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BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE, France: Italian rider Riccardo
Ricco won the ninth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday a day
after he suffered a fall.
The 24-year-old Saunier Duval
star was winning his second stage of this year’s edition as he
came home one minute and four seconds ahead of Russia’s Vladimir
Efimkin and one minute and 17 seconds of the first peloton.
Ricco had claimed his
maiden success in the race on Thursday when he majestically
outsprinted Alejandro Valverde and fellow yellow jersey favorite
Cadel Evans on the climb to Super-Besse in the sixth stage.
Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen
retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey, while second-placed
Evans had a scare as he took a tumble during Sunday’s stage.
The 31-year-old—who still
trails Kirchen by six seconds in the overall standings—did not
appear seriously hurt and got back on a new bike to continue the
race after crashing and apparently picking up grazes to his left
elbow and his thigh.
The back of Evans’ shirt was
also sliced open following the crash, which occurred on a bend as he
was at the front of the peloton which was being led by the
orange-clad Euskaltel team on a relatively flat section.
It is the first major incident of
this year’s race for Evans, who finished runner-up last year to
absent Spaniard Alberto Contador.
His Silence-Lotto team director,
Hendrik Redant, told France 2 television he was unaware of the
details of the crash and would only know the extent of Evans’
injuries after consulting the team doctor afterwards.
“It was quite a heavy crash,
and from what I can tell he’s got scrapes on his elbow, leg and
back and it’s sure to be hurting,” said Redant.
“The good thing is he’s got
back on the bike and it looks to be going well but we’ll only know
how he really is after the stage.”
Meanwhile, Ricco has pleaded to
be left alone following days of reports which claim he could be
among several cyclists to be targeted by the anti-doping
authorities.
The 24-year-old Italian, who
cites deceased Italian icon Marco Pantani as his idol, though he was
plagued by drugs scandals in his latter years as a professional,
said he is getting fed up of reports claiming he is one of several
riders to have aroused suspicion at the French Anti-Doping body
which is carrying out all the controls at the race.
--AFP
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