Italy’s Ricco Wins Ninth Stage
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BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE, France — Riccardo Ricco calls the mountains “my turf,” and he knows how to protect it.
The Italian showed his strength in the Pyrenees yesterday by winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France while Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen kept the yellow jersey. This was Ricco’s second stage victory in three mountain stages run so far in cycling’s premier event.
Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Ricco started with a sore right knee from a crash Saturday. He struck when his rivals appeared vulnerable, bolting from the pack in the steepest part of the final ascent on the 139-mile ride from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.
“Let’s say that this is really my turf, my domain,” he said. “I went all out to the finish. … I was really fast today.”
Kirchen was happy to hold the overall lead for a fourth straight day. Top contender Cadel Evans of Australia struggled to not lose ground after a crashing midway through the stage.
Ricco breezed past a few breakaway riders and finished 1 minute, 4 seconds ahead of his closest challenger, Vladimir Efimkov of Russia. The Italian was 1:17 in front of Kirchen, Evans and most of the other favorites.