker for Star Boxing, which promoted the fight, said Diaz was in a coma and not breathing on his own after the surgery. Katz said Diaz's vital signs, including blood pressure and temperature, were good.

•Tennis Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova are among the past U.S. Open champions in the field for the Aug.25 tournament.

•Pro basketball Ashley Battle scored 15 points to help the WNBA's New York Liberty cruise to a 77-56 victory over the visiting Washington Mystics. Alana Beard scored 15 points for the Mystics. ... The Jazz and guard Deron Williams have agreed to a contract extension. Sources told the Salt Lake Tribune the extension is for three years with a fourth-year option. The earliest Williams would become a free agent would be summer 2012. Williams, who averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists last season, will earn as much as $70 million if he exercises the option. ... Rockets center Yao Ming appeared a little rusty in his return from a foot injury but scored 11 points in just more than 12 minutes for the Chinese national team in an Olympic warm-up. ... The Bucks signed guard Tyronn Lue, who averaged 5.8 points with the Mavericks and Hawks last season, and forward Malik Allen, who averaged 4.6 points with the Nets and Mavericks. ... The Clippers signed swing man Kelenna Azubuike (8.5 points per game with the Warriors last season) to an offer sheet.

•VarsitySt. Paul's School for Girls hired former UMBC coach Monica Yeakel to coach its lacrosse team. Yeakel, a Loyola College graduate, coached at UMBC from 1996 to 2005 and compiled a 78-73 record while taking the team to the NCAA tournament twice.•Golf Christina Kim shot a 9-under-par 63 to take a one-stroke lead at the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill. Michelle Wie shot a 67, her best score of the year. ... Richard S. Johnson aced the 14th hole on his way to shooting a 63 that gave him a one-stroke lead after the first round of the PGA U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. •Olympics Maurice Edu, Robbie Rogers and Chris Seitz, part of the run to Maryland's 2005 soccer title, were named to the U.S. team for the Beijing Olympics.

• NHL The Rangers will begin the season with a pair of games against the Lightning in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct.4 and 5.

Related topic galleries: Ashley Battle, NCAA Tournament, Cycling Trial, Therapies, Tyronn Lue, Serena Williams, Multi-Sport Events

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