Ricco reels in Lang to claim win

RICCARDO RICCO produced a stunning final 30 kilometres in the Pyrenees to claim his second Tour de France stage victory.

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.

The Saunier Duval-Scott rider's attack saw him surge through the peloton and begin closing on Lang. The 24-year-old hit the front after 186km and maintained his position to the finish, coming home just over a minute clear of Vladimir Efimkin of the AG2R La Mondiale team.

Ricco completed the 224km stage in five hours, 39 minutes and 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 retained the yellow jersey, preserving his six-second lead over Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto in the general classification, with Ricco two minutes and 35 seconds behind.