Ricco out-sprints favourites

2008-07-10 18:10

Super-Besse, France - Riccardo Ricco of Italy won the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday, sprinting to a mountaintop victory ahead of two of the overall favourites.

Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg took the yellow jersey of overall leader after the previous holder, Stefan Schumacher, fell in the final metres.

Ricco came in one second ahead of Alejandro Valverde of Spain and Cadel Evans of Australia at the end of the 195.5km trek Thursday through the peaks of the Massif Central from Aigurande to the ski resort of Super-Besse.

As on the previous day, a group of three Frenchmen broke away shortly after the start - Sylvain Chavanel, in search of the King of the Mountains jersey as best climber, Benoit Vaugrenard and Freddy Bichot. At one point they had a gap of more than five minutes over the peloton.

Chavanel took the two early small climbs, plus the first major climb of the Tour, over the Croix-Morand Pass. He was caught 20km from the finish, before the final climb, as were the other two escapees, but Chavanel succeeded in taking the polka-dot climber's jersey.

Schumacher, who had worn the yellow jersey for two days since winning Tuesday's time trial, rode into the wheel of Kirchen during the jostling for positions at the line and fell. Kirchen managed to remain on his bike and finished fifth.

Kirchen is the first Luxembourg rider since Charly Gaul in 1958 to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour. Gaul went on to win the race.

- AP