Riccardo Riccò takes two on custom-painted Scott

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Race tech: Giro d'Italia, May 19, 2008

Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott) racked up his second stage win of this year's Giro d'Italia with a hard charge to the line in stage eight ahead of current world champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step).

Riccò's Scott Addict was similar to his usual team-issued machine with its ultralight carbon frame, integrated seatpost, SRAM Red group and Mavic wheels but the team fitted the young Italian sensation with a custom paintjob just for the Giro.

The custom paint treatment has now become somewhat of a tradition with the team which had similarly outfitted former teammates Iban Mayo and David Millar in the past. This time around, Riccò's frame was sprayed with a white front half and black rear and emblazoned with images of a menacing red-eyed striking viper and block-lettered 'COBRA' in honor of his nickname. The stunning finish obviously doesn't offer any performance benefits but it certainly looks good which never hurts.

"It's fun to do these special bikes for the best guys on the team," said Saunier Duval-Prodir equipment manager Hermann Pacal in a recent press release. "It gives the leader a sense of confidence to have these special models and strengthens the spirit of the team. We are happy to have the opportunity to do this with Ricco, and happy to see two stage wins already."

With nine stages down and still a dozen to go (including the final week's torrent of climbs), Riccò still has plenty of opportunity to see what else he can do on his custom rig. He currently sits in seventh in the general classification, 7' 33" down from Quick Step's Giovanni Visconti.