I guess we can now say that Italians really have that fire within them when it comes to racing.

And last Sunday in the 2008 Tour de France, we (well, cycling fans anyway…) all saw that when Italian Riccardo Ricco demonstrated his strength to win Stage 9 of this year’s Tour.

Nicknamed ‘’The Cobra,'’ Riccardo Ricco started with a sore right knee from a crash Saturday and still managed to win his second Tour de France stage of the year. He struck when his rivals appeared vulnerable, securing from the pack in the steepest part of the final ascent on the 139-mile ride from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.

Attacking repeatedly, Riccardo Ricco, with the help of his teammate Leonardo Pieopoli, finally broke from the pack of favorites that included Alejandro Valverde, Denis Menchov, Cadel Evans, Frank and Andy Schleck and a host of others.

For Riccardo Ricco, his second stage victory after stage six in Super Besse erased two days of utter chaos.

Just last Friday, he defended himself against doping allegations, explaining his medical exemption for naturally high hematocrit. Then on Saturday, he simply had to fight back from a crash on stage seven.

But for some reason, he remains uninterested in the fight for the yellow jersey. Considered as a miserable time trialer, Riccardo Ricco prefers to focus on the moments of brilliance that come to him once the road climbs.

He is expected to ride Monday for the demanding second day in the Pyrenees. The 97-mile course starts in Pau and concludes with an uphill finish at the Hautacam ski station. These two climbs so hard that they defy classification in cycling’s ranking system.

Riccardo Ricco knows that those concerned with the yellow jersey will be on the attack. He also says he would like to help his teammate Leonardo Pieopoli, the 36-year veteran so faithful to Ricco, in the high mountains.

Who will win the 2008 Tour de France? SBG Global provides a list of the top cyclists you can bet on. Bet now.

Stefan Schumacher

Mark Cavendish

Cadel Evans

Alejandro Valverde

Want more odds? Visit Bodog for more sports betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

2008 Tour de France Riccardo Ricco