who won the 2010 tour de france

2010 Tour de France

97th edition: saturday, july 3 - sunday, july 25, 2010, results, maps, stages with running gc, photos and start list with back numbers.

Les Woodland's book Cycling Heroes: The Golden Age is available as an audiobook here. For the print and Kindle eBook versions, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

2010 Tour Quick Facts:

3,641.9 km raced at an average speed of 39.585 km/hr.

197 starters and 170 classified finishers.

Alberto Contador was not the dominating rider he had been in previous grand tours, especially in the final time trial.

But his main competition, Andy Schleck ,was surprisingly passive for much of the race and allowed Contador to control the racing. Yet, Schleck very nearly won the 2010 Tour.

This was Contador's third Tour de France victory.

On February 7, 2012 the Court for Arbitration of Sport stripped Contador of his 2010 Tour championship after a positive for Clenbuterol, a banned drug, during the rest day in Pau.

In 2014 Denis Menchov was stripped of his 2009, 2010 and 2012 Tour placings because of irregularities with his biological passport.

Complete Final 2010 Tour de France General Classification:

The times for the top five riders reflect the post-Contador/Menchov ban. Those that come after 5th place Robert Gesink should have 43 seconds subtracted.

Alberto Contador (Astana) 91hr 58min 48sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 91hr 59min 27sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 1min 22sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 3min 1sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 6min 15sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 8min 52sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 10min 15sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 11min 37sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 11min 54sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 12min 2sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 14min 21sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 14min 29sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 14min 40sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 16min 36sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 16min 59sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 17min 46sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 20min 46sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 21min 54sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 24min 4sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 26min 37sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 29min 38sec
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 34min 1sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 39min 20sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 39min 24sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 45min 52sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 50min 27sec
Julien El Fares (Cofidis) @ 53min 22sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 55min 13sec
Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 56min 53sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 58min 53sec
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) @ 59min 17sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 59min 33sec
Mario Aerts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 1hr 2min 36sec
Volodomyr Gustov (Cervelo) @ 1hr 9min 51sec
Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) @ 1hr 10min 3sec
Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 1min 9sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 1hr 10min 11sec
Remi Pauriol (Cofidis) @ 1hr 10min 52sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 1hr 13min 19sec
Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 19min 9sec
Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) @ 1hr 20min 11sec
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 1hr 22min 38sec
Janez Brajkovic (Radio Shack) @ 1hr 23min 38sec
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1hr 24min 12sec
Cyril Gautier (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1hr 25min 12sec
Sergio Paulinho (Radio Shack) @ 1hr 25min 43sec
Matthew Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 1hr 30min 2sec
José Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1hr 38min 26sec
Daniel Navarro (Astana) @ 1hr 38min 30sec
Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo) @ 1hr 38min 32sec
Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 1hr 39min 11sec
Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank) @ 1hr 40min 45sec
Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) @ 1hr 42min 27sec
Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 1hr 45min 1sec
Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia) s.t.
Grischa Niermann (Rabobank) @ 1hr 46min 32sec
Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1hr 46min 37sec
Pierre Rolland (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1hr 46min 42sec
George Hincapie (BMC) @ 1hr 36min 50sec
Vasili Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1hr 47min 54sec
Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 1hr 48min 2sec
Iban Velasco Murillo (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 49min 57sec
Jurgen Van De Walle (Quick Step) @ 1hr 51min 33sec
Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1hr 53min 39sec
Alexandr Kolobnev (Katusha) @ 1hr 55min 13sec
Jérôme Pineau (Quick Step) @ 1hr 57min 58sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 2hr 0min 5sec
José Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2hr 1min 58sec
Chris Anker Sørensen (Saxo) @ 2hr 4min 46sec
Amaël Moinard (Cofidis) @ 2hr 5min 10sec
Damien Monier (Cofidis) @ 2hr 9min 33sec
Francis De Greef (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 2hr 12min 22sec
Rui Alberto Faria (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2hr 12min 28sec
Thomas Rohregger (Milram) @ 2hr 12min 57sec
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r) @ 2hr 15min 33sec
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) @ 2hr 16min 7sec
Imanol Erviti Ollo (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2hr 19min 15sec
Rémy Di Grégorio (FDJ) @ 2hr 21min 34sec
Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) @ 2hr 27min 19sec
Sebastian Lang (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 2hr 29min 38sec
Arkaitz Duran (Footon-Servetto) @ 2hr 29min 49sec
Aitor Perez (Footon-Servetto) @ 2hr 32min 17sec
Eros Capecchi (Footon-Servetto) @ 2hr 34min 38sec
Linus Gerdemann (Milram) @ 2hr 36min 15sec
Yaroslav Popovych (Radio Shack) @ 2hr 37min 56sec
Alexander Kuschynski (Liquigas) @ 2hr 39min 40sec
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) @ 2hr 42min 38sec
Nicolas Vogondy (Bouygues Telecom) @ 2hr 42min 42sec
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 2hr 43min 40sec
Johannes Fröhlinger (Milram) @ 2hr 49min 23sec
Christian Knees (Milram) @ 2hr 53min 38sec
Sébastien Minard (Cofidis) @ 2hr 54min 30sec
Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ) @ 2hr 55min 36sec
Kristijan Koren (Liquigas) @ 2hr 57min 11sec
Ruben Perez Moreno (Euskaltel) @ 2hr 57min 17sec
Benoit Caugrenard (FDJ) @ 2hr 58min 5sec
Christophe Kern (Cofidis) @ 2hr 58min 34sec
Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r) @ 3hr 1min 9sec
Michael Barry (Sky) @ 3hr 1min 34sec
Matthieu Sprick (Bouygues Telecom) @ 3hr 1min 40sec
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3hr 1min 48sec
Pavel Brutt (Katusha) @ 3hr 3min 12sec
Luke Roberts (Milram) 3hr 4min 7sec
Benjamin Noval (Astana) @ 3hr 5min 22sec
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) @ 3hr 6min 44sec
Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 3hr 7min 40sec
Serge Pauwels (Sky) @ 3hr 8min 48sec
Alexandr Pliuschin (Katusha) @ 3hr 9min 5sec
Serguei Ivanov (Katusha) @ 3hr 9min 10sec
David De La Fuente (Astana) @ 3hr 11min 4sec
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) @ 3hr 12min 57sec
Yukiya Arashiro (Bouoygues Telecom) @ 3hr 13min 20sec
Sébastien Turgot (Bouygues Telecom) @ 3hr 14min 5sec
Grégory Rast (Radio Shack) @ 3hr 14min 11sec
Inaki Isasi (Euskaltel) @ 3hr 14min 30sec
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 3hr 14min 57sec
Maartem Wijnants (Quick Step) @ 3hr 15min 19sec
Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r) @ 3hr 16min 20sec
Fabian Wegmann (Milram) @ 3hr 17min 53sec
Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 3hr 18min 27sec
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) @ 3hr 19min 43sec
Francesco Bellotti (Liquigas) @ 3hr 20min 26sec
Mauro Da Dalto (Lampre) @ 3hr 21min 49sec
Daniel Oss (Liquigas) @ 3hr 22min 19sec
Grega Bole (Lampre) @ 3hr 23min 31sec
Jens Voigt (Saxo) @ 3hr 23min 31sec
Ignatas Konvalovas (Cervelo) @ 3hr 23min 36sec
Brian Vandborg (Liquigas) @ 3hr 24min 17sec
Alan Perez Lezuan (Euskaltel) @ 3hr 24min 50sec
Lars Boom (Rabobank) @ 3hr 26min 18sec
Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) @ 3hr 26min 28sec
Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) @ 3hr 27min 30sec
Gerald Ciolek (Milram) @ 3hr 27min 36sec
Kevin Seeldrayers (Quick Step) @ 3hr 39min 1sec
Danilo Hondo (Lampre) @ 3hr 29min 12sec
Andriy Grivko (Astana) @ 3hr 30min 6sec
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) @ 3hr 31min 10sec
Karsten Kroon (BMC) @ 3hr 31min 38sec
Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3hr 31min 56sec
Jesus Hernandez (Astana) @ 3hr 32min 2sec
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) @ 3hr 33min 45sec
Matti Breschel (Saxo) @ 3hr 35min 31sec
Jérémy Roy (FDJ) @ 3hr 37min 57sec
Dries Devenyns (Quick Step) @ 3hr 38min 36sec
José Alberto Benitez (Footon-Servetto) @ 3hr 39min 12sec
Anthony Geslin (FDJ) @ 3hr 39min 37sec
Brent Bookwalter (BMC) @ 3hr 41min 37sec
Dmitriy Moravyev (Radio Shack) @ 3hr 41min 47sec
Stuart O'Grady (Saxo) @ 3hr 42min 39sec
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) @ 3hr 44min 38sec
Steven Cummings (Sky) @ 3hr 45min 47sec
Wesley Sulzberger (FDJ) @ 3hr 46min 59sec
Stéphane Auge (Cofidis) @ 3hr 49min 50sec
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) @ 3hr 51min 23sec
Nicki Sörensen (Saxo) @ 3hr 54min 12sec
Bernhard Eisel (HTC-Columbia) @ 3hr 54min 16sec
Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3hr 56min 13sec
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3hr 56min 46sec
Brett Lancaster (Cervelo) @ 3hr 57min 0sec
Dimitri Champion (Ag2r) @ 3hr 59min 45sec
Marcus Burghardt (BMC) @ 4hr 0min 47sec
Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) @ 4hr 1min 2sec
Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) @ 4hr 2min 21sec
Daniel Lloyd (Cervelo) @ 4hr 2min 59sec
Robbie McEwen (Katusha) @ 4hr 8min 28sec
Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre) @ 4hr 9min 12sec
Anthony Roux (FDJ) @ 4hr 13min 37sec
Andreas Klier (Cervelo) @ 4hr 17min 16sec
Bert Grabsch (HTC-Columbia) @ 4hr 23min 1sec
Adriano Malori (Lampre) @ 4hr 27min 3sec
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom): 143 points
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne): 128
Andy Schleck (Saxo): 116
Alberto Contador (Astana): 112
Damiano Cunego (Lampre): 99
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 243 points
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 232
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 222
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne): 179
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 179
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 11min 15sec
Julien El Fares (Cofidis) @ 52min 43sec
Cyril Gautier (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1hr 24min 33sec
Radio Shack 276hr 2min 3sec
Caisse d'Epargne @ 9min 15sec
Rabobank @ 27min 49sec
Ag2r @ 41min 10sec
Omega Pharma-Lotto @ 51min 1sec
Astana @ 56min 16sec

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The stages with results:

Thursday, July 1: Official team presentation.

2010 Tour de France startlist with back-numbers.

Prologue, Saturday July 3: Rotterdam - Rotterdam 8.9 km individual time trial

Photos from the Rotterdam prologue

The Race: Several riders, most notably Bradley Wiggins, chose to ride earlier in the day, hoping to avoid the predicted rainstorm. The rain came earlier than forecast and Wiggins had to ride in a torrential downpour and was almost a full minute slower than winner Cancellara. The last riders got to ride on mostly dry streets. Most of the GC contenders chose to ride carefully, not wanting to crash. The result was that Lance Armstrong had the best ride of anyone hoping to wear yellow in Paris with Contador giving up only 5 seconds to Armstrong. Biggest disapointment was Andy Schleck, 122nd @ 1min 9sec.

No time bonuses this year so Cancellara, who won his fourth Tour prologue,will probably be in yellow for at least a few days.

Results: Prologue times and places are the same as the GC times and places.

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) 10 min 0sec
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) @ 10sec
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) @ 20sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 22sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 23sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 27sec
Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) @ 28sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) s.t.
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 32sec
Linus Gerdemann (Milram) @ 35sec
Brent Bookwalter (BMC) s.t.
Adriano Malori (Lampre) s.t.
Janez Brajkovic (Radio Shack) s.t.
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) s.t.
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 36sec
Niki Terpstra (Milram) s.t.
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) s.t.
Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 38sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) s.t.
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) s.t.
Robert Hunter (Garmin-Transitions) @ 39sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.
Andriy Grivko (Astana) @ 40sec
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) s.t.
Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) @ 41sec
Steve Morabito (BMC) s.t.
Kirstjan Koren (Liquigas)

72. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 55sec

74. Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 56sec

77. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.

79. Frank Schleck (Saxo) @ 57sec

92. Christian Vende Velde (Garmin-Transitions) @ 1min

122. Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 1min 9sec

140. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 1min 13sec

Did not Start: Xavier Florencio (Cervelo)

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo): 15 points
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia): 12
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions): 10
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) 10min 10sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 13sec
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 22sec
Radio Shack: 31min 25sec
HTC-Columbia @ 1sec
Garmin-Transitions @ 2sec
Sky @ 16sec
Astana @ 20sec

Rotterdam prologue route map

Rotterdam prologue course profile

Stage 1, Sunday July 4: Rotterdam - Brussels, 223.5 km

Photos from stage 1

The Race: As expected, the nervous peloton left riders and bike parts scattered across Holland and Belgium as crash after crash occured. An early break was caught late in the day. Garmin and Columbia closed the gap as they wanted to make sure that the day came down to a sprint. Cavendish crashed near the finish and Tyler Farrar also had an unfortunate run-in. In the final kilometer nearly all the GC men fell, but they were given the same time as the stage winner. It's thought that half the peloton was involved in the late-stage crashes. Several riders walked across the finish line.

Alessandro Petacchi took the stage and the Green Jersey.

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) 5hr 9min 38sec
Mark Renshaw (HTC-Columbia) s.t.
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) s.t.
Robbie McEwen (Katusha) s.t.
Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ) s.t.
Daniel Oss (Liquigas) s.t.
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Christian Knees (Milram) s.t.
Ruben Perez (Euskaltel) s.t.
Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Sebastien Turgot (Bouygues Telecom)
Linus Gerdemann (Milram) s.t.
Julien El Fares (Cofidis) s.t.
Luke Roberts (Milram) s.t.
Geraint Thomas (Sky) s.t.
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) s.t.
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) s.t.
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) s.t.
Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) s.t.
Michael Barry (Sky) s.t.
Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) s.t.
Sebastien Minard (Cofidis) s.t.
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) s.t.
Johannes Frohlinger (Milram) s.t.
Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
Brett Lancaster (Cervelo) s.t.
Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo) s.t.
Stephane Auge (Cofidis) s.t.
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r) s.t.

48. Alberto Contador (Astana) s.t.

55. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) s.t.

Did not start: Manuel Cardoso (Footon-Servtto), Mathias Frank (BMC)

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) 5hr 19min 38sec
Kristjan Koren (Liquigas) @ 42sec

68. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 54sec

70. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 55sec

75. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 56sec

77. Frank Schleck (Saxo) @ 57sec

119. Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 1min 9sec

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 35 points
Mark Renshaw (HTC-Columbia): 30
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 26
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 24
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia): 5hr 19min 48sec
Radio Shack: 16hr 19sec

Stage 1 route map

Stage 1 profile

Stage 2, Monday July 5: Brussels - Spa, 201 km

Photos from Stage 2

Km 98.0: Côte de France, 2.2 km @ 6.2% gradient, Category 4 Km 128.5: Côte de Filot, 3.9 km @ 4.5% gradient, Category 4 Km 136.0: Côte de Werbomont, 4.5 km @ 3.5% gradient, Category 4 Km 161.5: Côte d'Aisomont, 4.5 km @ 5.2% gradient. Category 3 Km 167.5: Col de Stockeu, 3.0 km @ 5.9% gradient, Category 3 Km 189.0: Col du Rosier, 6.4 km @ 4% gradient, Category 3

The Race: At about 10 kilometers into the stage Sylvain Chavanel escaped with 7 other riders, including Jurgen Roelandts, Jerome Pineau and Matthew Lloyd. The break at one point had a 7-minute gap that shrank back down to only 46 seconds. But, the riders persisted with their adventure. Over the final three climbs Chavanel managed to shed his companions (who were all caught by the peloton) and cruised into Spa with a 4-minute gap.

It was another day of crashes as riders fell on the descents of the final climbs (the Stockeu was especially slippery) that were made more dangerous from the rain. Among the delayed were Armstrong, Contador, the Schlecks and Christian Vande Velde. The GC contenders all made it back to the main group except for Vande Velde, who came in 9min 49sec after Chavanel. Cancellara, who would sure have preferred to chase Chavanel and protect his Yellow Jersey did what he could to slow down the pack so that the Schlecks (and he says the other GC contenders who had fallen) could rejoin. That cost him the lead.

The race jury decided to neutralize the field sprint so the only Green Jersey points awarded were Chavanel's for winning the stage. Garmin-Transitions' GC man Christian Vande Velde's injuries from crashing forced him to retire.

Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) 4hr 40min 48sec
Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 3min 56sec
Fabian Wegmann (Milram) s.t.
Bernhard Eisel (HTC-Columbia) s.t.
Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) s.t.
Karsten Kroon (BMC) s.t.
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Serge Pauwels (Sky) s.t.
Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) s.t.
Styn Vandenbergh (Katusha) s.t.
Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Thomas Rohregger (Milram) s.t.
Danilo Hondo (Lampre) s.t.
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) s.t.
Kirstjan Koren (Liquigas) s.t.
Mauro Da Dalto (Lampre) s.t.
Pierre Rolland (Bouygues Telecom) s.t.
Alexsandr Kuchynski (Liquigas) s.t.

Withdrawals: Adam Hansen (HTC-Columbia), did not start; Mickael Delage (Omega Pharma-Lotto), abandon

Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) 10hr 1min 25sec
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) @ 2min 57sec
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) @ 3min 7sec
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3min 17sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 3min 19sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 3min 20sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 3min 24sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 3min 25sec
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 3min 29sec
Linus Gerdemann (Milram) @ 3min 32sec
Brent Bookwalter (BMC) @ 3min 32sec
Janez Brajkovic (Radio Shack) @ 3min 32sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 3min 32sec
Ruban Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 3min 33sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 3min 33sec
Alexandre Vinodourov (Astana) @ 3min 35sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 3min 35sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 3min 36sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 3min 36sec
Andriy Grivko (Astana) @ 3min 37sec
Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia) @ 3min 38sec
Kristjan Koren (Liquigas) @ 3min 39sec
Daniel Oss (Liquigas) @ 3min 40sec
Carlos Baredo (Quick Step) @ 3min 43sec
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) s.t.
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Damien monier (Cofidis) @ 3min 44sec
Thomas Lovkvist (sky) @ 3min 45sec
Rui Alberto Faria (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 3min 46sec

51. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 3min 51sec

53. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 3min 52sec

57. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 3min 53sec

59. Frank Schleck (Saxo) @ 3min 54sec

85. Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 4min 6sec

138. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 9min 5sec

Jerome Pineau (Quick Step) 13 points
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) 8
Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) 8
Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia) 5
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) 44 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) 35
Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) 34
Mark Renshaw (HTC-Columbia) 30
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia): 10hr 4min 32sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 28sec
Quick Step 30hr 11min 40sec
Radio Shack @ 2min 51sec
HTC-Columbia @ 2min 52sec
Garmin-Transitions @ 2min 53sec
Sky @ 3min 7sec

Stage 2 route map

Stage 2 profile

Stage 3, Tuesday July 6: Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 213 km

Photos from stage 3

Km 48.0: Côte de Bothey,1.4 km climb @ 3.4% gradient, Category 4 Plus: 13.2 km of cobbles in 7 sectors over the last 30 km of the stage. See route map below.

The Race: Lance Armstrong predicted carnage in stage 3 and he was right. As usual, an early break of non-GC contenders containing Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal got away. In the long 4th sector of cobbles (see map below) Hesjedal dropped the other breakaways and continued on solo. Back in the peloton Saxo and Cervelo hammered away, shattering the field. Cancellara did a powerful acceleration and took Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, Geraint Thomas and Thor Hushovd. That was the race. The Cancellara group caught Hesjedal and that 6-man group drove home to a nearly 1-minute advantage over the chase group containing Bradley Wiggins, Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Denis Menchov and Alexandre Vinokourov and until the end, Alberto Contador.

Vino doens't quite have this gregario di lusso job down cold. Near the end he left his GC man Contador to ride in alone, another 20-seconds back.

But further back still, Oh my! Yellow jersey Chavanel was plagued with flats, Franck Schleck crashed out of the Tour, Armstrong got a flat at the wrong time, late in the stage and lost contact with the Contador/Vinokourov group.

Now Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck are the best-placed GC men with Contador roughly a minute behind Evans. Who would have thought young Schleck would emerge from the cobbles in a commanding postion? This was thought to be a stage where Armstrong would gain some real time, but now he's almost 2 minutes behind Evans. Interesting stuff.

Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) 4hr 49min 38sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) s.t.
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 53sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) s.t.
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) s.t.
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 1min 13sec
Robbie McEwen (Katusha) @ 1min 46sec
Mario Aerts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Arkaitz Duran (Footon-Servetto) s.t.
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) s.t.
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Gerald Ciolek (Milram) @ 2min 8sec
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) s.t.
Stuart O'Grady (Saxo) s.t.
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) s.t.
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) s.t.

32. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) s.t.

43. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 2min 25sec

46. Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) s.t.

54. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) s.t.

DNF: Frank Schleck (Saxo), David Le Lay (Ag2r) DNS: Niki Terpstra (Milram), Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Transitions)

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) 14hr 54min
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 39sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 46sec
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) @ 1min 1sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 1min 9sec
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) @ 1min 19sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 1min 31sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 1min 40sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 1min 42sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 1min 47sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 1min 49sec
David Millar (Garmin-Transtions) @ 2min 6sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 2min 24sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2min 25sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 2min 30sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 2min 34sec
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2min 35sec
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) @ 2min 35sec
Arkaitz Duran (Footon-Servetto) @ 2min 49sec
Robbie McEwen (Katusha) @ 2min 52sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 2min 53sec
Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Transitions) @ 2min 57sec
Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo) @ 2min 58sec
Janez Brajkovic (Radio Shack) @ 3min
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 3min 1sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 3min 2sec

48. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 3min 19sec

49. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 3min 20sec

Jerome Pineau (Quick Step): 13 points
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step): 8
Rein Taaramae (Cofidis): 8
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 63 points
Geraint Thomas (Sky): 49
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step): 44
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 38
Geraint Thomas (Sky) 14hr 54min 23sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 46sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 2min 1sec
Saxo 44hr 45min 55sec
Garmin-Transitions @ 11sec
Sky @ 25sec
Astana @ 2min 21sec

Stage 3 route map. Cobbled sectors are in the detail inset.

Stage 3 profile

Stage 4, Wednesday July 7: Cambrai - Reims, 153.5 km

Km 40.5: Côte de Vadencourt, 1.6 km climb @ 3.9% gradient, Category 4

Photos from stage 4

The Race: It was a straightforward flat sprinter's stage with a fairly predictable script. Five riders (Dimitri Champion, Nicolas Vogondy, Inaki Isasi, Francis De Greef, Iban Mayoz) who presented no GC threat were allowed to scoot off the front almost as the stage started. Their gap was allowed to grow to about 3 minutes before HTC-Columbia pulled on the choke collar. They were caught with 3 km to go. Columbia's leadout train did their best to put Cavendish in place but he wasn't able to answer the call to duty. Today was another day for Alessandro Petacchi who nabbed his second stage this year.

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) 3hr 34min 55sec
Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Robert Hunter (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Sebastien Turgot (Bouygues Telecom) s.t.
Thos Hushovd (Cervelo) s.t.
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) s.t.
Gerald Ciolek (Milram) s.t.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) s.t.
Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Sandy Casar (FDJ) s.t.
Carlos Barredo (Quicki Step) s.t.
Sebastian Lang (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.
Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r) s.t.
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) s.t.

32. Alberto Contador (Astana) s.t.

36. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) s.t.

51. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.

58. Andy Schleck (Saxo) s.t.

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) 18hr 28min 55sec
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) @ 2min 6sec
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) s.t.

47. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 3min 19sec

48. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 3min 20sec

Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 80 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 70
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 62
Thomas Geraint (Sky) 18hr 29min 18sec
Saxo 55hr 30min 40sec

Stage 4 route map

Stage 4 profile

Stage 5, Thursday July 8: Épernay - Montargis, 187.5 km

Km 18.5: Côte d'Orbais-l'Abbaye, 1.6 km @ 4.8% gradient, Category 4 Km 36.5: Côte de Mécringes, 1.3 km @ 5.4% gradient, Category 4

Photos from Stage 5

The Race: Like yesterday, an early break was allowed to go, this time at kilometer 5. In that break was the very stubborn Spanish champion Jose Ivan Gutierrez, who stuck it out until about 4 kilometers to go. But first HTC-Columbia then Lampre and Cervelo started to work to bring in the break, and with all that horsepower in the chase the adventurers were doomed. No one expected Tyler Farrar to be back sprinting this soon after getting busted up in earlier crashes, but Garmin did a lead out train for him. But HTC-Columbia was in the mood to win and the final man in the Columbia train, Mark Renshaw bulldozed his way through with Cavendish on his wheel and no one could match Cavendish's speed today. He gets his first Tour stage of the year and firmly silenced those who doubted his 2010 form.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 4hr 30min 50sec
Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) s.t
Yukiya Arashiro (Bouygues Telecom) s.t.
Andriy Grivko (Astana) s.t.
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) s.t.
Alberto Contador (Astana) s.t.
Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) s.t.
George Hincapie (BMC) s.t.
Inaki Isasi (Euskaltel) s.t.
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) s.t.

Did not start: Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel)

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) 22hr 59min 45sec
Ryder Hesjadel (Garmin-Transitions) @ 46sec
Bram Tankink (Rabobank) s.t.

46. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 3min 19sec

47. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 3min 20sec

Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 102 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 88
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 81

9. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 50

Thomas Geraint (Sky) 23hr 8sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 45sec
Saxo 69hr 3min 10sec

Stage 5 route map

Stage 5 profile

Stage 6, Friday July 9: Montargis - Gueugnon, 227.5 km

Km 69.5: Côte de Bouhy, 2.9 km @ 4% gradient, Category 4 Km 91.5: Côte de La Chapelle-Saint-André, 2.1 km @ 4.3% gradient, Category 4 Km 179.5: Côte des Montarons, 3.6 km @ 3.6% gradient, Category 4 Km 204.5: Côte de la Croix de l'Arbre, 2.3 km @ 4.5% gradient, Category 4

Stage 6 photos

The Race: Different day, different road, same story. Early break went and was caught after the sprinters' teams closed the gap at 10 km to go. Cavendish was again, by far the fastest rider as he nailed his second consecutive Tour stage. Tomorrow, heavy roads as the race heads into the Alps.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 5hr 37min 42sec
Robert Hunter (Garmin-Transtions) s.t.
Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 3sec
Roger Kluge (Milram) s.t.
Matti Breschel (Saxo) s.t.
Christophe Kern (Cofidis) s.t.
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step) s.t.

38. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) s.t.

55. Andy Schleck (Saxo) s.t.

56. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.

61. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.

65. Denis Menchov (Rabobank) s.t.

112. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) s.t.

Withdrawals: None

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo) 28hr 37min 30sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 20sec
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) @ 1min 16sec
Roman Kreuziger (Lqiuigas) @ 2min 24sec
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2min 32sec
Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne): 12
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 118 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 114
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 105
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne): 92
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 85
Geraint Thomas (Sky) 28hr 37min 50sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 49sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 2min 4sec
Saxo 85hr 56min 25sec
Garmin-Transitions @ 5sec
Sky @ 19sec

Stage 6 route map

Stage 6 profile

Stage 7, Saturday July 10: Tournus - Station des Rousses, 165.5 km

Stage 7 photos

Km 51.5: Côte de l'Aubépin, 4.9 km @ 5% gradient, Category 3 Km 69.0: Côte des Granges (DESSIA), 5.9 km @ 3.5% gradient, Category 4 Km 84.5: Côte d'Arinthod, 8.5 km @ 4.7%, Category 3 Km 104.0: Côte du barrage de Vouglans, 6.6 km @ 5.6% gradient, Category 2 Km 134.5: Col de la Croix de la Serra. 15.7 km @ 4.3% gradient, Category 2 Km 161.5: Côte de Lamoura, 14 km@ 5% gradient, Category 2

The Race: As expected, polka-dot jersey holder Jerome Pineau made sure he was in the early break to snaffle up the climber's points offered in the day's 6 rated climbs. He did well, increasing his lead in the climbers' competition by being first over the first 5 ascents.

On the Col de la Croix de la Serra behind Pineau, a powerful group ripped itself free of the peloton and in it were Damiano Cunego, Thomas Voeckler, Rafael Valls, Sylvain Chavanel and Juan Manuel Garate. From this group Chavanel and then Valls got clear and Chavanel soloed across the finish line to win his second stage this year and reclaim the yellow jersey.

Back at the ranch, Fabian Cancellara melted on the hot climbs and conceded 14 minutes. None of the real contenders lost time and none of them mounted a serious attack, preferring to keep their powder dry for tomorrow's first day in the high mountains.

Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) 4hr 22min 52sec
Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) @ 57sec
Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) @ 1min 27sec
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1min 40sec
Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom) @ 1min 47sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Eros Capecchi (Fotton-Servetto) s.t.
Cyril Gautier (Bouygues Telecom) s.t.
Damien Monier (Cofidis) s.t.
Jurgen Van Den Boreck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Chris Sorensen (Saxo) s.t.
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) s.t

Withdrawals: Juan Jose Oroz (Euskaltel), did not start and Stijn Vanderbergh (Katusha), outside time limit.

Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) 33hr 1min 23sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 1min 25sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 1min 32sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 1min 55sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 2min 17sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 2min 26sec
Jurgen Van Den Boreck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 2min 28sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 2min 33sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 2min 35sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 3min 10sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 3mn 11sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 3min 16sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 3min 20sec
Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) @ 3min 39sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 3min 39sec
Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) @ 3min 44sec
Janez Brajkovic (Radio Shack) @ 3min 46sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 3min 46sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 3min 50sec
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 3min 58sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 4min 2sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 4min 3sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 4min 4sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 4min 5sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 4min 6sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 4min 19sec
Cyril Gautier (Bouygues Telecom) @ 4min 20sec
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) @ 4min 35sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 4min 37sec
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step): 44 points
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step): 36
Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne): 28
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 44 points
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 33hr 3min 18sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 1min 15sec
Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) @ 1min 44sec
Astana 99hr 12min 43sec
Rabobank @ 56sec
Caisse d'Epargne @ 1min 24sec

Stage 7 route map

Stage 7 profile

Stage 8, Sunday July 11: Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz, 189 km

Km 24.0: Côte de la Petite Joux, 2.3 km @ 4.3% gradient, Category 4 Km 73.0: Côte de Grésin, 4.3 km @ 3.9%, Category 4 Km 154.5: Col de la Ramaz, 14.3 km @ 6.8%, Category 1 Km 168.0: LES GETS, 3.9 km @ 4.8%, Category 3 Km 189.0: MORZINE-AVORIAZ, 13.6 km @ 6.1%, Category 1

Photos from stage 8

The Race: Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Today was filled with surprises. First of all Lance Armstrong's quest to win an eighth Tour de France ended today. A series of crashes and mishaps left him drained on the final ascent to Morzine-Avoriaz. After crashing the first time (he clipped a pedal on a traffic circle) he had to chase and just made contact before the hammer was dropped on the Col de la Ramaz. Another crash on the Les Gets ascent finished him off. On the final climb he had nothing left to contest the race with the other contenders, and finished almost 12 minutes down. That's who didn't win.

As to the winner. There was a selection on the Morzine climb (the finishing times below make it clear who had suds at the end of the day) and when Andy Schleck made an attack in the final kilometer Contador couldn't handle it and had to concede 10 seconds. Rather than have Leipheimer die with Armstrong, they had him stick with the leaders, which he did, finishing with Basso, Menchov, Contador, Evans, etc. So Radio Shack still has a dog in this fight. Schleck is starting to carve out a lead that can withstand the final time trial. Menchov and Van De Broeck are doing far better than I had expected. This is turning into an exciting race.

But what a day! The herd has been thinned.

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 4hr 54min 11sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 10sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) s.t.
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 20sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 39sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 1min 14sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1min 37sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 1min 45sec
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom) @ 2min 5sec
Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 2min 15sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 2min 18sec
Daniel Navarro (Astana) @ 2min 20sec
Eros Capecchi (Footon-Servetto) @ 2min 23sec
Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) s.t.
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 3min 27sec
Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank) s.t.

60. Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) @ 11min 40sec

61. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 11min 45sec

Cadel Evans (BMC) 37hr 57min 9sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 20sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 1min 1sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 1min 3sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 1min 10sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 1min 11sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 1min 45sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 2min 14sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 2min 15sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 2min 31sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 2min 37sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 2min 40sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 2min 41sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 2min 45sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 3min 5sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 3min 11sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 3min 23sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 3min 30sec
Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) @ 4min 27sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 5min 3sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 5min 39sec
Damien Monier (Cofidis) @ 6min 19sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 6min 33sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 7min 12sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 7min 28sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 7min 52sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 7min 58sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 8min 15sec
Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) @ 8min 39sec
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 8min 53sec

39. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 13min 26sec

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 30
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 37hr 57min 29sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 1min 25sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 2min 17sec
Rabobank 113hr 59min 59sec
Astana @ 10sec
Radio Shack @ 2min 53sec

Stage 8 route map

Stage 8 profile

Stage 9, Tuesday July 13: Morzine Avoriaz - Saint Jean de Maurienne, 204.5 km

Photos from stage 9

Km 18.5: Côte de Châtillon, 2.1 km @ 3.9% gradient, Category 4 Km 46.0: Col de la Colombière, 16.5 km @ 6.7%, Category 1 Km 71.0: Col des Aravis, 7.6 km @ 5.9%, Category 2 Km 97.0: Col des Saisies, 14.4 km @ 5.1%, Category 1 Km 172.5: Col de la Madeleine, 25.5 km @ 6.2%, Hors Category

The race: What a terrific Tour this is! The day's break was 14-men strong but by the top of the final climb, the Col de a Madeleine, only 4 had survived, Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom), Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne), Damiano Cunego (Lampre) and Sandy Casar (FDJ). Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) was gapped, but chasing.

Back in the field, the damage the final climb did to the ambitions of several top riders was staggering. Yellow Jersey Cadel Evans cracked as badly as he did in the 2002 Giro. But this time it wasn't a matter of bonking. It turns out Evans fractured his elbow in a crash in Sunday's stage. He had hoped to cope with the injury but in the end he was unable to keep up with his challengers.

Look at the results below. Sastre and Wiggins have to be considered out of contention now. Astana set an incendiary pace on the Madeleine and after Daniel Navarro (Astana) swung off only Contador and Schleck were on his wheel. After some tentative probing attacks by both riders they went to work distancing the field. They caught Moreau who joined them in the chase. Up front the riders in the break were playing games and by slowing they let Schleck, Moreau and Contador, who were not doing anything at all that resembled playing, catch them. Casar led out and took the sprint and Andy Schleck is now the yellow jersey.

Sandy Casar (FDJ) 5hr 38min 10sec
Damiano Cunego (Lampre) s.t.
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2sec
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom) s.t.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 52sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 2min 7sec
Jens Voigt (Saxo) s.t.
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 2min 10sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 2min 50sec
Jurgen Ven Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 3min 48sec
Damien Monier (Cofidis) @ 3min 51sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 4min 53sec
Cyril Gautier (Bouygues Telecom) @ 4min 55sec
Johan Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.

42. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 8min 9sec

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 43hr 35min 41sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 41sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 2min 45sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 2min 58sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 3min 31sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 3min 59sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 4min 22sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 4min 41sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 5min 8sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 5min 9sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 5min 11sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 5min 42sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 6min 31sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 7min 4sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 7min 13sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 7min 18sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 7min 44sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 7min 47sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 8min 3sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 9min 5sec
Damien Monier (Cofidis) @ 9min 48sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 10min 20sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 10min 26sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 10min 46sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 11min 6sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 11min 45sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 12min 48sec
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 13min 26sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 14min 30sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 15min 15sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 15min 54sec

Did not Start: Fabio Felline (Footon-Servetto),Vladimir Karpets (Katusha), Simon Gerrans (Sky), Roger Kluge (Milram).

Abandon: Markus Eibegger (Footon-Servetto)

Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom): 85 points
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step): 85
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne): 62
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 124 points
Caisse d'Epargne 131hr 5min 36sec
Radio Shack @ 31sec
Astana @ 35sec

Stage 9 route map

Stage 9 profile

Stage 10, Wednesday July 14: Chambéry - Gap 179 km

Km 77.0: Côte de Laffrey, 7.0 km @ 9% gradient, Category 1 Km 98.0: Côte des Terrasses, 3.3 km @ 7.1%, Category 3 Km 145.5: Col du Noyer, 7.4 km @ 5.3%, Category 2

Stage 10 photos

The race: The first 35 kilometers were insane with attacks flying everywhere. The French riders were particularly intent given that this is July 14, their national day. By the 40th km a group of 6 had managed to break clear. The pack, being policed by Schleck's Saxo team, was content to let them go, letting the gap grow to over 14 minutes at the end. The pack is hot, tired and battered and didn't have much fight in it today.

The riders in the break, however, were very motivated. With the major climbing done for the day Mario Aerts tried to leave the others with something like 14 km left in the stage. That started the attacking games that finally resulted in Sergio Paulinho (Radios Shack) and Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) getting free of the others with Paulinho taking a very close sprint.

Sergio Paulinho (Radio Shack) 5hr 10min 56sec
Dries Devenyns (Quick Step) @ 1min 29sec
Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 3min 20sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 12min 57sec
Remi Pauriol (Cofidis) @ 13min 57sec
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) @ 14min 19sec
Kristjan Koren (Liquigas) s.t.
Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) s.t.
Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) s.t.

34. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.

44. Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.

46. Denis Menchov (Rabobank) s.t.

70. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.

130. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 15min 47sec

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 49hr 56sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 6min 23sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 17min 22sec
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step): 91 points
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom): 90
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 138 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 131
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 116
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne): 98
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 97
Roman kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 5min 11sec
Caisse d'Epargne 147 hr 7min 2sec
Astana @ 14min 54sec

Stage 10 route map

Stage 10 profile

Rest Day, Monday July 12: Morzine-Avoriaz.

Long ago Alberto Contador said that the 2010 Tour would be settled in the Pyrenees. After Sunday's stage this looks more true than ever. It seemed that the big guys were racing stage 8 so as not to lose the Tour rather than trying to win. There were no epic attacks, just an extremely hard day that allowed the better riders to ride to the top of the GC standings. Tomorrow's stage is unlikely to change the selection since the crest of the final rated climb, the Hors Category Col de la Madeleine is placed about 35 km before the finish. If a rider is feeling lucky, he could attack on the descent and try to hold the lead the remaining 13 km to the finish

After working too hard to control the leaders on the Morzine ascent yesterday, leaving him vulnerable to Schleck's devastating final attack, Contador has said he'll let the others (read: yellow jersey Evans and BMC) police the pointy part of the peloton tomorrow.

It's a shame the race is deprived of the angry ferocity Armstrong can bring to the race, but the 2010 Armstrong is certainly not the 2004 Lance who always rode near the front of the peloton and stayed completely out of trouble. I can't imagine Armstrong clipping a pedal, a banal way to crash, 10 years ago. Also he missed the Cancellara move in stage three that took Evans and Schleck clear, an unheard of lapse with the old Lance 1.0. Back then he was the most heads-up, alert, dialed-in rider on the road. Father Time is no friend of athletes.

Stage 11, Thursday July 15: Sisteron - Bourg-lès-Valence, 184.5 km

Km 56.5: Col de Cabre, 5.0 km @ 5.9% gradient, Category 3

Photos from stage 11

The Race: Almost as the flag was dropped Stephane Auge (Cofidis), Jose-Alberto Benitez (Footon-Servetto) and Anthony Geslin (FDJ) flew the coup. Given the day's rather flat profile, the sprinter's teams were not going to let the break succeed. They were caught well before the sprint. And what a sprint it was. As Lampre, Garmin and Columbia fought for position a head-butting argument at top speed broke out between Columbia final lead-out man Mark Renshaw and Garmin's Julian Dean. Cavendish easily took the stage. That makes 13 Tour stage wins for Cavendish, the most of any active rider.After launching Cavendish it sure looked like Renshaw then moved over to block Tyler Farrar. Petacchi's second place gave him enough points to make him the new green jersey.

The Tour judges made their displeasure with Renshaw's tactics very clear by ejecting him from the race.

Mark Cavendish (HTC), 4hr 42min 29sec
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caise d'Epargne) s.t.
Edvald Boason Hagen (Sky) s.t.
Kevin de Weert (Quick Step) s.t.
Daniel Lloyd (Cervelo) s.t.
Alexandr Pliuschin (Katusha) s.t.
Brett Daniel Lancaster (Cervelo) s.t.

Withdrawals: Did not start-Charles Wegelius (Omega-Pharma-Lotto), Robert Hunter (Garmin-Transitions)

Ejected from the Tour de France: Mark Renshaw (HTC-Columbia)

Andy Schleck (Saxo), 53hr 43min 25sec
Levi Lepiheimer (Radio Shack) @ 3min 59sec
Kevin de Weert (Quick Step) @ 10min 26sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 11min 35sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 17min 50sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 17min 51sec
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step): 92 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 161 points
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 157
Robbie McEwen (Katusha): 138
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 132
Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne): 122
Andy Shcleck (Saxo), 53hr 43min 25sec
Caisse d'Epargne, 161hr 14min 29sec
Rabobank @15min 38sec

Stage 11 route map

Stage 11 profile

Stage 12, Friday July 16: Bourg-de-Péage - Mende, 210.5 km

Km 31.0: Côte de Saint-Barthélémy-le-Plain, 10.7 km @ 3.1% gradient, Category 3 Km 59.0: Col des Nonières (NONIERES), 5.7 km, 3.8%, Category 3 Km 96.0: Suc de Montivernoux, 13.7 @ 4.4%, Category 2 Km 133.0: Côte de la Mouline, 3.9 km @ 5%, Category 3 Km 208.5: Côte de la Croix-Neuve (Montée Laurent Jalabert), 3.1 km @ 10.1%, Category 2

Photos from stage 12

The race: The action really started on the third category Col des Nonières when 18 riders broke away. What was surprising was the number of GC threats that were allowed to get away including Ryder Hesjedal, Andreas Kloden, Alexandre Vinokourov as well as KOM competitor Anthony Charteau and green jersey hunter Thor Hushovd. But get away they did and with so many teams represented in the break Saxo had to do almost all of the chasing.

Kloden thought the group too big and his acceleration brought it down to just 4: Kloden, Vino, Hesjedal and Vasil Kiryienka.

On the final climb, the Côte de la Croix-Neuve (Montée Laurent Jalabert) which has patches of 14% gradient, the break came apart. Vinokourov went for the solo victory with the other breakaways getting sucked up by the relentless peloton.

In the peloton Joaquin Rodriguez shot away and Contador was on his wheel like stink on poo. Schleck didn't have the suds to join the move as the pair rode away from the pack and up towards Vinokourov. They went by the Kazakh with Rodriguez taking the stage. Vinokourov was third at 4 seconds. Schleck came in fifth, ten seconds after Rodriguez and Contador. It looks like the steeper the terrain, the more vulnerable Schleck is.

Hushovd grabbed enough intermediate sprint points to retake the green jersey. Charteau retook the polka dots and Tyler Farrar finally had to abandon.

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 4hr 58min 26sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 4sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 10sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 15sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 17sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 31sec
Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 48sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 53sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) @ 1min 11sec
Eros Capecchi (Footon-Servetto) s.t.

57. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 3min 35sec

Withdrawals: Did not start- Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), Abandon- Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions)

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 58hr 42min 1sec
Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 31sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 4min 6sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 4min 27sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 4min 58sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 5min 2sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas-Domo) @ 5min 16sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 5min 30sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 6min 25sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 6min 44sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 7min 34sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 7min 39sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 7min 47sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 8min 8sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 8min 24sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 10min 41sec
Damien Monier (Cofidis) @ 11min 4sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 11min 27sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 11min 56sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 12min 28sec
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 14min 9sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 14mn 11sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 14min 33sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 16min 44sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 17min 55sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 19min 64sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 21min 16sec
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom): 107 points
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step): 92
Andy Schleck (Saxo): 64
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 167 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 161
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 5min 16sec
Radio Shack 176 hr 11min 16sec
Caisse d'Epargne) @ 21sec
Astana @ 15min 43sec

Stage 12 route map

Stage 12 profile

Stage 13, Saturday July 17: Rodez - Revel, 196 km

Km 24.0: Côte de Mergals, 3.7 km @ 3.8% gradient, Category 4 Km 31.5: Côte de Bégon, 3.1 km @ 4.5%, Category 4 Km 72.0: Côte d'Ambialet, 5.2 km @ 4.6 %, Category 3 Km 125.0: Côte de Puylaurens, 4.3 km @ 3.9%, Category 4 Km 188.5: Côte de Saint-Ferréol, 1.9 km @ 6%, Category 3

Photos from stage 13

The Race: With 5 ascents rated cat 3 and cat 4, the day looked perfect for a break. Three of the best, Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step), Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) and Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom) left the embrace of the peloton at just the fifth kilometer. They were allowed a gap of 6 minutes but Lampre and Columbia, wanting another shot at a sprint, reeled them back in. It was all together by the time the pack reached the final climb, the Côte de Saint-Ferréol. Alessandro Ballan (BMC) took of at the base of the hill with several riders unsuccessfully trying to get up to the former world champion. Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov lit the jets, blasted by Ballan's chasers and then Ballan himself. Vino extended his lead on the descent while Bouygues Telecom's Thomas Voeckler did all he could to get up to the fleeing Kazakh but couldn't close the gap and was caught by the pack. In the end the determined Vinokourov soloed into Revel with 13 seconds.

Alessandro Petacchi's second place was enough to allow him to take back the green jersey. I assume Thor Hushovd is looking at tomorrow's race profile to figure out a plan to get it back. There are a couple of intermediate sprints before the big stuff in stage 14.

Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) 4hr 26min 26sec
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) @ 13sec
Anthony Geslin (FDJ) s.t.
Grega Bole (Lampre) s.t.
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Martin ELmiger (Ag2r) s.t.
Benoit Vaugrenard (FDJ) s.t.

33. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.

34. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) s.t.

43. Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) s.t.

51. Andy Schleck (Saxo) s.t.

100. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 4min 35sec

Withdrawal: Rein Taaramae (Cofidis), abandon

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 63hr 8min 40sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 6min 12sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 6min 25sec
Damien Monier (Cofidis) @ 10min 31sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 14min 11sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 15min 54sec
Remi Pauriol (Cofidis) @ 23min 21sec

36. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 25min 38sec

Mario Aerts (Omega Pharma-Lotto): 65
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 187 points
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 185
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 162
Radio Shack 189 hr 31min 13sec
Caisse d'Epargne @ 21sec
Rabobank @ 16min 13sec

Stage 13 route map

Stage 13 profile

Stage 14, Sunday July 18: Revel - Ax-3 Domaines, 184 km

Km 155.5: Port de Pailhères, 15.5 km @ 7.9% gradient, Hors Category Km 183.0: Ax-3-Domaines, 7.8 km @ 8.2%, Category 1

Stage 14 photos

The race: Advantage Contador. Early into today's stage an 11-man group made good its escape. A few dropped off while others bridged, keeping the group at 11 for a while. The gap grew to about 10 minutes but that came down rapidly once Astana hit the front and really raised the speed. Once the first climb, the Port de Pailhères, started the real carnage started. While Carlos Sastre and Rafael Valls attacked, Contador and Schleck were content to keep an eye on each other.

Up front, Ag2r's Christophe Riblon was the first of the breakaway riders over the top (the rest of them were caught by the chasing pack) and he forged on ahead, chased by Sastre. The final ascent to Ax-3-Domaines proved indecisive. Riblon managed to stay away until the end, allowing him to garner the greatest win of his career. Near the top Contador tried twice to shed Schleck, but couldn't. Then the two marked each other, slowing to a near standstill. Denis Menchov, seeing a golden opportunity took off with Samuel Sanchez hot on his wheel. Schleck and Contador sobered up a bit and went after the fleeing duo.

The gap between the two top contenders remains unchanged, which plays to Contador's advantage. If Schleck doesn't have a good two minutes in hand for the 51-kilometer individual time trial, I think his goose is cooked. Even though both riders put out statements that the day went their ways, the more days that get burned up with Contador staying within TT reach, the less likely Schleck can ultimately prevail. Ask Claudio Chiappucci how it worked out for him in 1990.

Here's what Riblon had to say after the stage:

"I was really disappointed with my start of the Tour, because I wanted to do something overall, and it did not work. Especially the last two days were very difficult, and I was almost depressed. Then [AG2R's directeurs sportif] Vincent Lavenu and Julien Jurdi talk to me at length, explaining that I'm usually in good shape by the third week of a Tour, so I had to take my chances and go in a breakaway. They gave me morale, but last night I would still not bet a euro on me. "In the final I did not want to say, 'I won'. I constantly repeated to myself, 'I'm going to win', but I did not want to be sure, not until the last kilometer. I remembered last year when I wondered how Brice Feillu had done what he did to win the stage to Andorra Arcalis. We were behind, and I do not understand how we failed to reel him in – how could he have stayed ahead when there were riders chasing him down. Now I realize why he could do it. When you’re alone in front, with a few kilometers to the finish, the support of the public helps to carry you and it encourage you, it transforms you and gives you strength. I gave everything and I felt I could not lose."

Christophe Riblon (Ag2r)
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 54sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 1min 8sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) s.t.
Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 1min 49sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 1min 53sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 2min
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2min 2sec
Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 2min 16sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 2min 26sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 2min 27sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 2min 30sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 2min 51sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 3min 1sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 3min 3sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 3min 17sec

36. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 4min 59sec

37. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 5min 39sec

62. Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 15min 14sec

70. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) s.t.

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 68hr 2min 30sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 2min 31sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 2min 44sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 4min 51sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 5min 56sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 6min 52sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 7min 4sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 7min 11sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 7min 17sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 8min 3sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 8min 15sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 9min 46sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 10min 17sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 11min 30sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 12min 39sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 12min 50sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 13min 14sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 13min 20sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 13min 50sec
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 16min 4sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 17min 37sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 21min 53sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 23min 29sec
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) @ 27min 46sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 28min 17sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 28min 28sec

38. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 39min 44sec

Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom): 115 points
Andy Schleck (Saxo): 76
Caisse d'Epargne 204hr 16min 0sec
Radio Shack @ 8sec
Rabobank @ 17min 13sec

Stage 14 route map

Stage 14 profile

Stage 15, Monday July 19: Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon, 187.5 km

Km 30.0: Côte de Carla-Bayle, 3.1 km @ 4.1% gradient, Category 4 Km 105.0: Col de Portet-d'Aspet, 5.8 km @ 6.8%, Category 2 Km 126.5: Col des Ares, 6.1 km @ 4.7%, Category 2 Km 166.0: Port de Balès, 19.3 km @ 6.1%, Hors Category

Photos from stage 15

The Race: Never a dull moment at this Tour. The attacks started with the starter's flag but nothing gained any traction for a while. At about the 26th kilometer the peloton split with, no surprise here, Schleck in the back half. Astana tried tried to make the split permanent but Saxo dragged the chasing half back into contact. At the 93rd kilometer 10 men broke loose. In that group were some top-notch riders including Thomas Voeckler, Johan Van Summeren, Alessandro Ballan and Lloyd Mondory.

At the start of the final climb, the Port de Balès, the break had about 9 minutes. 8 kilometers from the top Voeckler, the reigning French road champion, took off and held off all chasers until the end.

Back in the yellow jersey group Schleck launched the long-promised attack with 3 kilometers to go to the summit. It looked like a move that would stick, but a few seconds after that, his chain dropped and got stuck between the crank and the bottom bracket. Schleck had to dismount and repair his bike

Meanwhile, Contador did not stick around to watch. He took off with Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez. Over the top the Contador group had 30 seconds on a frantically chasing Schleck. On the descent and the run-in to the finish the lead stretched to 39 seconds, enough to give Contador the lead by 8 seconds.

I suspect a Saxo mechanic will find himself tied to an anthill this evening.

Here's what Schleck had to say after the race:

"Now I’m really angry. I will ride on the Tourmalet until I fall from my bike and give everything to this race. "I felt really good but what counted at the end of the day is the time that you have when you arrive at the finish and I was so far back even with what I did on the descent. "I promised my brother this morning that I wouldn’t take any risk on the downhill but I think I went down pretty fast... for me, let me put it that way. I didn’t want to lose too much time. "Things happen, and everything happens for a reason. People can say what they want but they also have realize that Alberto was one of the guys who waited for me in Spa and that was really a great sign of fair play. Chapeau! Today was a different story, a different scenario but the Tour is not finished."

[Question: Andy, you seem so calm. You speak really relaxed but are you not mad with your bike or at anyone – maybe with Alberto?] "What happened, happens. I cannot change the situation even if I’m mad. Of course I wouldn’t have minded to throw my bike into the fence and just hit someone but you’ve got to keep yourself under control in situations like this. If you just stay calm it’s worthwhile. If yell at people, it won’t change the situation. It is how it is. I’m not crying behind my jersey. In the end it comes down to the fact that this is a bike race and we will make the final count. I’m not done with."

Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) 4hr 44min 51sec
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) @ 1min 20sec
Aitor Perez (Footon-Servetto) s.t.
Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r) @ 2min 50sec
Francesco Reda (Quick Step) s.t.
Brian Vandborg (Liquigas) s.t.
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 3min 29sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 3min 55sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3min 55sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 4min 8sec
Serguei Ivanov (Katusha) @ 4min 14sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 5min 18sec
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 5min 44sec

32. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.

36. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 6min 58sec

48. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 9min 35sec

Withdrawal: Mauro Santambrogio (BMC), abandon

Alberto Contador (Astana) 72hr 50min 42sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 8sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 2min
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 2min 13sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 3min 39sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 5min 1sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 5min 25sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 5min 45sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 7min 12sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 7min 51sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 7min 58sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 8min 19sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 9min 2sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 9min 15sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 11min 14sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 12min 9sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 12min 34sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 14min 7sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 14min 24sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 14min 47sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 15min 37sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 16min 16sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 17min 44sec
Daniel Fernandez (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 20min
Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) @ 21min 18sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 27min 7sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 28min 56sec
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) @ 30min 9sec
Chirstophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 34min 39sec
Remi Pauriol (Cofidis) @ 35min 14sec
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom): 82
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 72hr 50min 50sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 4min 53sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 7min 50sec
Radio Shack 218hr 42min 52sec
Caisse d'Epargne @ 4min 27sec
Rabobank @ 17min 23sec

Stage 15 route map

Stage 15 profile

Stage 16, Tuesday July 20: Bagnères-de-Luchon - Pau, 199.5 km

Km 11.0: Col de Peyresourde , 11.0 km @ 7.4% gradient, Category 1 Km 42.5: Col d'Aspin , 12.3 km @ 6.3%, Category 1 Km 72.0: Col du Tourmalet (Souvenir Jacques Goddet), 17.1 km, 7.3%, Hors Category Km 138.0: Col d'Aubisque , 29.2 km @ 4.2%, Hors Category

Photos from stage 16

The race: Andy Schleck decided to wait until Thursday's finish at the top of the Tourmalet to try to win the Tour. There was no change in the top ten GC placers today even though the day's route had four giant climbs.

At about the 5th kilometer a break of 18 had broken clear of the peloton. That group included Lance Armstrong, Chris Horner, Nicolas Roche and Bradley Wiggins. From there riders would drop out and others would bridge up but this original break would go the distance. As the ascent of the final climb, the Col d'Aubisque began, the break was 10 strong and included Armstrong, Horner, Sandy Casar, Ignatas Konovalovas, Carlos Barredo, Jurgen Van De Walle, Pierrick Fedrigo, Christophe Moreau, Ruben Plaza and Damiano Cunego. Halfway up the climb the break had gained a 7min 30sec lead on the Yellow Jersey group.

With about 45 kilometers to go Carlos Barredo attacked the break and established a lead of about 40 seconds. That was quickly cut to 25 seconds and it stayed there for a while as the chasers gave an uneven pursuit. Finally Moreau and Horner went deep and their efforts snagged Barredo with a kilometer to go. Fedrigo was by far the fastest man and he easily won the stage. Hushovd took the field sprint and again became the green jersey.

Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom) 5hr 31min 43sec
Jurgen Van De Walle (Quick Step) s.t.
Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) @ 28sec
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) @ 6min 45sec
Aleksandr Kuchynski (Liquigas) s.t.
Matthew Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t.
Alan Perez (Euskaktel) s.t.
Rui Albert Faria (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.
Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.

39. Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) s.t.

43. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.

55. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) s.t.

81. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 23min 42sec

Withdrawals: Did not start, Iban Mayoz (Footon-Servetto), Bram Tankink (Rabobank)

Alberto Contador (Astana) 78hr 29min 10sec
Andy Schleck (Saco) @ 8sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 8min 2sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Eparnge) @ 8min 19sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 8min 52sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 20min
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 27min 54sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 33min 13sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 33min 46sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 35min 20sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 37min 18sec
Julien El Fares (Cofidis) @ 41min 1sec
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) @ 44min 4sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 44min 29sec
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 191 points
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 187
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia)
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 78hr 29min 18sec
Radio Shack 235hr 24min 46sec
Caisse d'Epargne @ 4 min 27sec
Rabobank @ 30min 53sec

Stage 16 route map

Stage 16 profile

Rest Day, Wednesday July 21: Pau

Stage 17, Thursday July 22: Pau - Col du Tourmalet, 174 km

Km 13.5: Côte de Renoir, 2.2 km @ 6% gradient, Category 4 Km 56.5: Col de Marie-Blanque, 9.3 km @ 7.6%, Category 1 Km 117.5: Col du Soulor: 11.9 km @ 7.8%, Category 1 Km 174.0: COL DU TOURMALET (Souvenir Henri Desgrange), 18.6 km @ 7.5 %, Hors Category

Stage 17 photos

The Race: It was a wet, rainy and foggy day.The day's break was up the road before the first climb: Alexandr Kolobnev (Katusha), Edvald Hagen (Sky), Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky), Remi Pauriol (Cofidis), Ruben Perez (Euskaltel), Marcus Burghardt (BMC), Kristjan Koren (Liquigas). Later Cervelo riders Ignatas Konovalovas and Carlos Sastre tried to bridge up to them, but despite Sastre's long solo push (Konovalovas soon gave up), neither were successful.

As the race began to ascend the Tourmalet, Saxo and Rabobank turned themselves inside out keeping the speed high. Up ahead Kolobnev attacked the break and only Burghardt could go with him. Then Kolobnev burned Burghardt off his wheel.

With about 10 kilometers to go Schleck exited the now very small yellow jersey group with Contador on his wheel. It looked to me to be a mild attack but looks can be deceiving. No one else could latch onto the move. Schleck powered away with Contador glued grimly to his wheel. Schleck tried several times to drop the Spaniard, but Contador looked to be having a very good day. Contador gave his own shot at riding to the top alone but Schleck was not going to be dropped either.

As they raced up the mountain they caught and passed all of the earlier breakaway riders. Contador did not contest the sprint, letting Schleck have the stage win. Samuel Sanchez, who had crashed badly early in the stage, finished in front of Denis Menchov, thereby defending his third place in the General Classification. It'll be interesting if his 21-second lead over the Russian will hold up over the 51-kilometer time trial on Saturday. The general consensus is that Schleck lacks the power to beat Contador in the final time trial. My question: Can Menchov take 3 minutes and 45 seconds out of Schleck and move up to second place? Probably not, but Schleck is going to have to do the ride of his life to keep second.

Here is what Andy Schleck had to say after the stage:

"I'm satisfied with the stage win but I also wanted to turn white into yellow but unfortunately it wasn’t possible. I really tried hard, you have to believe me about that. I changed rhythm and I tried everything but I think we're on the same level on the climbs. Alberto attacked and I could go with him – it was a quick response – but in the end he didn’t sprint to win the stage because I did the most work. I have a lot of respect for that, it shows that he’s a great champion. "I tried to find out how he was feeling. You need to look at someone to see how he was coping. I think you can find out a lot if you look someone in the eyes. He didn’t have the sunglasses on today so it was possible to see, that's why I looked so many times. But he always looked good and that’s kind of what killed me. "El Pistolero is strong, huh? I could not drop him. He was always there. I wanted to find out if he was getting weak but he didn't succumb. He even attacked me to show, 'Hey, listen young boy, I’m still here! You better stop playing these games with me.' "I'm super happy to win this stage today – it’s the Queen stage of this year’s Tour. To win on the Tourmalet is like a win on Alpe d'Huez. "When I turned to talk to him, I said: 'You pass?' And he didn't. I would have done the same. Why should he pass me? In the end, he let me win the stage and I’m super happy."

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 5hr 3min 29sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 1min 18sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 1min 27sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 1min 32sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 1min 40sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 1min 45sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 1min 48sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 2min 14sec
Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 3min
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 3min 26sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 3min 30sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 3min 35sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 3min 44sec
Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 3min 58sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 4min 12sec
Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) @ 4min 16sec
Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 4min 27sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Eparnge) s.t.
Pierre Rolland (Bouygues Telecom) @ 4min 30sec
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 4min 36sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 4min 59sec
Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) @ 5min 15sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ @ 5min 23sec
Amael Moinard (Cofidis) @ 5min 30sec
Anthony Charteau (Bouygues Telecom) @ 5min 37sec
Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 5min 42sec
Cyril Gautier (Bouygues Telecom) @ 5min 44sec
Alexandr Kolobnev (Katusha) @ 5min 52sec

43. Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 8min 59sec

49. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 10min 45sec

59. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 12min

69. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 16min 28sec

72. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 16min 48sec

88. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 23min 19sec

Withdrawals: Simon Spilak (Lampre), abandon.

Alberto Contador (Astana) 83hr 32min 39sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 3min 32sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 3min 53sec
Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 5min 27sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 6min 41sec
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 7min 3sec
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 9min 18sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 1min 12 sec
Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 10min 37sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epagne) @ 12min 46sec
Ruben Plaza (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 13min 1sec
Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 14min 24sec
Andreas Kloden (Radio Shack) @ 14min 44sec
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 16min
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 17min 57sec
John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 17min 59sec
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky) @ 18min 30sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) @ 20min 3sec
Daniel Moreno (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 25min 23sec
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 25min 50sec
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 32min 30sec
Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 37min 58sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 41min 3sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 42min 56sec
Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 45min 13sec
Julien Al Fares (Cofidis) @ 48min 56sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 50min 27sec
Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 51min 56sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 53min 46sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 116
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 83hr 32min 47sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 6min 33sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 10min 4sec
Radio Shack 250hr 44min 40sec
Caisse d'Epargne @ 8min 30sec
Rabobank @ 33min 39sec

Stage 17 route map

Stage 17 profile

Stage 18, Friday July 23: Salies-de-Béarn - Bordeaux, 198 km

Rated climbs: none this stage

Stage 18 photos

The Race: The top ranks of the General Classification remained unchanged. The day's flat stage saw a 4-man break go with Liquigas' Daniel Oss its the last survivor. He was nailed with about 4 kilometers to go by a peloton intent upon a sprint finish. In that sprint Thor Hushovd went too early while Cavendish easily took his fourth stage of the year. Petacchi's third place gave him the green jersey.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 4hr 37min 9sec
Anthony Roux (FDJ) s.t.
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) s.t.
Alan Perez (Euskaltel) s.t.
Serguei Ivanov (Katusha) s.t.
Jose-Alberto Benitez (Footon-Servetto) s.t.

Withdrawal: Francesco Reda (Quick Step), abandon

Alberto Contador (Astana) 88hr 9min 48sec
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) @ 10min 12sec
Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 12min 46sec
Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Epargne) @32min 30sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 41min 34sec
Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 42min 36sec
Julien El Fares (Cofidis) @ 48min 56sec
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) @ 51min 56sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Transitions) @ 55min 7sec
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 55min 25sec
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre): 213 points
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo): 203
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia): 197
Andy Schleck (Saxo) 88hr 9min 56sec
Radio Shack 264 hr 36min 7sec
Rbobank @ 33min 39sec

Stage 18 route map

Stage 18 profile

Stage 19, Saturday July 24: Bordeaux - Pauillac 52 km individual time trial

Stage 19 photos

The Race: Just a couple of observations. The wind came up late in the day, giving an advantage to the early starters. That certainly helped Denis Menchov who time-trialed Samuel Sanchez off the podium. Andy Schleck went out hard and came very close to being the virtual yellow jersey before Alberto Contador clawed back the time needed to give him a comfortable lead. Clearly Contador was sub-par today. Look at the results below and you can see he was 35th, slower than lots of guys he normally waxes. Staying in yellow against a very determined Andy Schleck must have been very tiring work.

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) 1hr 56sec
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) @ 17sec
Bert Grabsch (HTC-Columbia) @ 1min 48sec
Ignatas Konovalovas (Cervelo) @ 2min 34sec
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) @ 3min
Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank) @ 3min 3sec
Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) @ 3min 10sec
Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) @ 3min 21sec
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 3min 33 sec
Geraint Thomas (Sky) @ 3min 38sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 3min 51sec
Jeremy Roy (FDJ) @ 4min
Stuart O'Grady (Saxo) @ 4min 6sec
Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia) @ 4min 14sec
Nikki Sorenson (Saxo) @ 4min 15sec
Pavel Brutt (Katusha) @ 4min 15sec
David Millar (Garmin) @ 4min 20sec
Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @
Dmitriy Muravyev (Radio Shack) @ 4min 38sec
Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 4min 39sec
Chris Sorensen (Saxo) @ 4min 46sec
Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Transitions) @ 4min 48sec
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) @ 4min 59sec
Sebastien Turgot (Bouygues Telecom) @ 5min 2sec
Sebastian Lang (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 5min 7sec
Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo) @ 5min 8sec
Anthony Roux (FDJ) @ 5min 9sec
Christophe Kern (Cofidis) @ 5min 14sec
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 5min 15sec
Brett Lancaster (Cervelo) @ 5min 16sec

33. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 5min 32sec

35. Alberto Contador (Astana) @ 5min 43sec

40. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 5min 51sec

41. Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) @ 5min 59sec

44. Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 6min 14sec

48. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) @ 6min 30sec

52. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) @ 6min 40sec

67. Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) @ 7min 5sec

69. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack) @ 7min 8sec

Alberto Contador (Astana) 89hr 16min 27sec
Andy Schleck (Saxo) @ 39sec
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) @ 2min 1sec
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 3min 40sec
Jurgen Van den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) 6min 54sec
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 9min 31sec
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana)) @ 17min 46sec
Kevin De Weert (Quick Step @ 21min 54sec
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-TRansitions) @ 58min 53sec

32. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 59min 33sec

Andy Schleck (Saxo) 89hr 16min 6sec
Radio Shack 267 hr 44min

Stage 19 route map

Stage 19 profile

Stage 20, Sunday July 25: Longjumeau - Paris/Champs-Élysées, 102.5 km

Stage 20 photos

The Race: The day's only drama occurred before the official stage start. Radio Shack showed up with black jerseys with the number "28", symbolizing the 28 million people who are thought to have cancer in the world today. The officials said those were not approved jerseys and they had to be changed, threatening disqualification. The team slipped their regular jerseys over the black ones. Hold on, said the judges, your numbers are covered up. So, the riders had to stop, change jerseys and re-pin their numbers.

Then the race had the normal outcome. A break went off, was caught with 6 kilometers to go and Cavendish won the stage. Alessandro Petacchi came in second, making him the 2010 green jersey. I believe that's the first time a rider has won consecutive final sprints on the Champs-Élysées. Contador gets his third Tour win, joining the great Philippe Thys, Louison Bobet and Greg LeMond in the 3-time winners club.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 2hr 42min 21sec
Lars Boom (Rabobank) s.t.
Daniel Moreno (Omega Phaarma-Lotto) s.t.
Rui Alberto Faria (Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.

170 classified finishers

Complete 2010 Tour de France Final General Classification

Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 6min 54sec

Stage 20 route map

Stage 20 profile

Summary of 2010 Tour de France race course.

The 2010 edition will start with a prologue time trial at Rotterdam and will then head through Belgium and land in France at the end of the third stage. That third stage will have seven cobbled sectors totaling 13.2 kilometers.

The 2010 edition moves clockwise and will be Alps first. Then it will spend 4 days in the Pyrenees, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Tour's inclusion of high Pyrenean climbs. The Tourmalet will be climbed twice, including a hilltop finish with only 3 stages to go. The penultimate stage will be a 51-kilometer individual time trial at Bordeaux. It appears that the Tour will continue to de-emphasize time trialing, given that with the Prologue, there are only 59 kilometers of riding against the clock. Like last year, there won't be time bonuses for the intermediate sprints or for stage wins.

In summary the Tour will have:

Startlist with back-numbers as of July 2:

The Tour organization's March 30 team invitation announcement is below the startlist.

198 riders are scheduled to start.

1 Alberto Contador (ESP) 2 David De La Fuente (ESP) 3 Andriy Grivko (UKR) 4 Jesus Hernandez (ESP) 5 Maxim Iglinskiy (KAZ) 6 Daniel Navarro (ESP) 7 Benjamin Noval (ESP) 8 Paolo Tiralongo (ITA) 9 Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ)

Team Saxo Bank

11 Andy Schleck (LUX) 12 Matti Breschel (DAN) 13 Fabian Cancellara (SUI) 14 Jakob Fuglsang (DAN) 15 Stuart O'Grady (AUS) 16 Fränk Schleck (LUX) 17 Chris Anker Sørensen (DAN) 18 Nicki Sörensen (DAN) 19 Jens Voigt (ALL)

Team Radioshack

21 Lance Armstrong (USA) 22 Janez Brajkovic (SLO) 23 Christopher Horner (USA) 24 Andreas Klöden (GER) 25 Levi Leipheimer (USA) 26 Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ) 27 Sergio Paulinho (POR) 28 Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) 29 Grégory Rast (SUI)

Sky Professional Cycling Team

31 Bradley Wiggins (GBR) 32 Michael Barry (CAN) 33 Steven Cummings (GBR) 34 Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) 35 Simon Gerrans (AUS) 36 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) 37 Thomas Lövkvist (SUE) 38 Serge Pauwels (BEL) 39 Geraint Thomas (GBR)

Liquigas-Doimo

41 Ivan Basso (ITA) 42 Francesco Bellotti (ITA) 43 Kristjan Koren (SLO) 44 Roman Kreuziger (TCH) 45 Alexander Kuschynski (BLR) 46 Daniel Oss (ITA) 47 Manuel Quinziato (ITA) 48 Sylvester Szmyd (POL) 49 Brian Vandborg (DAN)

Garmin - Transitions

51 Christian Vande Velde (USA) 52 Julian Dean (NZL) 53 Tyler Farrar (USA) 54 Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) 55 Robert Hunter (AFS) 56 Martijn Maaskant (HOL) 57 David Millar (GBR) 58 Johan Van Summeren (BEL) 59 David Zabriskie (USA)

Française des Jeux

61 Christophe Le Mevel (FRA) 62 Sandy Casar (FRA) 63 Rémy Di Grégorio (FRA) 64 Anthony Geslin (FRA) 65 Matthieu Ladagnous (FRA) 66 Anthony Roux (FRA) 67 Jérémy Roy (FRA) 68 Wesley Sulzberger (AUS) 69 Benoït Vaugrenard (FRA)

Team Katusha

71 Vladimir Karpets (RUS) 72 Pavel Brutt (RUS) 73 Serguei Ivanov (RUS) 74 Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS) 75 Robbie McEwen (AUS) 76 Alexandr Pliuschin (MOL) 77 Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP) 78 Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL) 79 Eduard Vorganov (RUS)

AG2R La Mondiale

81 Nicolas Roche (IRL) 82 Maxime Bouet (FRA) 83 Dimitri Champion (FRA) 84 Martin Elmiger (SUI) 85 John Gadret (FRA) 86 David Le Lay (FRA) 87 Lloyd Mondory (FRA) 88 Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) 89 Christophe Riblon (FRA)

Cervelo Test Team

91 Carlos Sastre (ESP) 92 Xavier Florencio (ESP) 93 Volodymir Gustov (UKR) 94 Jeremy Hunt (GBR) 95 Thor Hushovd (NOR) 96 Andreas Klier (GER) 97 Ignatas Konovalovas (LIT) 98 Brett Lancaster (AUS) 99 Daniel Lloyd (GBR)

Omega Pharma-Lotto

101 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) 102 Mario Aerts (BEL) 103 Francis De Greef (BEL) 104 Mickael Delage (FRA) 105 Sebastian Lang (ALL) 106 Matthew Lloyd (AUS) 107 Daniel Moreno (ESP) 108 Jurgen Roelandts (BEL) 109 Charles Wegelius (GBR)

Team HTC - Columbia

111 Mark Cavendish (GBR) 112 Bernhard Eisel (AUT) 113 Bert Grabsch (ALL) 114 Adam Hansen (AUS) 115 Tony Martin (ALL) 116 Maxime Monfort (BEL) 117 Mark Renshaw (AUS) 118 Michael Rogers (AUS) 119 Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR)

BMC Racing Team

121 Cadel Evans (AUS) 122 Alessandro Ballan (ITA) 123 Brent Bookwalter (USA) 124 Marcus Burghardt (ALL) 125 Mathias Frank (SUI) 126 George Hincapie (USA) 127 Karsten Kroon (HOL) 128 Steve Morabito (SUI) 129 Mauro Santambrogio (ITA)

131 Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) 132 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (ESP) 133 Kevin De Weert (BEL) 134 Dries Devenyns (BEL) 135 Jérôme Pineau (FRA) 136 Francesco Reda (ITA) 137 Kevin Seeldrayers (BEL) 138 Jurgen Van De Walle (BEL) 139 Maarten Wijnants (BEL)

Team Milram

141 Linus Gerdemann (GER) 142 Gerald Ciolek (GER) 143 Johannes Fröhlinger (GER) 144 Roger Kluge (GER) 145 Christian Knees (GER) 146 Luke Roberts (AUS) 147 Thomas Rohregger (AUT) 148 Niki Terpstra (HOL) 149 Fabian Wegmann (GER)

Bbox Bouygues Telecom

151 Thomas Voeckler (FRA) 152 Yukiya Arashiro (JAP) 153 Anthony Charteau (FRA) 154 Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA) 155 Cyril Gautier (FRA) 156 Pierre Rolland (FRA) 157 Matthieu Sprick (FRA) 158 Sébastien Turgot (FRA) 159 Nicolas Vogondy (FRA)

Caisse d'Epargne

161 Luis León Sánchez Gil (ESP) 162 Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (POR) 163 Imanol Erviti Ollo (ESP) 164 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (ESP) 165 Vasili Kiryienka (BLR) 166 Christophe Moreau (FRA) 167 Mathieu Perget (FRA) 168 Ruben Plaza Molina (ESP) 169 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (ESP)

Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne

171 Rein Taaramae (EST) 172 Stéphane Auge (FRA) 173 Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) 174 Julien El Farès (FRA) 175 Christophe Kern (FRA) 176 Sébastien Minard (FRA) 177 Amaël Moinard (FRA) 178 Damien Monier (FRA) 179 Rémi Pauriol (FRA)

Euskaltel - Euskadi

181 Samuel Sánchez (ESP) 182 Inaki Isasi (ESP) 183 Egoi Martinez (ESP) 184 Juan Jose Oroz (ESP) 185 Alan Perez (ESP) 186 Ruben Perez (ESP) 187 Amets Txurruka (ESP) 188 Iban Velasco (ESP) 189 Gorka Verdugo (ESP)

191 Denis Menchov (RUS) 192 Lars Boom (HOL) 193 Oscar Freire (ESP) 194 Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) 195 Robert Gesink (HOL) 196 Koos Moerenhout (HOL) 197 Grischa Niermann (ALL) 198 Bram Tankink (HOL) 199 Maarten Tjallingii (HOL)

Lampre-Farnese Vini

201 Damiano Cunego (ITA) 202 Grega Bole (SLO) 203 Mauro Da Dalto (ITA) 204 Francesco Gavazzi (ITA) 205 Danilo Hondo (ALL) 206 Mirco Lorenzetto (ITA) 207 Adriano Malori (ITA) 208 Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) 209 Simon Spilak (SLO)

Footon-Servetto

211 Eros Capecchi (ITA) 212 Jose Alberto Benitez Roman (ESP) 213 Manuel Cardoso (ESP) 214 Arkaitz Duran Daroca (ESP) 215 Markus Eibegger (AUT) 216 Fabio Felline (ITA) 217 Iban Mayoz Echeverria (ESP) 218 Aitor Perez Arrieta (ESP) 219 Rafael Valls Ferri (ESP)

March 30, the Tour announced those teams receiving invitations:

The organisers of the Tour de France, that will take place from 3rd to 25th July 2010, have selected the 22 teams that will start the race in Rotterdam on Saturday 3rd July.

The 16 teams hereunder have been selected in compliance with the agreement passed with the International Cycling Union (UCI) in September 2008:

Germany Team Milram Belgium Quick Step Omega Pharma – Lotto Denmark Team Saxo Bank Spain Caisse d’Epargne Euskaltel – Euskadi Footon – Servetto USA Team HTC-Columbia France AG2R La Mondiale BBox Bouygues Telecom Cofidis, le Crédit en ligne Française des Jeux Italy Lampre – Farnese Liquigas - Doimo Kazakhstan Astana The Netherlands Rabobank

6 other teams have been invited by the organisers in order to compete on the 97th Tour de France:

USA Garmin - Transitions Team RadioShack BMC Racing Team Great Britain Team Sky Russia Katusha Team Switzerland Cervélo Test Team

From 2011 on, in compliance with the agreement passed between the organisers of the main Tours and the International Cycling Union (UCI), the first 17 teams of the world ranking established at the end of 2010, according to the sporting results of the teams, will be automatically selected. The other teams will receive wild cards from the organisers.

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Laurent Fignon, Gruff French Cyclist, Dies at 50

By Frank Litsky and Samuel Abt

Aug. 31, 2010

PARIS Laurent Fignon , one of France’s greatest and most enigmatic cyclists, who won the Tour de France in back-to-back years before losing the event in 1989 to the American Greg LeMond in the race’s closest finish, died here on Tuesday. He was 50.

His death was confirmed by the French cycling federation. In April 2009, Fignon, who lived in Paris, learned that he had advanced cancer of the digestive tract and that it had spread to his lungs.

From 1982 to 1993, Fignon won more than 75 races and earned as much as $900,000 a year. His victories included the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy) in 1989 and the Milan to San Remo Classic in 1988 and 1989. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and ’84. But as he said years after the 1989 race, “Nobody talks about the two Tours I won, only about the one I lost.”

The 107-year-old Tour de France , the world’s premier bicycle race, lasts three weeks. In 1989, it covered 3,285 miles, including the final day’s 15.5-mile (25-kilometer) time trial from Versailles to Paris. At the start of the day, Fignon was the overall leader and LeMond was second, 50 seconds behind.

In a time trial, the riders start one by one. LeMond was the next-to-last starter and Fignon the last, starting two minutes apart. LeMond, helped by an aerodynamic helmet and new triathlon handlebars, kept up an almost superhuman pace in the time trial and averaged 33.8 miles (54.4 kilometers) an hour, still a Tour record.

Fignon, his blond ponytail blowing, could not match that pace, and LeMond won the trial by 33 seconds and the Tour by 8 seconds. The Tour director, Christian Prudhomme, speaking to The Associated Press, said of Fignon, “I remember that lost look in his eyes on the finish line at the Champs-Élysées, which contrasted with Greg LeMond’s indescribable joy.”

In 2003, a survey of Tour journalists, authors and former riders voted the time trial the Tour’s greatest race.

The defeat effectively ended Fignon’s career, though he did not retire until 1993.

In a statement after Fignon’s death, Lance Armstrong, the American seven-time Tour champion who has been treated for cancer, called Fignon a “dear friend” and “always a friendly face with words of advice.”

Yet as much as the French public adores its cycling stars, there was little love for Fignon. He was remote and brusque and could be willful, even arrogant, never reluctant to snatch victory away from deserving teammates in a race. He struck photographers, and ignored reporters and fans. Journalists awarded him their Prix Citron, the lemon prize for the least likable rider in the 1989 Tour.

“At least I won something,” he later said.

Fignon often alienated his fellow riders. In his 2009 autobiography, “We Were Young and Carefree,” published last year, he said drug use had been common among racers, an accusation many of them angrily denied. He admitted to having used cortisone, amphetamines and other drugs, and twice failed doping tests.

“In those days, everyone did it,” he wrote.

Fignon was born Aug. 12, 1960, in Paris. He rode his first race at 15 and won more than 50 races as an amateur. He won his first Tour in 1983, when he was not quite 23 and was known mainly as a lieutenant to his team leader, Bernard Hinault , who could not seek his fifth Tour victory that year because of tendinitis in his right knee. Fignon later taunted Hinault when Hinault became his main rival on another team.

Fignon was the rare rider to wear glasses then and to read books. Having spent a term in veterinary school “college” to most others in the bicycle racing world he was nicknamed the Professor.

That changed to the Playboy after he won the Tour and began showing up at late-night discos, cocktail parties and celebrity ski weekends.

In later years, he organized semiclassic one-day races and then operated the Paris-Nice race for a few years. Bicycles were marketed under his name. Most recently, he opened a hotel in the foothills of the Pyrenees and was a commentator at bicycle races for France 2 television. During the last Tour de France, he sounded weakened by his illness his voice gravelly, sometimes a whisper but characteristically grumpy and perceptive.

He is survived by his wife, Valerie, whom he married in 2008; a son, Jeremy; and a daughter, Tiphaine, from a previous marriage.

Fignon spoke openly about his illness, saying in interviews that he suspected his drug use as an athlete had led to the cancer. Last January, he told the magazine Paris Match: “I do not want to die at 50 years. I love life, love to laugh, travel, read, eat well like a good Frenchman. I’m not afraid of death. I just do not want it.”

Samuel Abt reported from Paris; Frank Litsky from New York.

Tour de France 2010: Stage 1

January 1 - July 25, Rotterdam, France, Road - GT

Stage One of the Tour takes us through the Netherlands to Brussels, Belgium. Along the way the peloton will expereince the sea-side roads – will the wind play a role today?

Good morning and welcome back to the Tour de France. After yesterday's exciting prologue, things really get underway today, with 223.5 kilometers from Rotterdam to Brussels. Part of the route goes along the North Sea, so we may see wind echelons come into action. But in the end it will probably come down to a mass sprint.

We have a long neutral section this morning, and the riders are now all obediently following the race car.

Two riders are missing today. Mathias Frank (BMC) and Manuel Cardoso (Footon) both crashed heavily yesterday and are out. Cardoso is suffering from a broken jaw and shoulder blade.

Mathias Frank of BMC Racing Team went down on the wet course and crossed the finish line dripping blood all over the place. But the worst of his problems turned out to be a broken right thumb, a torn muscle in his left thigh and a badly cut lip. Not a nice way to end your debut Tour de France.

The sun is shining! What a pleasant surprise! It is only supposed to get up to 25° Celsius today. But there may well be lot of wind blowing off the North Sea....

The peloton is on the Erasmus Bridge, which is full of fans. An incredible turnout.

We seem to be having some sort of ceremony on the bridge. The peloton has stopped, there is a platform. Perhaps we will have the "official" start here.

Now we hear the French national anthem.

What is today's profile like? Well, flat is the word that comes to mind. Lots of flat.

The riders are looking a bit confused about the whole ceremony, and no doubt are itching to get on their bikes and going again.

And they are off again!

Cancellara is at the head of the field, in his yellow outfit. Next to him is Lance Armstrong.

Fränk Schleck and Christian Vande Velde have a little chat.

The bikes of a number of riders were scanned for illegal motors. Everyone passed the test. And “everyone” was: A. Schleck, Cancellara, Fuglsang, Armstrong, Wiggins, Flecha, Boasson Hagen, Basso, Zabriskie, T. Martin, Monfort, Vogondy, L. L. Sanchez, and Costa.

The race has started officially now, and Lars Boom of Rabobank takes off about one-half of a second later.

1km remaining from 223km

Maarten Wynants of QuickStep and Alan Perez of Euskaltel are with him. They have a nice little lead.

A few people turned out in Rotterdam to watch the prologue yesterday – a few hundred thousand, that is. Authorities estimate that 400,000 to 450,000 were along the course Satudray.

This trio is really moving fast. They already have a 1:20 gap on the field.

The field is happy to let these three go.

The gap has now leaped to over four minutes.

212km remaining from 223km

And the gap hits the five minute mark.

Meanwhile the gap is over six minutes. Boom is our virtual leader.

At the start in Rotterdam, Daniel Benson spoke to world champion Cadel Evans about his ride in the prologue and his aim for the next few days. “It was medium, not bad not good. It was good to get things started. I would have preferred to have been a bit closer to the other GC contenders but it wasn’t to bad. The first thing now is to stay out of trouble.”

Daniel Benson also spoke to HTC head honcho, Bob Stapleton about Mark Cavendish’s chances for today. “I don’t have concerns about him. He’s the fastest he can be. I’m not nervous at all. I think he thrives on people that question him.”

And the gap is now seven minutes.

Martijn Maaskant of Garmin-Transitions jumps fom the peloton and tries to get away.

Ah, that is why Maaskant took off. He pulls over to teh side of the road and exchanges a number of hugs and kisses with family and friends.

Geraint Thomas (Sky) was the proud wearer of the British national champions jersey today in Rotterdam. It’s the first time he’s donned the kit but instead of a white jersey and shorts combo, he decided on black shorts. “It feels special. To represent your country and have this jersey on my back at the greatest race in the world is special. I wanted to keep it real and keep it old school. I prefer the black shorts.

Lots of people out on the beach, enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

Manuel Quinziato’s sole responsibility for the stage will be keep Roman Kreuziger and Ivan Basso out of trouble. Daniel Benson spoke with him at the start. “We’re going to have a few stressful days but we’re happy it’s sunny and there isn’t much wind. We’ll look to keep Roman and Ivan out of trouble. We don’t have any sprinters so the important thing for us is to get through the first few stages without having any problems. Later in the race, after the Alps, I can try and do something in a break, perhaps.”

For those of you playing our Easton-Cyclingnews Wheelset a Day Giveaway during the Tour de France, here is your trivia question for the day: Professional riders rack up thousands of miles a year in training. According to the team's own estimate, how many miles with BMC riders rack up this season?

Today's prize is an Easton EC90 Aero wheel set. Click here for information about the prize.

The gap has steadied now at right about seven minutes.

Tyler Farrar starts today as one of the favourites. Can he celebrate Independence Day with a win for his American team Garmin-Transitions. Daniel Benson spoke to team boss Jonathan Vaughters and asked if the team had finalised their leadout train yet.

Who is leading what ranking after those few kilometres yesterday? Here is the GC:

Not surpisingly, the points classification looks quite similar.

HTC-Columbia's Tony Martin is the white jersey of best young rider today.

And here is how the teams rank: 1 Team Radioshack 0:31:25 2 Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:01 3 Garmin - Transitions 0:00:02 4 Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:16 5 Astana 0:00:20

Which category is missing? Right, the mountain jersey. There were no climbs yesterday (or today) which are polka-dot worthy.

Adam Hansen of HTC--Columbia has gone down hard. There are fears he may have done something to a collarbone. Teammate Bert Grabsch is with him, helping to get the Australian back to the peloton.

Cancellara is trailing the field at the moment. It's not a problem, though. He like many others was simply answering the call of nature.

Tom Boonen was genuinely bummed not to be in the race today as he appeared outside the team bus this morning. "I didn't think it was going to be a problem being here, but it actually is," he told Cyclingnew s, still very disappointed not to be at the start of this year's Tour de France.

171km remaining from 223km

The gap has gone up again, to 7:26.

170km remaining from 223km

Hansen is back in the peloton at last. Hope he is all right.

QuickStep's Sylvain Chavanel talked to Hedwig Kröner before the stage. “To be putting a guy in a breakaway today would just be suicidal. I believe there are much more chances tomorrow.”

We now hear that it was Mark Renshaw who helped Hansen back to the peloton and not Grabsch.

David Mlilar, Ivan Basso and others have crashed. As far as we know they are all up and going again. Apparently a dog ran onto the road and brought them down.

Basso has four helpers to bring him back to the peloton, but first he needs a new bike.

Millar has attached himself to the Liquigas group moving up through the team cars.

Huge crowds here! Looks like a mountain stage!

The number of people here along the road is really staggering. The Dutch love their cycling!

So who are these three in the break group?

Lars Boom is a 24-year-old Dutchman with Rabobank, making his Tour debut. He has excellent credentials, having been world U23 time trial champ in 2007 and both road and time trial national champ in 2008.

He has been successful on the road, too. Last year he won the overall title in the Tour of Belgium, and took a stage in the Vuelta a Espana. So far this year he has won a stage at Paris-Nice.

Hansen is with the peloton, but continues to hang about 3 metres behind it.

Wynants, 28, is a Belgian riding for QuickStep. He joined them in 20087, having previously ridden for Chocolade Jacques-T Interim. He was U23 road champion in 2004. This is his maiden Tour de France.

156km remaining from 223km

The gap is dropping slightly, now at 6:48.

Alan Perez Lezaun of Euskaltel-Euskadi is 27 years old. He turned pro with Orbea in 2005, and joined his current team in 2007. This is his second Tour.

150km remaining from 223km

Millar is still having bike issues stemming from his earlier crash. He gets a new bike and is back in the peloton.

The gap continues to fall, and is now nearing six minutes.

Boom takes the first intermediate sprint, ahead of Perez and Wynants. They did not contest for the points.

This is the fifth time that the Tour has started in the Netherlands. The others were Amsterdam (1954), Scheveningen (1973), Leiden (1978) and 's-Hertogenbosch (1966).

146km remaining from 223km

The gap continues to come down, now at 5:34.

Hansen drops back again and again. The team doctor has told letour.fr that they suspect his collarbone is broken, but they are allowing him to continue in this stage as long as he can. It will be off to hospital directly afterwards.

Once again, huge crowds along the roadside.

140km remaining from 223km

The gap is really plummeting now. It is approaching the three minute mark.

Basso drops back to the team car -- apparently just for a chat.

Very interesting. Basso shows us how to change a shoe whilst riding the Tour de France..... He does get a certain amount of help from the team car.

Saxo Bank leads the peloton.

Basso has been escorted back to the peloton.

Where do the riders in this race come from? All over the place. The most-represented country is, believe it or not, France, with 35 riders. Spain is in a close second place, with 31 riders, followed by Italy (17), Germany (15), Belgium (13) and Australia (12).

Hansen continues to hang out by the race doctor and his team car.

Team Sky head coach Shane Sutton has spoken to Eurosport television about Bradley Wiggins' prologue performance. Sutton is in the second Team Sky car in the race convoy.

125km remaining from 223km

The break is now entering the feed zone and collecting their lunch.

The riders have now covered 100km of the first stage. That leaves 123.5km to go. The race route changes direction slightly, heading towards Belgium. The riders will be pleased to have more of a tailwind for a while.

The peloton is now in the feed zone. The pace has dropped as riders grab their musette, throw them over their shoulders and begin to see what's for lunch. Probably small sandwiches, bars and gels for the second half of the race. Bon Appetit!

The break has earned a few extra seconds as the trio work hard together.

The Dutch roads are flanked by bike paths and so we've seen plenty of the public trying to ride next to the riders. There was one young fella there, riding on the back of his dad's bike.

110km remaining from 223km

Nicholas Roche (Ag2r-La Mondiale) is getting treatment from the race doctor. He seems to have taken a tumble but has no serious injuries.

Dave Millar (Garmin-Transitions) has stopped next to his team car. He seems to be resolving a problem with his race radio. Now a small adjustment to his rear brake from the team, helping him get back to the peloton. Millar is wearing the green points jersey today.

Sergio Paulinho of RadioSHack dros back to pick up some water bottles.

Two riders from the peloton went for a spin on the neighboring bike path. They soon realized that wasn't such a good idea and got back on the road.

A handful of riders debuted new aerodynamic helmets in yesterday's prologue. They have shorter tails and a removable visor. Details here.

A mass nature break for the peloton!

Caisse d'Epargne and HTC-Columbia now have riders at the head of the peloton.

Armstrong and teammates are near the back of the field, but now moving up.

Cancellara and Fränk Schleck are also at the back of the field.

99km remaining from 223km

The gap has crept up to nearly five minutes again.

Bradley Wiggins of Sky stops for some work on his bike. A teammate is with him to bring him back up to the front.

Brent Bookwalter of BMC finished 11th in the prologue, not as good as his second-place finish in the Giro opener, but still quite good. “My ride was okay, but it wasn't blistering,” he told Cyclingnews .

93km remaining from 223km

Matt White of Garmin has confirmed that Millar wasn't injured earlier in the crash, but that his bike is still having some issues.

HTC-Columbia, Garmin-Transitions, and Cervelo all have a rider at the head of the field. Saxo Bank is right behind them.

89km remaining from 223km

The gap is coming down again, to just over four minutes.

The leading trio drives through another section with many fans, who are happy to cheer on their landsman Boom.

Rinaldo Nocentini of AG2R was just by the team car and looks quite misshapen. His jersey and pockets are stuffed full with water bottles and gels and other yummy things.

Jens Voigt is also picking u some bidons from his Team Saxo Bank car.

HTC-Columbia's Tony Martin came oh-so-close to winning the prologue. "In the first minutes, I was very disappointed, as I had realistic hope of getting the yellow jersey," Martin told Cyclingnews after the podium ceremony . "But then, I expected Fabian to show off a great performance here again today; in the end I'm happy about my second place.”

The three leaders go through a town, whose entire population seems to be out cheering and clapping.

WE don't want to sound like a broken record, but we are stunned by the number of fans out along the road today.

Dries Devenyns of Quick Step took a tumble, but is up and going again quickly.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) spoke to Eurosport television before the start of the stage. He was pleased with his seventh place in yesterday's prologue.

Adam Hansen seems to be feeling better. He is now up at the front of the field.

Further ahead, Boom is starting to do some stretching on the bike.

This is Farrar's second Tour de France and he insisted he was relaxed before the first sprint stage.

The leading trio movs into Belgium, with the sidewalks full of cheering fans.

They approach the second intermediate sprint of the stage.

The point went to Wynants ahead of Perez and Boom.

Mathieu Peget of Caisse d'Epargne is the next to visit the race doctor's car.

70km remaining from 223km

The Belgian streets are still line with fans, enjoying both the Tour and the beautiful weather.

Down goes the gap again, to just over two minutes.

Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank was the big loser of the day yesterday, losing 1:09 on the stage, and he was very upset with himself after his poor performance. “I had a real shit day!” he twittered.

Looks like we had another crash in the field, but it all moved along again quickly. A Milram rider went down and then a handful of others tumbled too.

The leaders went through the final intermediate sprint. Perez won this won, so each of the three has taken one today.

Alessandro Ballan of BMC was one of those who went down, and he is still shaking it off and looking rather disgusted.

Ballan is now getting his turn at the doctor's car. He has his left arm and leg sprayed.

The peloton has arrived in Antwerp.

59km remaining from 223km

And down comes the gap again, under two minutes.

In fact the lead is now barely over a minute and a half.

Lampre has also moved towards the front of the field. They, too, have a sprinter who can win today.

Cancellara took home his fifth Tour de France stage win, and admitted he has a secret weapon. “ The engine, that's me,” he said.

The riders are still wending their way through Antwerp.

53km remaining from 223km

The peloton is taking its tie now, and the gap has gone back up to 1:50. Don't want to catch those escapees too early now, do we?

Bob Stapleton told Cylingnews that he held talks with Bjarne Riis about a possiblity of merging their two teams, but that it came to nothing.

48km remaining from 223km

Liquigas has moved up to help with the lead work, as has Sky.

A Sky rider is trying to break form the field. It is Serge Pauwels.

Once again the three leaders drive through a town with the sidewalks full of fans.

The gap is holding steady at just under two minutes.

David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) was one of the few to be happy about the wet weather. "But it is my strongest point to ride fast when it rains. However, I had in my mind that I crashed earlier this year during the time trial of the Tour of Algarve. But today, when I raced, the road wasn't slippery at all. It was a very nice road and a great course."

Robbie McEwen knows all about the finish today in Brussels. He's won the Paris-Brussels classic four times.

Pauwels wasn't trying to get away, he was just making a short visit to his family on the side of the road. He is back in the field now.

36km remaining from 223km

There are lots of traffic islands and things in the road here.

We now hear that the Milram rider who went down earlier was Thomas Rohregger. He has paid a short visit to the race doctor and is ok.

We now see RadioShack at the head of the field.

34km remaining from 223km

The gap is now down to 1:24.

33km remaining from 223km

Now the gap has reached the one minute mark.

Omega Pharma-Lotto is doing its share of lead work now.

Wynants takes off, with Boom behind him.

Perez can join the other two, but their gap is now only 27 seconds.

Wynants has taken off on his own.

Freire hs punctured and must work his way up alone through the team cars.

Alexander Pliuschin has broken from the field and has joined Wylandts.

197km remaining from 223km

The two leaders have a minimal advantage.

Freire finally found two teammates to help pull him back up.

23km remaining from 223km

The two have built up their lead slightly, it is now over half a minute.

Pliuschin attacks but can't get rid of Wynants.

Hansen is still hanging on at the end of the field.

22km remaining from 223km

And the gap continues to grow, up to 46 seconds.

20km remaining from 223km

The gap is nearly a minute now. Will we have a mass sprint finish or will these two make it to the end alone?

If there is one man who knows something about sprinting in the Tour de France, it is Erik Zabel. And he thinks sprinter Mark Cavendish is going to do well at this Tour, starting today. Read more of the German's comments here.

17km remaining from 223km

The peloton is moving along at a good clip now. The sprinters' teams don't want to let this chance slip away.

Christian Knees of Milram, the GErman national champion, has moved to the head of the field. He is riding for sprinter Gerald Ciolek.

There's a Garmin at the head of the field, but we see lots of HTC-Columbia behind him.

Incredible how Wynants can still hold on like this. He has been at the head of things from the word go today.

13km remaining from 223km

42 seconds left. Will these two be chomped up by the fast moving mob on the last km?

Or sooner? The gap is only 25 seconds.....

Johan Van Summeren of Garmn has done much of the chase lead work.

The two leaders refuse to bow to destiny and pick up their speed. It doesn't help, the gap is 15 seconds.

9km remaining from 223km

An HTC-Columbia rider now at the head, really pushing the pace.

Wynants looks back and sees the peloton getting closer and closer.

8km remaining from 223km

And that was it! The break is over.

A Lampre rider ahead, with HTC-Columbia, Garmin also to be seen.

7km remaining from 223km

The sprinters' teams start taking up positions.

The peloton is spread across this wide road, taking up the whole surface.

Millar moves up to help Farrar.

Hansen won't be helping Cavendish today. He is at the wrong end of the peloton.

Lampre still leads.

all the big names are up there: Petacchi, Freire, Ciolek, Hushovd, McEwen, Cavendish....

A crash at the sharp right hand turn!

Four or five top riders were down: petacchi, cavendish, Freire

That changes everything!

HTC still leads the way. Will they ride for Renshaw?

Another mass crash! The road is blocked!

Maybe 30 riders still going. And another crash!

Petacchi takes it! So he wasn't involved in that earlier crash.

They are still untangling themselves from teh big crash. Farrar went down at some point land now walks to the finish line.

They riders are coming over the finish line in groups The Schlecks and Cancellara come to the finish line only now.

Second place went to Renshaw and third to Hushovd.

We don't know of any injuries from these crashes, and hope of course that there are none.

We really do not such endings to stages and races. A very sad way to decide a winner.

Petacchi rejoiced when he crossed the finish line, but now looks more thoughtful than overjoyed.

All the riders will be given the time of the winner, since the crashes happened so close to the finish. There are no changes in the GC, either.

That was it for today. Thanks for reading along. Please join us again tomorrow, and let's hope for a crash-free stage!

1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 5:09:38 2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 5 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux 6 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:02 7 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 8 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 9 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 10 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto

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Tour de France 2010: Official start list

Tour de France organiser ASO has released the official start list, complete with rider numbers, for this year's race.

Last year's winner Alberto Contador (Astana) will wear the number one plate in the opening prologue time trial in Rotterdam on Saturday.

A total of 22 teams of nine riders will take part in the race, bringing the number of participants up to 198.

The 2010 Tour de France starts in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday, July 3, and finishes in Paris on Sunday, July 25.

ASTANA (AST) KAZ

Sporting Manager : MARTINELLI Giuseppe

001 CONTADOR Alberto ESP

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002 DE LA FUENTE David ESP

003 GRIVKO Andriy UKR

004 HERNANDEZ BLAZQUEZ Jesus ESP

005 IGLINSKIY Maxim KAZ

006 NAVARRO Daniel ESP

007 NOVAL GONZALEZ Benjamin ESP

008 TIRALONGO Paolo ITA

009 VINOKOUROV Alexandre KAZ

TEAM SAXO BANK (SAX) DEN

Sporting Manager : SCHMIDT Torsten

011 SCHLECK Andy LUX

012 BRESCHEL Matti DEN

013 CANCELLARA Fabian SUI

014 FUGLSANG Jakob DEN

015 O'GRADY Stuart AUS

016 SCHLECK Frank LUX

017 SORENSEN Chris DEN

018 SORENSEN Nicki DEN

019 VOIGT Jens GER

TEAM RADIOSHACK (RSH) USA

Sporting Manager : BRUYNEEL Johan

021 ARMSTRONG Lance USA

022 BRAJKOVIC Janez SLO

023 HORNER Christopher USA

024 KLÖDEN Andréas GER

025 LEIPHEIMER Levi USA

026 MURAVYEV Dmitriy KAZ

027 PAULINHO Sergio POR

028 POPOVYCH Yaroslav UKR

029 RAST Gregory SUI

SKY PRO CYCLING (SKY) GBR

Sporting Manager : YATES Sean

031 WIGGINS Bradley GBR

032 BARRY Michaël CAN

033 CUMMINGS Stephen GBR

034 FLECHA Juan Antonio ESP

035 GERRANS Simon AUS

036 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald NOR

037 LÖVKVIST Thomas SWE

038 PAUWELS Serge BEL

039 THOMAS Geraint GBR

LIQUIGAS-DOIMO (LIQ) ITA

Sporting Manager : ZANATTA Stefano

041 BASSO Ivan ITA

042 BELLOTTI Francesco ITA

043 KOREN Kristjan SLO

044 KREUZIGER Roman CZE

045 KUCHYNSKI Aleksandr BLR

046 OSS Daniel ITA

047 QUINZIATO Manuel ITA

048 SZMYD Sylvester POL

049 VANDBORG Brian DEN

GARMIN - TRANSITIONS (GRM) USA

Sporting Manager : WHITE Matthew

051 VANDEVELDE Christian USA

052 DEAN Julian NZL

053 FARRAR Tyler USA

054 HESJEDAL Ryder CAN

055 HUNTER Robert RSA

056 MAASKANT Martijn NED

057 MILLAR David GBR

058 VAN SUMMEREN Johan BEL

059 ZABRISKIE David USA

FRANCAISE DES JEUX (FDJ) FRA

Sporting Manager : BRICAUD Thierry

061 LE MEVEL Christophe FRA

062 CASAR Sandy FRA

063 DI GREGORIO Rémy FRA

064 GESLIN Anthony FRA

065 LADAGNOUS Matthieu FRA

066 ROUX Anthony FRA

067 ROY Jérémy FRA

068 SULZBERGER Wesley AUS

069 VAUGRENARD Benoît FRA

KATUSHA TEAM (KAT) RUS

Sporting Manager : PARSANI Serge

071 KARPETS Vladimir RUS

072 BRUTT Pavel RUS

073 IVANOV Serguei RUS

074 KOLOBNEV Alexandr RUS

075 MC EWEN Robbie AUS

076 PLIUSCHIN Alexandr MDA

077 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin ESP

078 VANDENBERGH Styn BEL

079 VORGANOV Eduard RUS

AG2R LA MONDIALE (ALM) FRA

Sporting Manager : LAVENU Vincent

081 ROCHE Nicolas IRL

082 BOUET Maxime FRA

083 CHAMPION Dimitri FRA

084 ELMIGER Martin SUI

085 GADRET John FRA

086 LE LAY David FRA

087 MONDORY Lloyd FRA

088 NOCENTINI Rinaldo ITA

089 RIBLON Christophe FRA

CERVELO TEST TEAM (CTT) SUI

Sporting Manager : VAN POPPEL Jean-Paul

091 SASTRE Carlos ESP

092 FLORENCIO Xavier ESP

093 GUSTOV Volodymir UKR

094 HUNT Jérémy GBR

095 HUSHOVD Thor NOR

096 KLIER Andreas GER

097 KONOVALOVAS Ignatas LTU

098 LANCASTER Brett Daniel AUS

099 LLOYD Daniel GBR

OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO (OLO) BEL

Sporting Manager : FRISON Herman

101 VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen BEL

102 AERTS Mario BEL

103 DE GREEF Francis BEL

104 DELAGE Mickael FRA

105 LANG Sebastian GER

106 LLOYD Matthew AUS

107 MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel ESP

108 ROELANDTS Jürgen BEL

109 WEGELIUS Charles GBR

HTC - COLUMBIA (THR) USA

Sporting Manager : HOLM Brian

111 CAVENDISH Mark GBR

112 EISEL Bernhard AUT

113 GRABSCH Bert GER

114 HANSEN Adam AUS

115 MARTIN Tony GER

116 MONFORT Maxime BEL

117 RENSHAW Mark AUS

118 ROGERS Michael AUS

119 SIVTSOV Kanstantsin BLR

BMC RACING TEAM (BMC) USA

Sporting Manager : LELANGUE John

121 EVANS Cadel AUS

122 BALLAN Alessandro ITA

123 BOOKWALTER Brent USA

124 BURGHARDT Marcus GER

125 FRANK Mathias SUI

126 HINCAPIE George USA

127 KROON Karsten NED

128 MORABITO Steve SUI

129 SANTAMBROGIO Mauro ITA

QUICK STEP (QST) BEL

Sporting Manager : PEETERS Wilfried

131 CHAVANEL Sylvain FRA

132 BARREDO Carlos ESP

133 DE WEERT Kevin BEL

134 DEVENYNS Dries BEL

135 PINEAU Jérôme FRA

136 REDA Francesco ITA

137 SEELDRAYERS Kevin BEL

138 VAN DE WALLE Jurgen BEL

139 WYNANTS Maarten BEL

TEAM MILRAM (MRM) GER

Sporting Manager : GRABSCH Ralf

141 GERDEMANN Linus GER

142 CIOLEK Gerald GER

143 FRÖHLINGER Johannes GER

144 KLUGE Roger GER

145 KNEES Christian GER

146 ROBERTS Luke AUS

147 ROHREGGER Thomas AUT

148 TERPSTRA Niki NED

149 WEGMANN Fabian GER

BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM (BTL) FRA

Sporting Manager : ROUS Didier

151 VOECKLER Thomas FRA

152 ARASHIRO Yukiya JPN

153 CHARTEAU Anthony FRA

154 FEDRIGO Pierrick FRA

155 GAUTIER Cyril FRA

156 ROLLAND Pierre FRA

157 SPRICK Matthieu FRA

158 TURGOT Sébastien FRA

159 VOGONDY Nicolas FRA

CAISSE D'EPARGNE (GCE) ESP

Sporting Manager : LEDANOIS Yvon

161 SANCHEZ Luis-Leon ESP

162 FARIA DA COSTA Rui Alberto POR

163 ERVITI Imanol ESP

164 GUTIERREZ José Ivan ESP

165 KIRYIENKA Vasil BLR

166 MOREAU Christophe FRA

167 PERGET Mathieu FRA

168 PLAZA MOLINA Ruben ESP

169 ROJAS Jose Joaquin ESP

COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE (COF) FRA

Sporting Manager : VAN LONDERSELE Francis

171 TAARAMAE Reine EST

172 AUGE Stéphane FRA

173 DUMOULIN Samuel FRA

174 EL FARES Julien FRA

175 KERN Christophe FRA

176 MINARD Sébastien FRA

177 MOINARD Amaël FRA

178 MONIER Damien FRA

179 PAURIOL Rémi FRA

EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI (EUS) ESP

Sporting Manager : GONZALEZ GALDEANO Igor

181 SANCHEZ Samuel ESP

182 ISASI Inaki ESP

183 MARTINEZ Egoi ESP

184 OROZ Juan José ESP

185 PEREZ LEZAUN Alan ESP

186 PEREZ MORENO Ruben ESP

187 TXURRUKA Amets ESP

188 VELASCO Ivan ESP

189 VERDUGO Gorka ESP

RABOBANK (RAB) NED

Sporting Manager : VAN HOUWELINGEN Adri

191 MENCHOV Denis RUS

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Tour de France 2010, Stage 16: Lance Armstrong Narrowly Misses Stage Win In What Was Likely Final Chance

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Lance Armstrong, riding in his final Tour de France, was part of a nine-man breakaway in Tuesday's Stage 16, a 118-mile ride through the Pyrenees that featured four brutal climbs, including two first-categories and another two that were "beyond categorization" (highlighted perhaps by the Tour's first visit to the Col du Tourmalet ).

The tough day culminated in a sprint finish in Pau, with Armstrong digging for the win in the final few hundred meters, but he just did not have enough left in the tank as French cyclist Pierrick Fedrigo (team Bbox Bouygues) took the stage victory.

Armstrong finished in sixth place. It was France's sixth stage win in this year's Tour .

The race's tribute to the original stage through the Pyrenees 100 years ago took them over four major climbs today, but none within 60km of the finish, so the main contenders rode comfortably in a large group containing all but the vertically challenged. Unsurprisingly, Green Jersey leader Alessandro Petacchi was among those riding in the Autobus, while Thor Hushovd was not, winning the sprint for tenth place and six valuable points. He'll start Thursday all decked out in green.

Armstrong attacked from the beginning of the stage and for most of the day looked like the man who won seven consecutive Tours. But in the end, the 38-year old, vying to become the second-oldest stage winner ever, just had nothing left.

Overall, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, a day after the Spaniard took the yellow jersey, crossed together in the peloton, setting up for what should be an epic Stage 17 on Thursday (after Wednesday's rest day).

General Classification After Stage 16:

1. Alberto Contador, Astana 2. Andy Schleck, Saxo Bank(+ 00:08) 3. Sammy Sanchez, Euskaltel-Euskadi (+ 02:00) 4. Denis Menchov, Rabobank (+ 02:13) 5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Omega Pharma-Lotto (+ 03:39)

7. Levi Leipheimer, Radioshack (+ 05:25) 25. Lance Armstrong, Radioshack (+ 33:46)

Wednesday is a rest day in the 2010 Tour de France, giving the riders a chance to recharge and plan their strategy for Thursday's Stage 17 -- the Queen stage (the most difficult stage) -- and its four climbs . It begins with a small four-category ascent up the Cote de Renoir and then heads into a pair of category-one climbs -- the Col de Marie-Blanque and the Col du Soulor -- before a second attack up the the Col du Tourmalet, a no category climb that ends with a summit finish.

For more, visit our cycling blog, Podium Cafe , for all things Tour de France.

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In a final bid for Tour de France glory, Lance Armstrong had everything going for him—almost.

Bill Strickland is the Rider-in-Chief of Bicycling . His equal passions for cycling and writing have led to the books Ten Points: A Memoir ; Tour de Lance: The Extraordinary Story of Cycling’s Most Controversial Champion ; Mountain Biking: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Ride ; and The Quotable Cyclist . His Bicycling story, “100 Pedal Strokes” won a National Magazine Award for Interactive Feature in 2008. In 2009, he assigned and edited the story “Broken,” which won the National Magazine Award for Public Interest. “The Escape,” the December, 2011, edition of his Bicycling magazine column The Pursuit, was named a Notable story by The Best American Sports Writing . Various editions of his books have been translated into Dutch, German, Hebrew, and Japanese. He uses commas by rhythm and sound, which is a terrible way to do it but makes him happy.

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Tour de France 2010: Lance Armstrong rejoins the ranks of the mortals

T he young American lay on his narrow bunk in a scruffy ski-station hotel with pain in his legs and a dull anger in his eyes. Two days earlier, in the flat lands of northern France, he had been pretty pleased with himself when he became the youngest rider of the modern era to win a stage of the Tour. Now, after a 203km ride into the high Alps, he had learnt what being a Tour rider really meant.

"I was hurting today. It's a strange feeling ... a complete emptiness," the 21-year-old Lance Armstrong said that evening, agreeing to a conversation with some reluctance after his soigneur had tried to massage the aches away.

He paused before trying to describe the experience of confronting the series of climbs with which the stage had culminated before the finish line. "It's demoralising when you see a sign at the bottom that says '21km to the summit'. They just keep on coming – boom, boom, boom. I didn't even get the chance to go hard. I was just too wasted. Tomorrow may be my last day. I don't want to kill myself."

The next day was indeed his last on the 1993 Tour. Phil Anderson and Sean Yates, his Motorola team‑mates, nursed him through another mountain stage, from Serre Chevalier to Isola 2000, but when the riders reported for the start of the next day's run down to Marseille he was no longer among them. What he had left behind was the impression of a young man using setbacks as the fuel for his ambition.

He became more animated as he spoke of his experience 11 months earlier at the Clásica San Sebastián, a one-day race. He arrived as the newly crowned Olympic champion but crashed several times in the rain and finished 111th and last, with the crowd's derision ringing in his head.

"I just remember those people laughing, which gives me another reason not to finish this race. I mean, I could finish it, but I want to be fit to go back to San Sebastián next month and get my revenge."

Then, his voice fading in the gloom, he stated a credo with which the world would become familiar. "I go to the start line," he told me, with what seemed like his last ounce of strength, "and look at the other guys and I say: 'Well, there's no way they want to win more than I do.' No way. Because I want to win more than anybody."

Today on the Champs-Elysées, he will again leave the Tour after failing to match his own expectations. This time there will be no return for a man who exploited that ambition, that rage, to make himself him one of the world's most famous and controversial athletes, in whose presence the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, visiting the Tour on Thursday and encountering the seven-time champion in front of the television cameras at the top of the Col du Tourmalet, looked almost overawed.

It was Bradley Wiggins who paid an eloquent tribute to Armstrong last week, having ridden alongside him through the mountains last year, when the Englishman finished in fourth place to Armstrong's third. Wiggins gave a rider's view of a man who continues to divide opinion inside and outside the sport.

On the one side are those worship him, not just for his historic victories after conquering cancer, but for his work in the worldwide battle against the disease; on the other are those who choose to believe the accusations made by Floyd Landis, a former team‑mate who was stripped of his own Tour victory in 2006. Landis recently gave details of what he alleges to have been a systematic doping regime surrounding the Texan in the days when they both rode in the colours of the US Postal Service, whose sponsorship – involving the use of public money – is now under federal investigation.

"I love him," Wiggins said. "I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense. Even his strongest critics have benefitted from him. I don't think this sport will ever realise what he's brought it or how big he's made it.

"Cycling was in the dark ages before he came along, in many ways. You only have to look at the support along the roads, compared to what it was 20 years ago. The majority of that is because of Lance Armstrong. Obviously he has his enemies and people among the fans who don't like him, but they've all benefitted from him and his existence on the Tour."

Last year's third place justified Armstrong's decision to return to the race four years after his retirement, but he has failed to make good on his promise to do better in 2010. Wiggins blames bad luck, particularly the American's fall on the Col de la Ramaz during Stage 8, for a performance that, barring accidents, will see him finish 23rd in the general classification in Paris today.

"You can't account for bad luck and that wiped him out of the Tour, really," he said. "Without that, you never know how he'd have got on. Look at his form coming into the race – he was second on the Tour de Suisse, up there with [Robert] Gesink and those guys. He'd certainly have been in the top 10."

That fall on the Ramaz, however, was only one of four such embarrassments, including a capsize in the neutral zone before the race had even started. In his prime, Armstrong seemed impervious to banal accidents and fortune's whims.

Perhaps it is better for everyone when heroes return to normal proportions before taking their final bow. For all his acquired celebrity and notoriety, for all the stardust and the sulphur, Armstrong has appeared more mortal during this Tour than at any time since his debut 17 years ago. And he leaves the race that made him famous with a past which continues to invite inspection.

Lance Armstrong
The Observer
Tour de France
Tour de France 2010

Sprint | Cluses (25.5 km)

Date: 13 July 2010
Start time: -
Avg. speed winner: 36.284 km/h
Race category: ME - Men Elite
Distance: 204.5 km
Points scale: GT.A.Stage
Parcours type:
ProfileScore: 264
Vert. meters: 5144
Departure: Morzine-Avoriaz
Arrival: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
Race ranking: 0
Startlist quality score: 1685
Won how: Sprint of small group
Avg. temperature:

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Froome reflects on racing vs. Pogačar, Vingegaard in his prime: 'It would have been interesting to have raced against them in my best years'

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Chris Froome reflected on his Tour de France career, and wondered how he would have fared against the likes of today’s superstars Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard at the peak of his powers.

The years are flying by, and Froome last won the final of his four yellow jerseys in 2017.

That year, Pogačar was racing as an unknown junior and Vingegaard was toiling anonymously as a fish-monger .

Speaking to Eurosport , Froome wondered out loud how he would have fared.

“It would have been really interesting to have raced against them in my best years,” Froome said. “It would have been interesting to see.”

At his prime, Froome and Team Sky ruled the Tour with ruthless efficiency across the decade of the 2010’s.

The once-mighty “Sky Train” plowed the opposition, and then set up Froome for high-voltage attack on the summits before drilling home the winning differences in the time trials.

Sound familiar?

Of the two between Pogačar and Vingegaard, the Dane is perhaps most similar to Froome in profile and racing style.

Backed by the “Killer Bees” at Visma-Lease a Bike, a team that can set the tempo Sky-style, Vingegaard packs the watts to drop everyone on the highest and steepest climbs, and then cements the gains against the clock.

In contrast, Pogačar races more aggressively , and he’s not afraid to uncork long-distance attacks to blow up a race. Sometimes that tactic can backfire against a disciplined and organized front, like it did in the Alps in 2022.

After the Slovenian barnstormed to back-to-back Tour titles, Vingegaard cracked the Pogačar code in 2022, and the Dane’s since won two in a row.

Froome, meanwhile, continues to be dogged by his brutal 2019 crash, and was overlooked for Tour selection by Israel Premier Tech last year.

Winning a 5th Tour ‘is always there as a dream’

How different is racing today from the Froome Era when he and Team Sky ruled the roads of France?

“It goes in waves. At the moment, it definitely seems to feel like a wave of the [Visma-Lease a Bike] team having won all the grand tours last year,” Froome said. “But cycling is a sport that’s always evolving, always changing, and there will always be new rivals coming up.”

Froome, 38, now freely admits that his days of swinging at the front of the bunch in the hunt for the yellow jersey are long gone.

Currently sidelined with a wrist injury from Tirreno-Adriatico, the Israel Premier Tech rider still holds out the dream of returning to the Tour, but he’s no longer expecting to beat up on the likes of Pogačar or Vingegaard.

“A fifth Tour de France for me is always there as a dream, but I think I’ve come to the reality now that returning to that level of really fighting for victory at the Tour de France is certainly going to be very, very difficult,” said Froome, who missed last year’s Tour selection.

“For me right now, I would just love to get back to the Tour de France,” he said. “Even if I’m there fighting in the mountains, potentially for another stage win, that would be amazing.”

One crash changed everything for Froome in 2019, and he’s seen other riders like Egan Bernal — who won the Tour in 2019 in what was the final yellow jersey in the Sky/Ineos Grenadiers domination — struggle to return to their best from equally devastating crashes.

“It definitely brought my grand tour challenging days to an end,” Froome said of his 2019 crash ahead of the Critérium du Dauphiné time trial. “I found it very difficult to come back to a competitive level.

“But on a more personal, human side, that crash took me months, if not even a full year, to try and recover from that. Just to learn to walk again, to walk normally without limping, took me over a year.

“It had a huge impact on me that crash,” Froome said. “It was really at the worst moment, just before the Tour de France. I was in fantastic shape, hoping to go and fight for the fifth victory at the Tour de France.”

‘I’m grateful to have a second chance’

Froome watched on in horror at the high-speed crash this month at Itzulia Basque Country that involved Tour de France favorites Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič, and Vingegaard, who are all recovering from a series of brutal injuries and face uncertain pathways toward the Tour.

“We’ve seen many serious accidents in the last weeks and months as well, where riders have broken several bones. Unfortunately, it’s a part of the sport,” Froome said. “But that’s life. That’s also part of the sport. It is a dangerous sport. These accidents do happen.

“[Mine] was a big crash, but I’m really glad to be back racing now and to have no pain. I feel extremely grateful to have another chance.”

Froome confirmed that he’s under contract with Israel Premier Tech through 2025, and dreams of returning to the Tour at least one more time.

Of the riders today, he said he’s most impressed with Pogačar.

“I think it’s very rare in this day and age to see one rider really dominating everything the way Eddy Merckx did back in his era,” he said.

“I think the sport’s just evolved so much and become so specific that it’s very hard for someone to be good over all types of terrain,” he said. “That’s one thing that Tadej Pogačar really impresses me in the sense that he’s able to win one-day classics like Flanders or Strade Bianche, and also be there challenging in the grand tours, so it’s very impressive.”

So who would have won in a showdown between the Sky Train and Froome at the peak of his powers versus today’s “Killer Bees” and Pogačar on a rampage?

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Jonas Vingegaard’s 2024 Tour de France Participation Uncertain After Injuries

Jonas Vingegaard's Tour de France defense is in jeopardy after a serious crash, casting doubt on his participation as the favorite for the 2024 race.

Vingegaard, 27, suffered fractures to his ribs and collarbone, along with a collapsed lung.
Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022 and was aiming for a third consecutive victory in 2024.
Other top contenders like Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel also sustained injuries in recent races.

The absence of Vingegaard could open up opportunities for other riders, potentially leading to a more unpredictable and competitive Tour de France.

Vingegaard is recovering from the injuries with an unknown timeline for his return, raising doubts about his readiness for the race.
Riders like Primoz Roglic, despite injuries, are still in contention, positioning themselves well for the upcoming Tour de France.

If Vingegaard is unable to compete, the Tour de France could see a more open field of contenders, making it challenging to predict a clear winner.

Vingegaard's potential absence due to the crash could shake up the Tour de France dynamics, offering a chance for other riders to seize victory in what might be a highly competitive and unpredictable race.

The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI

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