Ricco triumphs on stage nine

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Team Gerolsteiner's Sebastian Lang held the lead from the start of the ninth stage from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre but Ricco slowly reeled him in after stepping up the pace.

The Saunier Duval-Scott rider's well-timed attack saw him fly through the peloton and begin closing on Lang.

The 24-year-old hit the front after 186 kilometres, just a few hundred metres from the top of the Col d'Aspin, and maintained his position to the finish, coming home just over a minute clear of Vladimir Efimkin (AG2R La Mondiale).

Ricco, the Giro d'Italia runner-up, completed the 224-km stage in five hours 39 minutes, 28 seconds. The Italian also won both the climbs that awarded double points, although he failed to wrest the polka dot jersey from David de la Fuente.

Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen retains the yellow jersey, preserving his six-second lead over Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto in the general classification, while Ricco is still in with a chance, two minutes 35 seconds behind.

Monday's 10th stage is the notoriously difficult 156-km trek from Pau to Hautacam.