Stage 9 on the road

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Three riders went out with about 20 kilometers ridden, and have led since: Nicolas Jalabert of AG2R, Sebastian Lang of Gerolsteiner, and Aleksandr Kuschynski of Liquigas. They've collected the day's early premiums.

Sprint 1
1) Kuschynski +6 pts
2) Jalabert +4 pts
3) Lang +2 pts

Climb 1, 4th Category
1) Lang +3 pts
2) Kuschynski +2 pts
3) Nicolas Jalabert +1 pt

Climb 2, 4th Category
1) Lang +3 pts
2) Jalabert +2 pts
3) Kuschynski +1 pt

The gap went out to 14:20, but Euskaltel-Euskadi moved to the front of the peloton and have been slowly closing it down.

Climb 3, 4th Category Cote de Mane
1) Lang +3 pts
2) Jalabert, +2 pts
3) Kuschynski +1 pts

Sprint 2
1) Jalabert +6 pts
2) Kuschynski +4 pts
3) Lang +2 pts

Climb 4, 4th Category
1) Lang +3 pts
2) Kuschynski, +2 pts
3) Jalabert +1 pt

Cadel Evans was mixed up in a fall with Gorko Verdugo with around 111 km to ride. His jersey and shorts were torn, and his left elbow bleeding, but his team quickly gathered to shepherd him back to the field.

Climbing up to the Col des Ares, a 3rd Category climb, the gap is about 11 minutes to the 3 leaders.

Col des Ares, 3rd Category
1) Lang +4 pts
2) Kuschynski +3 pts
3) Jalabert +2 pts
4) Samuel Dumoulin, Cofidis, +1 pt

Dumoulin attacked from the field to deny David de la Fuente the opportunity to extend his lead in the polka-dot jersey competition over Dumoulin's teammate Sylvain Chavanel.

On the Col de la Peyresourde, the field was whittled down to around 40 riders, inclduing all the big contenders, while Lang, Kushcynski and Jalabert separated. Felix Cardenas of Barloworld tried an attack, but was quicly reeled back in. On the upper few kilometers, Maxime Monfort of Cofidis attacked, matched by current KoM David de la Fuente, who took 4th over the top of the Peyresourde to hold the jersey, pending results on the Col d'Aspin.

Col de Peyresourde, 1st Category
1) Lang +15 pts
2) Kuschynski +13 pts @ :40
3) Jalabert +11 pts @ 3:40
4) de la Fuente +9 pts @4:50
5) Monfort +8 pts same time
6) Luis Sanchez +7 pts @5:25
7) Mikel Astarloza +6 pts same time
8) Matteo Carrerra +5 pts s.t.

On the Col d'Aspin, a number of testing attacks went off, but nothing stuck until Saunier Duval's Riccardo Ricco turboed off the field, streaking past the chase groups, then Lang like he was in reverse.

Ricco is first to the top of the Col d'Aspin, collecting double points. Lang survives to take 2nd at the top, but the field is close behind.

Col d'Aspin, 1st Category 1) Riccardo Ricco +30
2) Sebastian Lang +26 @:35
3) Bernhard Kohl, Gerolsteiner +22 @1:15
4) David de la Fuente +18 5) Vincenzo Nibali +16
6) Oscar Pereiro +14
7) Denis Menchov +12
8) Luis Sanchez +10

David de la Fuente saves his polka-dot jersey lead for at least one more night.

Ricco bombs the downhill. The peloton hasn't made a dent in his lead. A couple of attempted breaks from the chase failed, until AG2R's Vladimir Efimkin attacked through one, and slowly built a gap.

Ricco takes his 2nd stage, ahead of Efimkin.