Slovakian champion Sagen storms to second win

Slovakian champion and green jersey holder Peter Sagen took his second victory with a win in stage 3 to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) held on for second over Peter Velits of Omega Pharma-QuickStep. A fourth place finish was sufficient to see RadioShack-Nissan's Fabian Cancellara hold on to his overall lead.

The final climb saw a large group going up for the win in a difficult situation. Oscar Freire of Katusha was squeezed as they made the dash for the line by a Vacansoleil rider, sparking a crash. Mostly contained on one side of the road it caused the hold up a number of riders already out of contention for the stage, but all were given the same time as the main bunch. Held up was Denis Menchov (Katusha), Bradley Wiggins and his Sky Procycling teammate Chris Froome who toppled the barriers but remained unhurt.

In a day marred by crashes, Garmin-Sharp suffered the worst luck of the peloton, although Ryder Hesjedal overcame a late-race puncture to regain the front group and ultimately finish the stage in 12th, while the rest of the team's climbers - Dan Martin, Christian Vande Velde and Tom Danielson, in addition to sprinter Tyler Farrar, were held up by a large crash in the final 20km and never regained the front of the race.

Team Sky lost one important helper in Kanstantsin Siutsou, who abandoned after a crash, as did Movistar's sprinter JJ Rojas.

Stage 4 sees the peloton travel 214.5km from Abbeville to Rouen. One of the longest stages in the Tour, this stage will pay tribute to Jacques Anquetil. The route emphasises the touristic aspect of the Tour by making its way down the Alabaster coast for a long time and enjoying its breathtaking landscapes and light effects.

Stage 2 (Vise - Tournai)

Thanks to guest writer James Clark-Grimshaw for providing today's stage report

The last Belgian stage of the 2012 tour, between Vise and Tournai, was always going to be a bunch sprint finish. It wasn't until 22 Kilometres into the days racing that the break was formed. The escape bid came from Roux (FDJ) who was then followed by Kern (EUC), who's child was born 2 hours prior to the team presentation in Liege, as well as the polka dot jersey Morkov, who further extended his points tally in the KOM classification by picking up the one and only point of the day.

In the intermediate sprint there was some big points for the sprinters to contend, with Matt Goss yet again taking the maximum for the riders in the peloton.

With around 30km left in the stage, the peloton had caught the bulk of the breakaway, only Anthony Roux staying out in front giving an impressive solo performance (Securing him the combative rider award for the day). With just 14km to go, the peloton reeled in the Frances Des Jeux rider winding up for a bunch sprint.

Each team had riders on the front, including BMC riding for Cadel Evans, trying to keep him out of harms way. Then Lotto Belisol came to the front of the peloton with Andre Greipel in tow. Once Greipel peeled off his leadout man, Greg Henderson, all was to play for. But with the world champion on his wheel it wasn't long before Cavendish had pulled past his former team mate to take the victory.

At the end of the day Cancellara finished safely in the bunch, keeping the yellow jersey. Also, Peter Sagan's 6th place gave him enough points to secure his first green jersey.

Spartacus takes prologue stage

The 99th Tour de France got off to a great start with a dominating win in the opening prologue by Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara. Rolling out of the start house second-to-last, the Swiss man affectionately known as Sparticus posted the best time by one-second at the mid-course check point and continued to ramp up his performance to claim the victory by seven-seconds. With the win comes the first Mailot Jaune, mirroring his win in 2004, also in Liège, Belgium, when he made his debut in the Tour de France with a prologue win and yellow jersey as a 23-year old.


Wiggins (Team Sky), looking to become the first Briton to win the Tour in three weeks' time, demonstrated his supreme form by pushing Cancellara close and taking an advantage of more than nine seconds over Evans, who finished 13th.  The 32-year-old Londoner, born in Ghent, Belgium, was denied the chance to become the fifth Briton to don the Mailot Jaune.  At the intermediate time check after 3.2km Wiggins, who was the 188th starter in a field of 198 riders, trailed by six seconds in 10th place.
 
Chavanel placed third, with Evans' team-mate TJ van Garderen fourth to take the best young rider's white jersey.  Wiggins' team mate, Chris Froome (Team Sky) finished in 7:29 to place 11th, while Commonwealth Games time-trial champion David Millar (Garmin-Sharp), who had been a doubt for his 11th Tour due to illness earlier this week, clocked 7:31 to place 16th.  Steve Cummings (BMC Racing) was a place behind in 17th. World time-trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) had to change bikes due to a mechanical problem and finished in 7:36 to place 45th.

Tomorrow's stage of 198.0km from Liège to Seraing is no leg breaker, but it still is bumpy enough to dampen the hopes of pure sprinters and may see Cavendish dropped before reaching Seraing. The course is less demanding than in 1995, when Bruyneel and Indurain blew the race apart on the road to Liège, but it comes very close to the Ardennes and, at 198 km, the stage distance is nothing to sneeze at.  This stage is designed to preserve the peloton's energy while setting the tone for the rest of the race. 

UCI World Championships 2011 get underway

For the first time since 1956 the UCI World Championships are being hosted by Denmark in the city of Copenhagen. Consisting of five time trial events and two road races, the World Championships are considered to be the most prestigious event in the UCI race calendar. With juniors competing with elite riders in the road races for the first time since 2004 the course route favours a bunch sprint finish for the coveted Rainbow Jersey.

The 266km course laps around the city with each lap ending in a slight uphill kick. The fairly flat course will favour a bunch sprint finish but the little kicks could lead to splintering of the pack so with everyone on guard it will take a brave effort to destabilise the pack as the toughest of the sprinters battle home to contest the victory.

Having scouted the course during the Tour of Denmark, Oscar Freire is the big Spanish hope for the men’s road race on Sunday , amongst a team of sprinters that has seen Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez left at home. Meanwhile Britain’s Mark Cavendish is looking to become only the second British rider to wear the Rainbow Jersey. Fellow HTC-Columbia team mate and key lead out man for the Grand Tours Mark Renshaw has been left off the Australian start-list in a move that has perplexed many. Having notched up 18 wins this season Phillipe Gilbert will be a big name to watch along with Thor Hushovd who showed fine form in the Tour de France.

After some fine performances in Europe, Australia’s Shara Gillow, 23, will be on the look out to take the Rainbow Jersey in the women’s road race. Topping the medal table in the last two World Championships, the Australian contingent are confident of strong another strong performance this year. Meanwhile Britain’s Nicole Cooke, who is no stranger to the World Championship podium having taken gold in 2008, and Emma Pooley, who will be defending her Time Trial jersey, are joined by 22 year old Lizzie Armisted who has sucessfully transferred from the track to road racing.

The Vuelta 2011 race preview

Saturday 20th marks the start of the 66th Vuelta e Espana. Starting in Benidorm with a 13.5km evening Team Time Trial and ending on September 11th in Madrid, the route of 3300km is a mix of 9 flat and 10 mountain stages. Six of the stages will end with summit finishes including the Angliru climb which returns after a 3 year absence. This year’s Vuelta promises to be hard and is sure to be dominated by the true climbers. However with many of the ‘plain’ stages providing opportunities for bunch finishes, there is sure to be a hot points competition as the sprinters fine tune their form ahead of the World Championships in Denmark in October. The first week will see them battle it out particularly on stage 3. Starting in the province of Alicante and finishing in Murcia, this stage is one of the shortest with just two cat 3 climbs.

While the Pyrenees does not feature in this year’s route, there is a return to the Basque region after a three decade absence. Following protests in 1978 that saw the course blocked the race has not returned before this edition. But with the Basque’s being lead by a non nationalist they have lobbied for this return and the final week will showcase this as the peloton travels from Bodegas Faustino (the start of stage 17) through to Vitoria-Gasteiz for the final showdown on stage 20.

With two mountain stages before the time trial and a second week that includes some of the toughest climbs as Folgueriiras of Aigas is climbed ahead of the Puerto de Ancares (stage 13) the day before the riders return to the region of Asturias after a two year absence to climb the La Farrapona right before the Alto de Angliru (stage 15) there are sure to be fireworks in the race for the Red Jersey. But there is no certainty that a leader will emerge in this second week that will safely carry the Jersey into Madrid at the end of the third week. The winding route of stage 17 could lead to a dangerous breakaway into the complicated Sía and Alisa mountain passes and this could shake up the GC. If times are close then the Puerto de Urquiola could prove to be the deciding factor on the penultimate stage.

The agony and the ecstasy: 3 weeks of triumph over adversity

198 riders set out 3 weeks ago to tackle all that France (an a touch of Italy) could possibly throw at them as they headed the long way to Paris via the Pyrenees and the Alps. Few could have predicted then who would emerge from that colourful sea of Lycra to be remembered as a hero of the 2011 Tour de France.

Starting in the Vendee, the battle commenced with new rules for the King of the Mountains and the Points competitions. The first week being one for the sprinters, the first of the Tour heroes to emerge was Belgian rider, Phillippe Gilbert, who reigned supreme in all the competitions at the end of the first stage.

His reign in the Golden Fleece lasted just one day as the next hero, Thor Hushovd stepped out of the sprinters territory and into the veritable arena of the strong men. Taking the Maillot Jaune, he was the first of two riders to hold on to it longer than anyone could predict.

Fellow Norwegian, Evald Boasson Hagen showed the peloton that Hushovd wasnt the only Viking to watch out for as he took the first of two wins in the Pyrenees. Their triumphs were to become poignant over the course of the Tour as tragedy struck in their homeland in a way that touched the hearts of many across the world.

As Mark Cavendish returned to the town where he took his first victory, he celebrated the first of five wins for his fourth Tour that would culminate in winning the Maillot Vert; a competition for which the rules were changed as the organisers could not understand how a talented sprinter like the Manx Missile had not won it so far.

On cloud nine at the finish, Cavendish came crashing down at the news that friend, compatriot and former track mate Bradley Wiggins had suffered a crash that had resulted in a fractured clavicle and a premature exit via ambulance. The British GC hopeful had been in tears, unable to stand, never mind get back on his bike, the knowledge that his GC dream was over undoubtedly just as painful as his injury.

Having held the Best Young Riders Maillot Blanc since the start in Vendee, Geraint Thomas was forced to concede his jersey having waited to pace the unfortunate Wiggins back to the main field. The only consolation for Team Sky was to secure it for the team with Uran holding it briefly in the final week.

Hoogerland became a household name with a t-shirt courtesy of stomachofanger.com following an accident on stage 9 that saw Hoogerland and Flecha struck by a French TV2 car and resulted in a short trip to hospital for Hoogerland who received 33 stitches after landing in a barbed wire fence. His courage and graciousness would become defining points for the Tour and won him a whole stack of fans overnight. Completing the Tour simply because of his fans in spite of the pain personifies what the Tour is about. Triumph over adversity, man over mountain, whatever that mountain may be. Of all the riders, the bloodied pair of Hoogerland and Flecha couldn't have been more relieved that the next day was a repos. The perilous Pyrenees saw several riders suffer over the course of their journey that day. The worst to fair was perhaps Alexander Vinocurov who crashed landing in trees below the road, fracturing his leg and pelvis and forcing him to accept now was the time to retire.

With Voeckler taking the Maillot Jaune from Thor Hushovd, the newly crowned God of Mountains having defended it through the Pyrenees, the French found themselves a new national hero. Battling through the Alps to defend the most coveted Jersey in cycling, exhausting himself past the point where any sane person surely would have given up, he did his duty, sacrificing all he had in order to keep it for as long as possible. Holding the Golden Fleece for 9 days, 1 short of the 10 days he held it for in 2004, he conceded it to Andy Schleck gratefully and perhaps a little willingly in the end, on the Alpe d'Huez where pre-Tour favourite Contador was forced to accept this would not be his year.

Having battled long and hard to take his 3rd Tour victory, the Spaniard suffered set back after set back, never giving up, always giving everything he could. Conceding that Evans and the Brothers Schleck simply had the better legs this year, he may have felt a little of the pressure ease as his rivals showed their strength in the mountains.

As the race headed into the final days, another Frenchman came into the spotlight. Rolland, compatriot and team mate of former Maillot Jaune wearer Voecker, took the Golden Fleece for just 24 hours until Andy Schleck was ready to claim it on stage 19.

By the end of the Alpine stages and with just a Time Trial before the final run into Paris, there were just 57 seconds between Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans. Reminiscent of the famous Le Mond-Fignon head-to-head in 1989, it was to be an epic show down to end an epic Tour.

Finally it came to the rider who had craved it since he had switched from Mountain Biking to Road Racing. Aged 34 the Australian Cadel Evans became the oldest post-war winner of the Tour on an emotional day that saw many entries into the history books. With both Andy and Frank Schleck on the podium, and British sprinter Mark Cavendish taking the Maillot Vert, it was a day of firsts. Ever an emotional finale, there were hugs all round on both the HTC-Highroad and BMC teams.

Ever the ultimate test of will, strength, determination, passion, instinct and survival, the Tour saw 167 riders arrive in Paris on the final day. Fabio Sabatini was this years Latern Rouge, finishing the epic journey from the Vendee to Paris in 90 hours 10 minutes and 5 seconds. From Evans to Sabatini, they are 167 men who gave everything they had, everything they could. Blood, sweat and tears, every last breath, every waking thought. They all had good days, and they all had their bad. Suffering and triumphing, through the agony and the ecstasy they made this Tour what it was. Epic.

Cavendish makes it a hat-trick on the Champs-Élysées

HTC-Highroad sprinting legend Mark Cavendish made it another one for the history books today as he took his third Champs-Élysées stage win; his 20th Tour stage victory in his fourth Tour de France. In what has become a formality for the 26 year old Manxman, he took the victory despite a minor mechanical problem with a little over 30km left to ride. For the third time in as many years he sprinted home ahead of his rivals, the only difference being the jersey on his back.

Despite a tough journey through the Alps in the final week that saw him deducted points twice for coming home outside the time limit, only avoiding elimination by being in a group too large to eliminate, he was able to maintain the Maillot Vert and become the first British rider to win it at the end of the Tour.

As ever, the young man credited his team for ensuring he made it, thanking them each for their hard work, and paying tribute to their efforts time and time again. Hugs all round, they weren't the only emotional team, as BMC riders hugged Tour winner Cadel Evans who became the first Australian to win the Tour de France. At 34 he has also become the oldest post-war winner in Tour history. Next to him on the podium stood the Brothers Schleck who became the first brothers to stand side by side on the Tour podium.

With today's stage being nothing short of a procession for the Golden Fleece, it was an anxiety free stage for the riders who had endured so much in the agony and ecstasy that made this years Tour what it was. With no real breakaway until the action came into Paris for the famous 10 laps, the only action came in the form of a fellow British rider hoping to burst Cav's proverbial bubble. Kicking off the front, he was soon joined by the winner of the most combative rider award, Jeremy Roy, and four other riders. But it proved a fruitless effort in the end as the peloton brought them back to ensure the bunch sprint took hold.

Having been paced back by room-mate, Super Domestique Bernie Eisel following the mechanical issue that saw him grab a new bike off the team car, the Manx Missile was guided with precision by his radar man, Mark Renshaw to take the win he had so wanted for so long.

An emotional end to an emotional Tour the organisers certainly got what they had wanted: Cavendish finally in Green and no clear winner until the very end of the Time Trial in Grenoble.

Martin storms the course to take the win as Evans wins the Tour

Early rain left damp roads on the streets of Grenoble this morning. While the first riders set out to ride the best they could, the later riders struggled to get off the Alpe d'Huez on roads that were far from clear. Cancellara, known for his Time Trial abilities set the initial best time, taking the course ahead of the team car in which his team mates, the Brothers Schleck were sat, taking in the route and making their plans for their own tests of solo speed.

Many had predicted a win from Cancellara, the rider affectionately termed Spartacus, however with a rolling route with two small climbs it didn't seem a route that would suit him as well as last years Bordeaux Time Trial.

Having had a low key Tour, it seemed likely that the man who would shine here would be Critérium du Dauphiné stage 3 Time Trial winner Tony Martin of HTC-Columbia. Indeed he gave a blistering performance, ripping up the course in 55:33; just 5 seconds down on his winning time back in June.

Back luck continued to plague Philippe Gilbert who suffered mechanical problems with his chain causing him to slip off the saddle and land on the handlebars. The Omega Pharma Lotto rider's only hope now of snatching the Maillot Vert from Manxman Cavendish is to out-wit and out-sprint him in both the intermediate sprint and on the finish in Paris tomorrow; a feat that seems unlikely despite the Belgian riders desire to do so.

National hero of France, Thomas Voeckler received a strong ovation from the crowds as Evans waited in the wings to take center stage knowing he would have to give the performance of his life if he wanted to take 58 seconds from Andy Schleck and with it the Maillot Jaune in the best head-to-head showdown since LeMond-Fignon back in 1989.

Blasting down the course at lightening speed, former Mountain Bike World Cup winner Evans gave the Time Trial of his life to finish in second place behind Tony Martin with the Brothers Schleck still on the course behind him. Finishing in 58 minutes and 11 seconds Andy conceded 2:31 to Evans in the overall standings. Evans becomes the first Australian to win the Tour.

Tomorrow the peloton heads for Paris and the cobbles of the Champs-Élysées where Mark Cavendish will be looking to take the stage win ahead of his rivals and with it become the first British cyclist to take home the Maillot Vert.

Stage 20 Preview

When the organisers planned the 2011 Tour, they had in mind that the Maillot Jaune would have already been decided. But who could have predicted the turn of events that unfolded to test almost every rider of the peloton in one way or another through the course of the 3 weeks of racing. From mechanicals to crashes, car accidents to unexpected attacks, this Tour has seen it all and on the penultimate stage there is no clear podium line-up for Sunday's finish in Paris.

It seems almost a fitting tribute to the town that gave birth to the Maillot Jaune ceremony in 1919, when Eugène Christophe was presented the first Golden Fleece of the race leader, that no clear winner has emerged leaving Grenoble ready to crown the winner with the most coveted jersey in the whole of cycling.

The "mountain" time trial is almost misleading in its very name. Despite its alpine setting, there are no actual climbs to test the riders, the 42km route rolling in a way that would suit a strong man like Thor Hushovd. While specialists are normally favourites for a Time Trial, it seems unlikely that a specialist will triumph here with the best time. The riders who have saved their strength through the alpine stages are the riders who will fair best in this test tomorrow, while those who have given there all through the climatic stages in the hope of gaining enough time to be cushioned through the Time Trial may well find they have nothing left to give.

Ultimately it will be a case of sheer determination as the two battles unfold in this complex drama that has become the 2011 Tour de France. While the riders who are looking to take the best time and with it the accolade of winning the penultimate stage go all out for personal glory, there will be an even greater test that will overshadow the stage winners success as Evans and Andy Schleck give everything they can give, every ounce of strength, determination, courage and grit to come away as victor in the greatest show on Earth. Despite predictions, training, form and statistics, it really will come down to who wants it the most.

Sanchez takes Maillot a Pois as first of the Tours jerseys are decided

Following the epic battle on the Alpe d'Huez that had been anticipated since the grand unveiling of the 2011 Tour route last October, Samuel Sanchez was the first to secure a victory in the Tour jerseys to clock up enough points to take the King of the Mountains Jersey.

With the Time Trial of Grenoble still to come the battle for the Maillot Jaune will literally come right down to the line tomorrow. With everything still to play for it will be up to Andy to keep it and Evans to take it as they race against the clock around the mountain route that circumnavigates Grenoble. Ultimately it will be a case not of who can Time Trial the best but who wants the jersey the most.

But with the stage winner on the podium and Gilbert the only sprinter in sight, everyone waited with baited breath to see when Cavendish would come over the line. The official cut off being calculated to 25 minutes and 9 seconds after Rolland crossed the line, Cavendish had to wait for the decision of race commissionaires having crossed the line with the gruppetto around 20 seconds outside of the cut.

Finally stepping out onto the podium to receive the Maillot Vert Cav fans worldwide breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't been eliminated from the Tour for coming in outside the cut. Being docked points for the late arrival once again, he is now on 280 points. Rojas, finishing within the same group lies 15 points behind on 265 points. If lady luck continues to be on his side he will secure the Jersey with a stage win in Paris on Sunday; his third in a row.

Meanwhile the Young Riders Jersey went to stage winner Rolland who finished 1 minute 33 seconds ahead of Taaramae who took it yesterday from Uran of Team Sky.

Rolland victorious as team mate and compatriot Voeckler loses Maillot Jaune to Andy Schleck

For 9 days he held on, wearing the most coveted of all the jerseys, the Maillot Jaune. Defending it when all by his most die hard supporters said he would lose it, in spite of the odds stacked against him, giving his all day after day after day until he was exhausted, helped of his bike by his soigneur after the hardest days in the saddle. He came into the Tour a rider, he will go out on Sunday a national hero even though today he lost the jersey. The leader of team Europcar, a wild card team in this years Tour, Thomas Voeckler, can hold his head high, knowing he defended it to the end, did his duty both as a Tour de France rider and as a Frenchman.

Cracking under the relentless pressure that Alberto Contador put on everyone as he started his attacks far earlier than everyone predicted, Voeckler, who worked hard to regroup on the descent of the Galibier, was forced to concede defeat on the climb of the Alpe d'Huez.

Few could have predicted the level of payback Contador would unleash on rival Andy Schleck for yesterdays stage. Attacking on the first climb of the day, Contador found the Luxembourg rider on his wheel at every turn. Misfortune however struck Evans as he faced a mechanical on the slopes of the Col du Telegraph. Struggling to regroup, he worked hard until he had shredded the main chasing group down using all his team mates in the process.

Finding the group lead by Contador on the descent of the Galiber, helped by Samuel Sanchez and Frank Schleck, he lead the attacks as they chased down Contador who broke free on the ascent of the final climb of the day: The Alpe d'Huez. Navigating the 21 switchbacks with skill, the Spaniard expected to take the stage with a solo ride. However in the last 3km of the climb he was joined by Olympic champion and compatriot, Samuel Sanchez and Europcar rider Rolland. But as the trio headed into the final kilometer Rolland shook off the spanish duo, sprinting to take the win ahead of Sanchez who was trailed by Contador who finished 3rd.

Meanwhile Evans found himself in a Schleck sandwich knowing it was now or never if he wanted the Tour win. Attacking as they headed into the final 5km, Evans dropped Frank by could not dislodge his brother Andy from his wheel. Evans' bid for Tour victory was short lived however as he soon found himself in the company of the riders he had attempted to shake off as they headed into the final 3km. By the time they reached the line it was going to come down to a sprint as Velits broke away to take 4th place ahead of the Australian Evans. With Schleck maintaining contact in this group he was satisfied in the knowledge they would receive the same time and the Maillot Jaune was now his and a little pleased his biggest rival was found wanting both in terms of the stage win and the Tour overall.

With just 57 seconds separating Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans it will all come down to tomorrows Individual Time Trial. The Maillot Jaune may be on the shoulders of Andy Schleck now but the Tour is still up for grabs. It may be Evans to win but it is also Andy's to lose.

Stage 19 Preview

At 109 km, today's stage is compact but tough. There are just 30km of climbs but these include two of the biggest climbs in the Tour. First ascending the Col du Telegraph, the peloton will head to the much harder northern route across the Col du Galibier before a long descent to the sprint as they approach the Alpe-D'Huez.

After yesterdays mass gruppeto found themselves just outside the cut off time, they will want to ensure they dont risk the same happening today. With deductions of points in the sprinters Green Jersey competition, the lead of Mark Cavendish is now within reach once more for Rojas and Gilbert. With Gilbert being known for his courage, Cavendish will have to watch his back today to ensure he can rebuff any arrows that may come sailing from the Belgian rider towards his Maillot Vert lead.

Following the fireworks lit on the Col d'Izoard we can be sure that Evans and Contador will be on the look out to utilise any opportunity they can to take back time lost yesterday but with just 15 seconds now between A.Schleck and Maillot Jaune leader Thomas Voeckler, we can be sure that Andy will be ready to counter attack any move they make. Tonight the Maillot Jaune will be on new shoulders as Voeckler, exhausted from yesterdays brave defence, will relinquish the jersey, willingly, gladly, knowing he did his duty and defended it right to the end.

If all goes to the plan of Leopard Trek, Andy will wear the most hallowed of the Tour Jerseys tonight and will win the Tour on the slopes of the climbers mecca: Alpe D'Huez.

Andy Schleck reigns supreme with stage 18 win

Following a fantastic solo ride on a day of edge-of-seat-watching cycling, Andy Schleck made his stamp on the Tour with a stage win in Galibier. After nearly 3 weeks of pyschological games, phoney wars and ill-advised comments to the press regarding his downhill abilities and rider safety, the young Luxembourg rider and GC contender mounted an attack that brother and team mate Frank admited was planned.

The brilliantly timed and inspired artestry of his attack shocked many who had all but written off his podium dreams. As the GC group headed into the ascent of the Col d'Izoard Andy kicked away with a 40 second lead. Leaving Frank to shut down any attempts to counter attack his move from his main rivals, he linked up with team mate Maxime Monfort on the descent before overtaking Iglinskiy who had lead the stage for much of the day.

As Andy crossed the line with the stage win in the bag, the clock started on the yellow jersey. All to aware that his days in the jersey were numbered, Thomas Voeckler fought bravely on to ensure that he at least wore it in the final part of these climatic stages, as he finished with a 15 second margin in the GC standings. Visibly exhausted, he literally gave it all he had knowing tomorrow would likely be the end of his Golden Fleece reign.

Cracking in the final chase-down, Contador finished 16th on the stage in a stark contrast to the performace given by Voeckler. Trailing 4:44, the reigining Tour de France champion may have lost out on defending his title.

Schlecks performance sees him now 4 points away from the King of the Mountains jersey currently worn by Jelle Vanendert. Meanwhile Uran of Team Sky lost his Maillot Blanc to Taaramae after a spell of bad luck saw him hit the deck and have problems with his breaks. In the Maillot Vert competition, the large gruppetto saved Cavendish from elimination, however he was deducted 20 points for finishing marginally outside the cut off time. Now closer to Rojas this guarantees he will have to fight harder between now and the end of Sunday.

Tomorrow the race heads from Modane to Alpe D'Huez, ascending the Galibier from the North via the Col de Telegraph before heading to Alpe D'Huez for the final showdown. After todays impressive riding, Andy Schleck will want to rip the Yellow Jersey from the shoulders of Voeckler with a final kick to take him to the top of the leaderboard ahead of Saturday's Individual Time Trial.

Stage 18 Preview

Tomorrow comes the Queen stage; the beginning of a two-part climax that will see determination and passion pushed to their limits as the GC rivals face off for an epic show down on the slopes of the Galibier. As the gruppetto struggle to simply survive, the battles will be fought and won over the next two days. Spirits and egos will be broken as much as bodies as the men are separated from the boys.

Starting in the Italian début town of Pinerolo, the peloton will travel 200.5km as they make their way over the Col Agnel and the Col d'Izoard before ascending the Galibier for the summit finish at the Hautes-Alpes resort of Serre-Chevalier.

With Alberto Contador appearing to have the psychological upper hand, all eyes will be on Andy Schleck to make the next move in their GC game of chess. But with Evans and Basso in the wings, there may be more to this battle than meets the eye. Fireworks are sure to come on the Galibier but if the fuse isn't lit at the right time, Voeckler may just steal the show all together.

Norwegian alpine triumph continues as Boasson Hagen takes second stage

After the premature exits of Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky faced an uncertain Tour. Boasson Hagen however laid that ghost firmly to rest today with a second stage win proving why this Tour will be remembered for Norwegian alpine triumphs. Following yesterdays second place finish behind fellow compatriot Thor Hushovd who took the stage glory in Gap, Boasson Hagen celebrated his own perfectly timed attack with a stage win in Pinerolo.

Navigating the tricky descent with ease, the Sky sprinter faired better than current GC leader Voeckler who overshot a bend to find himself on the driveway of a private residence. The faux par saw him finish 4 minutes 53 seconds behind Boasson Hagen.

After a bizarre stage on Tuesday that saw the Schlecks vocalising disappointment at the tactics of Contador that lead to much consternation amongst fans, the peloton faced a big challenge in stage 17. With five climbs spread either side of a sprint, the main concern for Cavendish as leader of the points competition was the prospect of elimination. However there was also the prospect of Belgian rider Gilbert using this stage as an opportunity to take points at the intermediate sprint. A thorn in the Manxman's side, the Omega Pharma Lotto rider made a fatal error on stage 15 that saw him lose out on points. However Cavendish had no need to fret as a big breakaway group went out early ensuring points earned did not threaten his jersey.

Yesterday's stage winner, Thor Hushovd, tried in vain to bridge the gap, but the peloton soon shut him down, clearly waking up to the new found power this big Norwegian now wields.

Spanish riders, reigning Tour champion Alberto Contador and descent specialist Samuel Sanchez, paired up on the descent of the days final climb, the Cote de Pra Martino, in a bid to put distance and most importantly time between themselves, Cadel Evans and the Brothers Schleck. There bid ultimately failed as the GC trio caught them on the line.

Tomorrow the Tour climax begins with the first of two epic stages that will see the peloton travel to where heaven and earth meet: the Col du Galibier.

Stage 17 Preview

Tomorrow the race will enjoy a brief sojourn in Italy as the peloton travels 179km from Gap to Pinerolo. Despite being a debut Tour stage, this picturesque town in the province of Turin is no stranger to cycling having hosted an historic stage of the Giro d’Italia from Cueno to Pinerolo, in 1949. “The Maddalena Pass would already have been enough to exhaust a bull. But it was just the beginning," wrote Dino Buzatti, the special correspondent of the Corriere della Sera describing the dual between Coppi and Bartali. On that day, Coppi, the younger of the two, gave the deathblow to the elder rider: "Today Bartali understood that he had reached decline. And for the first time he smiled.”

The Grand Boucle (Big Loop) has visited Gap 20 times in Tour history and has witnessed the victories of the leading cyclists Raphaël Géminiani, Gastone Nencini, Jean-François Bernard, Erik Zabel, Alexandre Vinokourov and Pierrick Fédrigo. But the prefecture town of Hautes-Alpes was also the start for legendary stages to Briançon, which were successively won by Louison Bobet, Fausto Coppi and Federico Bahamontes. Since then, the stage leaving from Gap generally finished in L’Alpe du Huez, which was the case in 1991, (with the victory of Gianni Bugno) and in 2006 (Fränk Schleck).

However L'Alpe du Huez has been scheduled for the climax that will be stage 19 when the riders will ascend it having graced the slopes of the Galibier for the second time in this Tour. The gladiators will prepare for the epic showdown that is sure to come on the climatic stage as they trace their way from Gap to Pinerolo for this the 17th stage. One such gladiator is Cadel Evans. Buoyed by his success today he will be looking to wield his axe on tomorrows stage. However with Ivan Basso surely channelling Ivan the Terrible and Thor Hushovd his Norse-God namesake Evans may find the battle coming earlier than he expected.

Thunder God proves why he is also the God of the Mountains with stage win in Gap

In the freezing rain, the peloton started out from St Paul Trois Châteaux headed for Gap. As they rolled along the road, thunder rolled in the skies above. It could have been a sign. Many tried to make a breakaway, but failed. Finally a breakaway emerged. Within it, Thor Hushovd. Looking strong as they accumulated a significant time gap, speculation began over the likelihood of success for the big Norwegian.

Speculation turned into certainty as the Garmin-Cervelo rider launched his final sprint off the back wheel of his team mate Ryder Hesjedal to take the line, making it a Norwegian 1-2 as Sky rider Boassan Hagen sailed to the line behind him.

Meanwhile back in the peloton Evans and Contador took a huge chunk out of Voecker's GC lead at the expense of the Brothers Schleck as the infamous 39 second gap came back to haunt Andy in an eerie sense of deja vu. Finishing the stage over a minute down on Evans and Contador, the Spaniard now lies just 39 seconds down from Andy in the GC.

With the toughest of the alpine climbs yet to come, Contador has dealt a massive psychological blow to the Luxembourg pair who until now were supremely confident in their approach. Voeckler however maintains his days in yellow are numbered, despite Lance Armstrong commenting at the weekend that he may take it all the way to Paris.

Elsewhere Cavendish and Rojas appeared to call a truce today in the Green Jersey competition with no one contesting the intermediate sprint. Riding into Gap alone, Cavendish arrived just a minute down on Andy Schleck showing his improvement as a climber.

Tomorrow the race enjoys a brief sojourn into Italy as the peloton travels 179km from Gap to Pinerolo for stage 17. Having got a taste for alpine success with his ride today, Evans will be on the lookout to make his position stronger. With just four intense days to go, the fireworks will be laid tomorrow ready to be ignited on the Galibier on stage 18.

Stage 16 Review

Tomorrow Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux will great the Tour for the first time as it hosts the start of the first stage of the final week. Despite it being a debut stage of the Tour, this charming village in the Drôme Provençale, nestling among vineyards, truffle oaks and purple seas of lavender, has on occasion hosted Paris-Nice, being one of the race’s highlights in 2009.

Departing here and heading for the Montagne de Lure for the main stage of the Race to the Sun, Alberto Contador was majestic in the final ascent. Winning the stage, he moved up in the general classification to take the number one spot, with a comfortable lead over Luis Leon Sanchez. However he lost the race the next day in the stage in Fayence because he was ravenous and had no reserves. This led to the start of the endless discussion about the vulnerability of “El Pistolero".

As the race heads into Gap, it crosses the Col de Manse, then drops down again into the finish after completing a small circuit. Steadily rising, the stage will suit the likes of Flecha. But with riders feeling refreshed after today's repos, there could well be some small attacks before the fireworks that are sure to be ignited on the Galibier later in the week.

Repos Report: Celebrating 100 years of the Col du Galibier

In 1911 Henri Desgrange and Alphonse Steinès decided to add an even higher, harder and colder challenge for the Tour de France peloton: The Col Du Galibier. At an elevation of 2645 meters above sea level, this mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble has since featured in 31 separate editions of the Tour and is often the highest altitude the peloton reach in their pursuit for glory.

Lingering between heaven and earth, this colossal Col has instilled a sense of awe and fascination for every rider who has graced her slopes. Those who were told they would endure that inaugural climb on 10th July 1911 expressed anger and hostility at its inclusion. Yet ascend it they did.
“It knocks you for six” the pioneer of pioneers, Émile Georget, uttered to the waiting spectators as he crossed the summit; he hadn’t got off his bike once in the entire 34 km ascent from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, via the Col du Télégraphe to the peak of the Galibier. The only other riders who completed the climb solely on their bikes were Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou were the only riders not to walk.

Struck by the awesome courage and bravery he witnessed that day, Henri Desgrange penned a hymn in L’Auto in their honour:
“Haven’t they got wings, our men who have been able to climb up to heights where even eagles don’t fly? … Oh Sappey, Oh Laffrey, Oh Col Bayard, Oh Tourmalet! I shall not fail in my duty to proclaim to the world that you are like an insignificant and common beer compared to the Galibier: all one can do before this giant is doff one’s hat and bow.”

The original summit was at 2556 m.; while the tunnel was closed from 1976 until 2002, the tour route went only over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2645 m. In 2011, the Tour de France will for the first time since then go through the tunnel during the 19th stage from Modane Valfréjus to L'Alpe d'Huez. This will be the second time the riders ascend this epic Col having climbed to its summit the day before for stage 18.

At the southern opening of the tunnel, on the edge of the road, there is a monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour. The memorial was inaugurated when the
tour passed on 19 July 1949; since then the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, as it will do twice this year, a wreath is laid on the memorial.

The first rider to reach the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour receives The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange”. In 2006, the prize of 5000 Euros was claimed on the Col du Galibier by Michael Rasmussen.

In 1996 the Galibier was scheduled to be included in the Tour, however race organisers were forced to leave it out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled 190km stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was reduced to a 46km sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains which was won by Bjarne Riis, and saw him take the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris.

Cavendish maintains Maillot Vert into the Alps with impressive 19th win of his career

HTC-Columbia once again proved there is nothing any other team can do to derail their train once its left the 1km station on the run into the finish. Despite a last minute effort to disrupt the set up, Belgium rival for Green Jersey points Gilbert was unable to outmatch the Manx Missile. Even the attempts of Garmin - Cervelo to box the HTC-Columbia pairing of Messrs Renshaw and Cavendish in to give Dean and Farrar an advantage proved to be in vain as Renshaw found his gap and let Cavendish go with 300m to the sprint.

With winds threatening to splinter the peloton and making hard work for the bunch as it worked to keep the breakaway riders on their leash, HTC-Columbia were forced to do the majority of the donkey-work. Hoping to wear out the fastest sprint team in the world, the other teams forced HTC-Columbia to work alone at the front for the majority of the 192.5 coastal run in from Limoux to Montpellier; the only sprint stage between the Pyrenees and the Alps.

As the peloton came into the final 3km Gilbert kicked off the front in a bit to solo his way to the finish and upstage Cavendish who had earlier come under fire from rival in the Green Jersey competition, Rojas, who accused him of being towed by team cars during yesterdays mountain stage. The move proved disastrous for the Belgian rider who was unable to maintain the power needed to beat the HTC-Columbia Express as it rolled into town; finishing 28th he failed to take any points on the stage and now lies 71 points behind Cavendish in the competition. His only hope for points now lie in the mountains and on the run into Paris where the race finishes a week today.

Tomorrow is the rest day. With the Alps and the Individual Time Trial looming, all French hopes are now on Voeckler who has continually surprised with his ability to maintain his overall lead. However the Europ Car rider is quick to dismiss suggestions that he may go onto win the Tour as "unlikely".