TARBES, France,  (Reuters) – Former French champion  Pierrick Fedrigo won yesterday’s 160-km ninth stage of the Tour de  France as the main contenders kept out of the action before a  first rest day in Limoges.

Fedrigo, 30, outsprinted breakaway companion Franco  Pellizotti of Italy, who had gone with him and two other riders  12 km into the stage. Spaniard Oscar Freire beat off the main  bunch to snatch third place.

“First there were four of us, then three, then two and then  I won. Now it’s nothing but happiness,” said Fedrigo, who also  won a stage in 2006.

His victory was the second this Tour for Bouygues Telecom  following Thomas Voeckler in Perpignan.

Italy’s Rinaldo Nocentini will keep his yellow jersey until  tomorrow at least after not coming under attack on the two big  climbs of the day.

Alberto Contador is still second overall, six seconds  behind, and seven-times champion Lance Armstrong third, a  further two seconds adrift.

Nocentini’s AG2R team mates and those of Astana’s Contador  and Armstrong controlled the peloton at a reasonable pace  throughout the stage.