2011 Tour de France with Phil Liggett

2011 Tour de France – World Cycling Productions coverage with narration by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen.

00:00 Intro
02:30 Stage 1 (Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouttes)
11:45 Stage 2 (Les Essarts) [TTT]
15:00 Stage 3 (Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon)
19:03 Stage 4 (Lorient to Mûr-de-Bretagne)
24:12 Stage 5 (Carhaix to Cap Fréhel)
28:01 Stage 6 (Dinan to Lisieux)
30:59 Stage 7 (Le Mans to Châteauroux)
42:43 Stage 8 (Aigurande to Super Besse)
45:56 Stage 9 (Issoire to Saint-Flour)
56:12 Stage 10 (Aurillac to Carmaux)
1:04:38 Stage 11 (Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur)
1:14:17 Stage 12 (Cugnaux to Luz Ardiden)
1:28:06 Stage 13 (Pau to Lourdes)
1:40:36 Stage 14 (Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille)
1:52:28 Stage 15 (Limoux to Montpellier)
1:59:25 Stage 16 (Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Gap)
2:20:37 Stage 17 (Gap to Pinerolo)
2:36:27 Stage 18 (Pinerolo to Col du Galibier)
2:53:47 Stage 19 (Modane to Alpe d’Huez)
3:16:16 Stage 20 (Grenoble) [ITT]
3:21:09 Stage 21 (Créteil to Paris)

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Start List b: https://wcpcycling.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Tour+de+France/2011_TourdeFrance_StartList_b.png
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Produced: Tim Grady and Peter Hussey
Narrated: Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen
Hosted: Gary Imlach and Chris Boardman
Interviews: Ned Boulting, Jill Douglas and Matt Rendell
Edited: Andrew Johnson

Note: This video was created by World Cycling Productions. I do not own this content.

a he you know the Tour of France is getting like the Olympics these days at the end of every Edition we say it’s the best Tour Ever or certainly since the last one 2011 though really was 21 days of extraordinary racing actually make that 21 days of extraordinary racing on one very odd afternoon at a Medieval theme park well it was medieval to start with once it got going the team presentation at the puu show no regard for boundaries of history geography or good taste one moment killed the general mood of nonsensical jolity though the introduction of the defending Champion that was the crowd’s verdict on Alberto contador free to race this year’s tour while the UCI appeals against his not guilty verdict on charges of using steroids at last years the race started up in Northwest France with three days in the Von region and things got worse for contador on stage one when he was caught behind a big crash well there’s no doubt oh there’s been we’re looking to the left here now as we see all of these Riders here now this is a massive pilot Paul I just caught a glimpse of outs side of my eye and that’s just happened well let’s have a look for where it’s happened cuz it’s over on the right hand side and it’s gone down very hard indeed and that has blocked the main field this is why Phil inside of the last 20 km you’ve got to ride in the front now it’s difficult to see just exactly whether or not any of the big leaders were involved in that accident there and in fact it was a spectator who just was standing Too Close into the road there and a rider from Asana went down very hard it actually looked like Alexander vuro well let’s uh let’s hope there’s nobody injured there but that was a massive pile up and it’s come at the most crucial stage of the charge for the finish and completely spit the pells on here well time now really does matter if any of the potential candidate of final Victory on the it happened on the right of the road there and it looked as though a ride from asona did clip the side of a spectator and he ricocheted left unfortunately right into the pack which took out a lot of riders now they’ve got a split so as we see the race now they are 3.8 mil from the from the finish and there is a very definite split on Thomas vuler there in the green jersey is looking very nervous looking left and right stay right him in the first four or five positions also Philip jilber very comfortable on the right hand side in the black yellow and red jersey champion of Belgium there is Alberto Conor playing with his little radio piece and now I’m not sure where he is but I think he might be on the offensive here to try and Chase up to the lead group he’s got his whole team working for him so contador like the day when we went down to lot a couple of years ago is losing seconds to men who may matter later on in the tour to France when when you’re the man who’s defending Champion you’ve got to remain calm in a moment like this this is only one day fill out of 22 days of racing it won’t be good for his morale but he can’t Panic he can’t push himself into the Red Zone he’s got to look around use his team and hope that maybe on the final Ascent up to the line that he can try and pull back a few seconds now it’s Radio Shack yaroslav popovic on the front end of the main field with a big r on his shoulder he is thinking about this H cppy in second third position there on the left hand side with the white glass he’s looking over his solar come on cadel Evans you can stay with me this could be a very interesting point we’re looking here Phil 31 seconds contador has lost at this point this is what you said earlier Paul because cadell Evans was riding at the front to keep himself out of trouble and it’s not uh just kept him out of trouble at the moment it’s working in his favor these are huge time gaps when you’ve lost the Tour by 23 and you’re half a minute ahead that could be the tour in 3 weeks time you just don’t know at 2.7 mil to go at Radio Shack and BMC the two American teams and HTC High Road have got themselves in perfect position here remember George hppy in his 16th tour he’s seen it all before he has seen it all before that is for certain because now we can see BMC getting it work worked up at the front third place there is Bernie Isel the Austrian Rider it’s out to 36 seconds now for Alberto Conor he’s not going to pull back any of that time here Phil because these guys are full p on for the stage Victory here this afternoon Andreas Clen of Radio Shack has made the junction all of the big leaders been very attentive it would appear to me only one man has been caught out and that is the defending Champion he’s in this group with two miles to go Alberto contador there he is well it’s I doubt it is going to get back now in less than two miles to go is 36 seconds behind well this has been an incredible turnaround at just about 8 km from the finish a crashed has altered the destiny of the stage of the tour to France well it may not have done because Philip jilber is about fourth or fifth in the line here and just on 2 kilometers from the Finish Andre GLE is not going for the win this afternoon he’s the man on the front he’s digging deep now to keep this pace nice and high because in third position you’ve got Philip gilber in fourth position you’ve got Thomas voer in fifth position You’ got Damiano well that was a huge effort by GLE it lasted about 100 meters because the big Sprinter on the flat couldn’t cope with the climb as we’re now heading up towards the finish this is all the pressure on the man in Black now and he’s only got two men left in front of him and Thomas voet is there and there’s another crash here we’ve gone back down the road I’m not exactly sure where but is this the contor group in trouble again well there’s a lot of riders are very nervous today Phil that really are taking all kinds of risks it’s the first day we we’re looking here at inside of 3 kmers to go this group has been splintered completely as Philip jilber is in third place now that’s going to be a difficult call for the referees because the 3 kilometers to go Ru will come into play but the race was already split so they’re going to have to sort that one out and we’ll have to go with whatever they decide but these are the attacks we expected to come now and that is a good move to Aid the man in third place jilber he needed somebody to put a big move in well I tell you what catusa put the big attack in but Philip jilber is sitting and waiting I spoke to somebody just before the start about how to win this stage here you’ve got to wait you’ve got to buy your time right down to the last moment right up there in third position it looks like rockas is looking very comfortable indeed not too far away in the green jersey Thomas vler is looking ready to see whether or not he can pounce the Spanish National Champion Phil in third position roas has got an incredible turn of speed especially at the top of a climb like this kuna goes in fourth oh Philip jilber there telling his teammate to keep the pressure on for as long as he can by shaking his head in second place he doesn’t want to be at the front yet got to watch the right here of the rad because this is also another and that looks to me like the little figure of Alexander vov whose laundry attack that was to be expected and this is helping jilber voy has got second wheel jilber is third push off is moving up as well he’s in about sixth place in the white jersey bosen Haan is right up there as well but here’s Fabian kelar that is Fabian kelara who’s gone with a huge amount and zilber recognized that one because if kelara goes you’ve got to counter that is an absolute new flyer but you know it’s a long long way to the finish off this Bend as you sweep around the corner kelara looking and he’s got trouble on his wheel gel does not want to go yet but he may have no choice he’s got to jump and make it hard XEL kicks again the champion of Belgium has got it well he goes up towards the line now and celara he made the move spot on but Philip gelber that was right there in it now can he hang on Paul because this is desperate moment as zilber tries to hang on he’s got just about 500 M to go and coming up in third place looks like Cel Evans as well because coming around this final Corner Phil Shel bear really had the acceleration he’s got to keep going though because this a long interminable Hill and cadell Evans is coming across the Gap oh it’s going to hurt the legs but that’s a result for cadell Evans and for Philip jilber win 14 for him cadell Evans has had a tremendous day the favorite has got second there amongst the favor got second on a day the contador has lost time that’s a big start now as the clock continues to count now the seconds go by well this is going to be a very unusual overall classification tonight but there’s no doubt the first mayj will go to Philip jilber but the time gaps have appeared there’s contador over on the right hand side with the yellow sunglasses he grits his teeth he got he’s got to keep going the clock is counting against him here so as they race up towards the line that clock is enormous now we don’t know where the sum of this Andy SLE is in this group as well so at least Conor and schle go in tomorrow in the same time it looks about a minute 20 contador now knows this has been a Grim Day in the tour to France for him Andy SLE alongside him Bradley Wiggins is there as well so the big names finish there well again for Evans they must have been involved in that second crash because Bradley Wiggins was riding right at the front end of the main field so I have a feeling that Andy Schleck and Bradley Wiggins went down in the second crash but there’s no doubt at all about the winner of the stage this afternoon Philip Jil bear of Belgium and the champion to boot so the stage result gave us the first standings of the race Jil bear 3 seconds ahead of an impressively strongl looking cadel Evans with the world champion to hoft Leading a pack of riders at six seconds down among them Sky Gant Thomas the likes of Andy schle David Miller and Brad Wiggins were all in the six second group but Alberto contador who remember the tour from Andy schle by only 39 seconds last year was already trailing his chief rival by twice that for the second year running G Thomas took the white jersey of leading young rider in the tours opening week and he had a decent chance of converting it to Yellow because stage two was one of Sky’s specialities the team time trial a 23 km loop around the small town of leesar Alberto contador saxa Bank Squad went first set the not particularly challenging Target of 25 minutes 16 and sat back to see how much more time their leader would lose Robert hazings rabber Bank team came in at 25 dead and that was the best 48 seconds the clock has stopped 2448 would take some beating and there were four teams left with a Chance of beating it Bradley Wiggins leading him into the final 100 meters here it is very very very close the fifth time now 2448 is the time I think they might do this it is going to be desperately close as they hit the line they’ve just passed by they’ve stopped the clock at 2452 second place for team Sky these boys are firing on all cylinders now every second really counts in this short team time our today it is going to be desperately close for third place 24 minutes 53 for HTC high road and Fabian celara is going to drag them up the finishing straight here the best time is 2448 that time has gone by but it’s a great finish it is an incredible finish they hell third 2453 for leod track will there be a yellow Jersey at the end of this for cadell Evans it’s all going to be about the clock the time to beat 2448 they can see the light but it is is such a long way up to the finishing straight here Evans has driven this race home second best time for BFC 4 seconds the difference has swung it the way of Gin saell tomorrow they lead the tour to France it was the first stage win for Jonathan vter outfit at their fourth tour to France that’s a decent length of time for a team manager to work on his celebration on the podium his Riders relieved him of the responsibility and shared him off the added bonus of course was that trusoft had taken the yellow jersey with his teammate David Miller second on the same time cadel Evans BMC team had delivered him to the line 1 second late and Gant Thomas was now 4 seconds back in fourth place ahead of the leopard Trek Trio of lenus girman Frank schle and Fabian kelara and his own teammate adal buron Hagen all on the same time the same went for Andy schle in 10th place and Bradley Wiggins in 12th Mark Cavendish was in a bunch of HTC Riders 5 Seconds down and then the Gap started widening Alberto contador’s deficit had grown to 1 minute 42 and after a poor time trial ride from his ausel team Samuel Sanchez was 236 down after only two stages while his teammates helped toed date Jonathan vs Toft returned to the podium on his own to take the yellow jersey for the third tour to France of His Brilliant career and the next day he was going head-to-head with Mark Cavendish for the points at the intermediate Sprint more shoulder to head really given the size difference it didn’t look much to most of us but both of them would later be disqualified from that Sprint and have their points deducted however neither of them knew that as the race Barrel towards the stage three finish in redon with the HTC Sprint train out at the front Martin Gus renw Cavendish is the order on the front they’ve got three men to take them the last two and bit kilometers to the Finish POF is in there too Tyler far is on hush off’s wheel and would be a great lead out if Hof could give it to him also in there I’ve noticed now coming up too are the Riders of alesandro pentak and also of course Andre GLE all trying to get their little bit of space but to be a sprinter to win a Sprint you’ve got to play a waiting game looks as if Tony Martin now has disappeared from the front he’s lost that little bit of energy it’s up now to Matty gos big acceleration coming across it looks like it’s a rider from V on SOL has seen the move coming from lampre he’s tried to launch an attack at the moment this is a typical move as if paval BR has made the move here as I think in fact it could well be a very very shrew move this I would think is boric bosik who we’ve seen win already this year this is an absolute typical move by this man if he can do it there aren’t many strong men can ride away from a peleton so close to the Finish when you’re in a great team of sprinters you’ve got to stay calm when you see the moves going like this you’ve got to just make sure that you slowly continue with the plan that you’ve got in mind and that’s exactly what what Matthew gos is doing mat gos is just sitting there he’s judging his effort on the rider from vonle waiting to keep himself at the front end of the pack Cavendish has let the Gap go there’s a problem I think well that’s what I was wondering because they there were so many riders and they were running out of fire power there on the running to the Finish we’re only just over a mile out now as they try to reorganize themselves as they race towards the Finish now I think this is boded by bod who’s tried to go bosic but in any case he’s going to be back in the pack and the organized Ren Shaw solid as a rock he’s still locked there in front of Mark cavish well the blue helmets on the shoulders on the heads of the Riders from Garmin SLL they’re looking over the it’s a bit of panic on board team HTC high road now inside of 1 kilometer to go Cavendish has slipped down to about seventh or eighth position his team is a little bit in pieces as we start to try to get the organization going again if Cav is just slipped and lost the wheel he’s going to have to reposition himself in the next 900 me because gin Sur yellow who won the team time trial yesterday are all of a sudden on the front that looks to me as though it’s Gan Thomas who has gone round the race there for sky in the white jersey and is this going to be a runway for the Welshman because now is the launch and the Mayo je is to Hof he’s got tucked in the slip steam there Tyler Farah and Mark cavanis has disappeared from our screen as to Hof now launches for the Finish Well Hof just going around the corner Tyler far is in third position right onto his wheel it’s Roman fua Jose Ras is coming up too hosas is going but this is going to be tyus Farah big moment first to the FR he going to have to hold off rockas er rased for the line it is desperately Coast but Tyler Farah gets it on the line Gman Sello cannot do a thing wrong but the question mark is what happened to Mark caves it seemed to be going so well c a little bit of bad luck there cost you that stage in the end yeah a little bit I know the guys did a great job but uh I think uh yeah as usual it’s Roman Fu like he he just causes Havoc causes havoc in every Sprint you know coming into the corner there Rock ass on one side then Fu come the other they just T my wheel and I was on my front wheel around the last corner I thought I was down at one point I felt good at the finish and you could see I was good by the fact to pull back 40 m and then 500 last 500 but uh yeah I couldn’t win it but I managed to keep myself in contention for the for now the green jersey was with Jose wackin roas the murder BR was build as the Brett on Al Duz which was pushing it a bit but it certainly looked steep enough to shake up the yellow Jersey standings especially since cadel Evans needed only a second to take it off Toft but on the run into the Finish Evans was fighting not to lose time twice held up by mechanical trouble and having to burn energy to get back to the main field which he done by the time the race hit the wall officially we’re on the climb of the wall now the wall of Britany as they now all look at each other and Philip jilber has put himself right on the front I don’t think he wants to be there edil boyhan off to the left for team sky looking for where his men are his men will be Bradley Wiggins and Gan Thomas Andy schle in the black and white jersey there right in the middle the taller Rider locked on his wheel this afternoon is Alberto contador he maybe a bit concerned about the possibility of an attack coming from luxemburger oh look at the face of cadell Evans in the middle there he knows that if he just opens a gap of a second he’ll be the leader of the tour to France tonight others know if the open a gap of Just 4 seconds or 5 Seconds they could be the leader of the tour tonigh but at the moment it’s still toop in yellow down there we are now well into the mud of britania look at the faces of these Riders this is a beast of a climb it’s only 2 km long Jil bear now in the poka do Jersey moving into second place behind his own teammate Jurgen vandenbrook this is not the Pyrenees this is not the Alps this is a small climb in Britany and all of the Riders who are thinking of winning the tour to France are locking horns here in the last mile of the day kador is gone and if the Riders don’t look to the left this little climbers out to grab some time back the time they took out of him on Saturday on the first stage because he was left standing in the road they’re after him jilber is the first to take up the Cudo well jilber saw that he was waiting for for a move he’s a very clever tactician cadel Evans is up into fourth position the Gap is starting to open there’s a rider there from leopard Trek in fifth Hof is about to be dropped but he won’t give up without a fight as Conor continu he’s hanging in Hof is because look at the face of Conor he’s made the effort but he’s looked over his face and he really has overshot himself here well to Hush off to still not given up he’s dragging himself back in don’t expect another attack to come there’s another attack coming and cadel Evans is going to cover it this time well cadell Evans now marks the move here as we see vandom Brock up in the move as well cadell Evans knows he only wants one second advantage on the line to take yellow one kilometer to go you can see again that looks like another move coming from Sky Alexander vinokurov is up into second position it’s bosen haogen bosen Hogan’s looking over for Gan Thomas and he’s not there at the moment but he’s not far down Evans is on the left of our picture here now but taker has off to to Hof he wasn’t supposed to be here at this stage of the race he’s sitting there and he’s staying in yellow at the moment and with every pedal rev he’s going to feel good this is vam Brook who’s now launching a move who is the new climber on the block from Belgium well in third position Philip jilber got the Grimace on his face Alberto Conor dancing as he does on any slope around Europe followed there by Alexander vinokurov still they have not dismissed the Norwegian the God of Thunder to huso is still hanging on to that Jersey well well as vanderbrook goes a gain of 500 M this is looking extremely good for Philip gilber at the moment down to 400 m now Evans is in fourth and contador has dropped back he’s really hurt himself on this climb contador and so far has got nothing to show for it Philip zilber is now locked in on his 29th birth he looked over just as Condor went through cadel Evans is now taking his chance at Conor Condor Evans is now coming a 1 second Gap means yellow they’ve got to onto his back wheel vinokurov is coming up boen Hogan grits his teeth zil is down into fourth place but you take your hat off to the yellow Jersey of the Tour of France because I think hush will be in yellow tonight but Evans has got the victory but Condor thinks he’s got it well in the photo finished there it was very close Bradley Wiggins lost a couple of seconds there quite POS possibly with roas coming across the line what a ride by to hop he’s made the experts look completely silly I think because that was superb by the God of Thunder he’s kept his yellow J it was what a quarter wheel at the line and remarkably given the quality of his tour career cadel’s first stage win Alberto contador had made if not a show of force at least off a proof of life and he’d stolen back 8 seconds on Andy schle and many of his other Rivals which might well come in handy down the line not on Jurgen Vanden Brook though he’d finished alongside contador and not on Bradley Wiggins either not 8 seconds anyway Brad came in 6 seconds down having ridden off the front of a group containing Andy schle in the last 100 met other than cadel’s though perhaps the ride of the day was tus offs to hang on to the Jersey when we all thought he’d lose it stage five was a nasty combination of fierce Crosswinds narrow roads and the usual large and nervous first week field and you didn’t need to be a tour expert a weather expert or a question of sport expert to know what happened next oh ell has gone down as well somebody went down very hard from he looks as though he is been quite seriously stumbled it’s a bit of a crash here and this is what happens on these nasty little roads there’s another crash that’s n senson the champion of Denmark he touched the wheel of somebody in front of him he’s very lucky to get that soft Landing oh another crash at the back there we go again everybody’s going down it wasn’t just the number of crashes on stage five it was the number of big names caught up in them Brad Wiggins needed a bike change which was about the least that anyone got away with Robert haing went head over CET in a crash from Rich Radio Shacks Yanni bovich didn’t get up not without help concussed and suffering a broken collarbone he was the first possible Podium Contender out of the race Alberto contador didn’t go out but he did go down and had obviously gone over on his back too from the looks of his jersey but at least he managed to rejoin the main field Tom bonan was riding just to avoid the time cut off as the race swung onto the coastal Road approaching cap Fel for a dramatic finish 1,000 M to go and it’s Alexandra pak’s team in control a th000 meters to go and our motorbike could only just shake them off the back there because they were going to quickly but to husoft is getting himself also into a perfect position here to finish it off for the yellow Jersey and just look at the acceleration here they there’s a move coming up on the inside well it looks like the acceleration of Tony Martin Matty gos there let the Gap go and then all of a sudden it puts up pressure on everybody else to try and close this down Cavendish is a long way out this could be the move of head all boy and Harvey ripping away from the field they were trying to organize themselves because this is an uphill finish all of the way as they race to the line here that slowly being hauled back to gring at the teeth of the Mayo J rockas is out of it in the green jersey this is going to be a desperately close finish at 300 me to go even Philip gelber on the left is getting it now the yellow Jersey of T hush slowly but surely hush is getting on turn here now Sandy casar is trying to get into the middle and the race is off the left of our picture as cavish Comes This is it the missile is locked on to Philip gilber has he got it on the line has he got it the missile from the a of man has got his first win of the 2011 to of France Phil I told you he had the legs here this afternoon he watched them he knew you had to wait great ride by Philip jber to come up there into second place and JJ roas getting third Cavendish wants this year you can see by the expression on his face not an ideal kind of finish for Mark Cavendish but when you’re a sprinter when you’re a winner you give it all that wasn’t a punch Sprint man that was hard that was real hard at the finish and a prop hard actually well you siio bear was there hush was there roas and H yeah I thought like 1800 to go the other Sprinter teams came then you can see there the likes of Brad and that were up there so you can see that you can see what type of finish it was Brad’s going for it hard finish he went 500 to go be around the left I just 100 I thought I’ll just go I’ll just go to save some some points but uh yeah I got I had my jump I had my acceleration and uh it was proper hard actually at the finish them last couple 100 me that was like my legs would go and go and going you know but uh I’m really really happy with that and he had every right to be given the nature of the running and the way came through to take it stage win number 16 for Cavendish only Bernardino and Eddie m are ahead of him for victories over a four tour span stage six had some significant landmarks along the way as the route took the Riders close enough for a glimpse of lamon San Michelle if not actually from the field then at least on the heli shots when they watch the day stage back at the team hotel but the big focal point was the sight of the basila de santz which the main field would see as they swung onto the climb up to the finish in lier Levi Li pimer wasn’t in the main field he’ crashed and was fighting to limit his losses on the runin neither were many of the sprinters or at least they were lurking at the back this was a stage for the punchers men like Philip jilber and Toft the green jersey in our picture is being followed by the yellow Jersey of race leader so Hush off to decide that jilber is the man but Evans has got the best place on David Miller’s back wheel third place is her and Thomas the welsman on his wheel his own teammate and that is bosen haogen they’re all getting very nervous and Twitchy now as you can see HTC high road trying to drag Matty gos up through the middle of this pack but that’s not a there full anymore Phil there’s a lot of riders been left behind Alexander vinokurov makes the move on the right in the turquoise Jersey and sadly I think Levi Li Pim is losing real time here he won’t have rejoined the head of this race after that fall which is very very sad but we’ve got an attack being launched here on the left of the road this is rabo bang going strongly as they try to ruin it for everybody Philip gilber is in the green Hof is in the yellow Miller has been swept away here garan Thomas is in second wheel is the this young phenomenon from Wales going to finish it off with a win well bosen haan’s in an ideal position in third position to H in a great position in fourth as well as they start to wind it up bosen Haren goes on the inside he’s having to take on his own teammates here now as he goes through for the line here this could be the big surprise of the day edal boyon Hogan is coming but there’s still plenty of kicks on the inside is this B got no boy and Hogan get it team Sky have taken the result on the line well that was a good move there by garon Thomas and this is the face of edal bosen Haren we’ve talked about this man for a long time Phil waiting to make the big breakthrough well he’s done it this afternoon getting a great Victory ahead of some of the top sprinters in the world on the right hand side there toos behind him Philip zilar that was a great win by that team after their difficult debut tour last season it felt as much a win for the team as the individual although possibly not to Norwegian viewers and it clearly meant a great deal to the Sky Team Bost day brailford yeah it feels really good yeah really good yeah imagine Mark Cavendish winning a stage and Brad Wiggins taking the race lead and you get some idea of how big stage six must have felt in Norway because while edal Bon hargen wouldn’t pull on the yellow Jersey another Norwegian would nonetheless it was true tus soft had ridden strongly again and was heading into a fifth day as race leader the race itself was heading to chatow the sight of Mark cavendish’s first ever Tor to front stage win and he hoped also his 17th after a wet and dangerous opening six days the race was finally on flat dry featureless roads designed to do nothing more than get the race from leemon to chat Ru where Mark Cavendish was planning to indulge in some high-speed Nostalgia by way of reliving his first ever tour a France stage win from 2008 the only real warning was of cross wins on the runin and the word went out for teams to move their key men up to the front out of Harm’s Way we’re going to start to see some very high speeds now cuz there oh there’s another crash that’s the race radio tell me it’s a crash he yep I don’t whether our pictures are going to give us them but there’s a crash for here it is well that oh dear copel has gone down well this was at the back there’s silv chaanel then just having a quick look to see if any of the big leaders have been caught out well I was just about to say the race is currently pick up a very strong cross tail wind and that’s going to be a reason for the mainfield to push the speeds up higher and above 50 55 kilm an hour right down Bradley Wiggins has gone down and he’s involved in that crash somewhere I can’t see him on the ground there but that is not too good for him bosen haran has gone down as well and I’m I’m picking this up from race radio which is crackling in my ear that’s Wiggins in the middle and he does not look very good at all Wiggins he’s got a teammate alongside him pushing off number 54 there that’s Tyler Fara the Sprinter from Team Garmin sell well that crash happened right up at the front end of the pack waiting there for Bradley Wiggins at the side of the road as his teammate they’re pushing off one of the Riders from katusa well the chaos can happen any time any moment these Riders have stopped at the side of the road they’re waiting for Bradley Wiggins he’s checking himself out he is in the white jersey the man alongside him there just having a quick look that’s bosen Haan also there there Juan Antonio Fletcher this is a bad moment they’re checking out Bradley Wiggins he looked so good so far race doctor just checking him out well doctor will check him out proba he’s got three teammates up alongside him he’s certainly the first thing the doctors always checking it’s the first thing really there’s two big injuries that happen to a bik rider first of all it’s the collar bone that can get popped when you land on your hands and it could go over taking him to the side of the road the other thing is a small bone in the hand of scapula Chris Herer has gone down as well well this is uh this is not good for team radio Shak and this will be the tour which is be oh dear me oh dear me this looks as if this is going to be the end of the Tour of France for Bradley Wiggins he is in he’s in agony there well the pictures aren’t good Paul are they Bradley Wiggins has been taken to the side of the road there and the amulance has been called up it looks like the end of the line for Bradley that is terrible so guys it’s over for Bradley okay he’s got broken curn I think I’m way back behind Eddie Fletcher C raberto in the time it takes to touch Wheels with the bike in front Bradley Wiggins Tor chances were over the handlebars and on their way to hospital he Sky teammates found themselves trapped on the wrong side of a growing split in the field along with a handful of other big names there is absolutely no way that group is going to come back to the front of the tour to France this afternoon because you’ve got one of the best teams in the world lashing out the tempo the full Squad of nine Riders are there now for one reason to deliver Mark Cavendish to the missile base which is the main street in chatro I tell you one thing watch out for the radio sha Ryder Andreas Clen because he has not missed out on the move once again but what about a HTC High Road nine Riders at the front of the race all waiting mark cavish on the left hand side if you count the white jerseys going down the ninth Rider is Cavendish and the group that’s chasing behind is 80 strong PA there’s 80 riders in the Toler France Were Somehow involved in that crash which kept them by the roadside team Sky try their best here to keep this race Under Pressure boyon Haan and and Gan Thomas are the big losers in this group at the the moment but I’m so sad to say that the big loser today is Bradley Wiggins the British champion who has crashed out with a suspected broken collone in a massive pileup which has forced 80 Riders here to try and catch up with the race yeah Bradley Wiggins we watched him early on in the season be very dominant in the Criterium D do watch’s this at the side of the road this is Levi leimer again a mechanical incident it’s a back wheel flat tire taking his time to take it out but when lady lock leaves you Phil she really does do a runner but HTC high road now are being challenged by leopard Trek in the middle you’ve got the lines of all of these Riders trying to get the organization going there’s a line of riders from Team catusa on the right hand side and they’ve got a great new spinter a young Rider gam Mizan and he could create the surprise around the chicane watch out for the traffic furnace just splitting it up putting it back together thank heavens they’re seeing what’s going on here as they continue to drive this race on now we’re running into the last 4 kilm of the day and the to the Gap is 214 to the Chasers behind now now it’s Peter vet’s turn at the front they slowly but surely using up the soldiers here the last man is expected to deliver it is a long 1.6 km finishing straight after a sharp turn into it Phil that last kilometer between 5 kilm to go and 4 kilm to go was covered in 60 seconds that’s 60 km an hour just inside of 40 m an hour we haven’t even hit the ACC ation for the Sprint yet well the crowd now in shatow are watching the arrival of the lead peleton in the tour to France they’re going to see a second race coming in in about 2 minutes and 17 seconds Peter vet has done his job he’s got nothing left in the gas tank now he swings off but there is still six Riders from HTC high road at the front number six in the line will beat Mark Cavendish cavendish’s wheel is covered at the back by alesandro just behind Jose yimas but the boys have still got plenty of fire power vet hasn’t gone to the Back Field he did a big turn at the front and they swung in to get behind the wheel of Bernie Isel they want the fir power with them for as long as possible Ren Shaw is just in front of kadish in front of Ren Shaw is gos and then pernie Isel today has said I’m going to do the long one at the front SE a boys I think we are seeing the perfect lead out train in operation at the moment Mark Cavendish is the last man in white in the long straight line just in front is the rider from Bathurst in New South Wales that is is Mark Rena everybody says he’s the fastest man and he could win for himself but he loves to lead out Mark that’s his job watch the location of the green jersey of Philip jilber and the yellow Jersey of to hush up when we finished here in 2008 and Mark Cavendish won to hush up was the next best of the Riders who are competing in the race today he finished in fourth Bernie Isel on the front in front of Peter vellet then right up there as well still in reserve hasn’t really turned the gas tank on yet Tony Martin they’re now fill inside of 2 kmet there’s only one corner left it’s a right hand sweeping Bend and then it’s 1.5 km straight line down to the finish here in chat rou huge huge effort by Bernie to make sure nobody could move up the pellet on there but he’s sold his engine and he’s dropped to the back this is the sweeper now they will actually soon see the Finishing Line if they’ve got great eyesight it’s a mile in front of them but once they get under that one kilm ago it is dead visible in a long straight line look at the width of this road look at Tony Martin this man can win an individual time trial he’s a challenger possibly for a high finish in the tour to France but today those thoughts are not in his mind his thoughts are make sure you keep the pace nice and high we don’t want any challenge to come from the other sprinters like jilber like GLE like to Hof in the yellow Jersey over to the right hand side they’re going to keep this pace nice and high and fill as they come inside the final kilometer they have still got the fire power on this race 55 seconds for that final kilometer Andre GLE is right up there wouldn’t he like to beat Mark kavish but he’s a long way back they’ve got to watch out for this Russian spinter denn is glad him off because he is there he’s in fifth or sixth wheel and it’s the guy flicking his arm he’s a newcomer to the tour to France he’s a fast finisher now the yellow Jersey of Hof is brilliantly placed he’s not pushing it but he’s waiting and watching and now we’re getting down to the final run we’ve got two Riders left before it’s Cav’s turn to go and everybody look at them are scrambling to grab the back wheel of Mark cavish Roman Fu has come up through the inside there he’s ducking and Diving like a man possessed gossi now started the Sprint he swings off he now up to Mark rencho still locked into position there is mark C is waiting for the moment to bounce is the launch for the line of the missile as Ren has said okay it’s down to you Mark Mark is now having to go for a long Sprint watch’s the left of the road that’s GLE on the left of the road cavage grips his teeth but cavage gets it GLE will be in second place Ali jet on the right was will be in third bar cavanis relives his youth he won here in 2008 and he’s come back and he’s won again and that now is stage win number 17 in history Phil let’s have a look at this because this is textbook this is from the handbook absolutely perfect Matty gos set him up with 350 M to go pulls out look at the acceleration of GLE on the right hand side you can just see that a great move by him all of a sudden cavers says thanks Mark I’m coming up now to try and get myself in and out of the way there he must have been surprised by the acceleration of GLE his former teammate now an adversary but this is the moment Cav has got the afterburners glowing here throws it to the line no contest alesandro is up there looking pretty good it’s second oh I don’t know second or third for GLE and and Fu right in there in fourth as usual and with perhaps even more reason than un usual C waited at the Finish Line to thank his teammates what hadn’t been relayed to him in the Mad Dash for the line was the news about his British Olympic teammate the other British star in this race Bradley Wiggins has had to abandon today broken collarbone suspected no not breaking news to you did you know that I didn’t know that no where did he crash intermediate Sprint 40K he he crashed and that was it your reaction I’m gutted for him really GED he’s on the baby in the best form of his life you you know and uh we could have brought home a Sprint perhaps a Sprint Jersey any yellow Jersey he was really on for GC I tell you people might doubt him B I’ve never seen him on form like this I’m gutted for I’m actually really gutted for on any other day the big news would have been the good news Mark cavendish’s 17th Tour stage win but on this day the bad news was bigger and once the podium protocol was over it was off to the hospital although The English Patient was already checking out and heading home yeah I think everyone was just jostling for the front it was constantly told in the radio that we got to stay in the front got to stay in the front there’s a risk it could split any minute I think everyone was being told that and when you got 200 Riders riders that are trying to stay in the front this on small roads like that yeah it was always going to happen so it’s just one of them things you know the finish of stage eight like the finish of almost every other stage on this race so far was uphill but this was a hill of a different magnitude from anything the Riders had faced in week 1 more than 1200 M up to the ski station at Super b s SE Bradley wiins had disappeared from the top of the standings overnight of course because of his crash so too with his Sky teammates G Thomas and edal buron Haren the three of them replaced by yob Fang Andy schle and Tony Martin no change at the very top Toft still had the single second advantage over cadel Evans he’d been holding on to since the team time trial on stage two although this was the day that even he caned it would be likely to slip away approaching the Finish ruy Coster of Mo star and Portugal had attacked off the front of the day’s Breakaway and looked like holding on for a great solo win behind him Evans contor and the schle were in a select group at the front so was a large blonde figure in a yellow Jersey this is the tester now the top three names of previous tours are riding right in the shadow of the three times Champion he’s checked them both out also moving right up behind him is Jurgen vaner Brock and jilber says I can do it just as well as you can a Philip gilber jumps clear now grits his teeth I don’t think he could reach the leaders it is just a little Hill too far for him but there is the expect acceleration of the champion of Belgium well it’s a little bit like the finish at the top of the calberg in the Amel goal race which he won in the month of April Alberto Conor goes again and Andy Schleck right on his wheel followed by cadel Evans Tony Martin will see that line of ride as and accelerat onto the back of it and watch out Phil for Frank schle cuz he’s looking very comfortable about fifth or sixth position Damiano Kuno kigo has launched his attack now the boys have tamed contador and they’re not going to attack him but everybody else is having digs now another acceleration has gone could have been Tony Martin who’s gone cadella is now gone and he look like Conor’s got to react to that I’m not sure contador is as sharp as he appears here he’s having to work very hard and this SL is happy to just follow it’s all pretty psychological for the moment Phil as rui Costa now is inside of the last 350 M I’m looking down through the haze of the exhaust of the motorbikes there to see whether or not he’s going to survive he’s done it it’s all over he punches the sky the Portuguese Rider gets the victory today they don’t get many in the Tour of France rui Costa has done it but the clock will start and P jilber has G up for second place here with the Sprint very much on for third place and cadell Evans has still got the fight to get over the line in third place now there won’t be a time Gap and there won’t be a change in the overall lead either because to Hof this incredible man is still in yellow and he’s smiling gosh I don’t blame him to was still smiling as he climbed the podium to take his seventh consecutive yellow Jersey of a race that was only eight stages old as much in disbelief as anything else I did not believe that I could could keep a yellow Jersey uh up on top of Super V because we are only one second ahead of a rider like k 11 it’s not easy so uh yeah today again I I I surprised myself Stage Nine looked like being a long day on damp roads in the massive sentral and with eight mountains to tackle it was a day that consisted almost entirely of climbing and descending Alberto contador did manage to go down on one of the few stretches of flat early in the race a minor incident that only looked more minor as the race progressed this is a very sad sight we’ve cut back to the main field here there’s a rider from Omega farmal Lotto down there it’s a big tall rider he’s been looked after by Andre gripal again you can see also two rides from Team BMC there stopping by the roadside as well here somebody’s gone straight off the road and down into the trees there and once again the Radio Shack boys are in the here that’s under is Clen on the right hand side bad luck continues for Radio Shack yeah they’re looking down there to see who went down there as an Aon R still more down there at least two or three Riders they’re down that ditch but Andreas Clen he was the new leader of radio sha because he was the only one left with a chance and now he’s been claimed by a crash well this is an amazing tour they they just found a place a hole on the trees there and through it they went I can only assume that was Alexander vinokurov because otherwise the whole of Team AI would not be stopped at the side of the road like this and I think he was stuck to his bite that’s why they were trying to lift him up well that’s Andre griffco who’s tried to hold that looks like being a up there who’s being held out of the ditch the man who was trying to pull off the stage that’s certainly Alexander vinokurov took nasty bang I think on his back he’s being also helped out here by vus who is behind him well this was in a straight part of the road and you could see the main field really giving it some hammer on The Descent there there’s the Riders who stopped alongside him 62 Dimitri fenov is 63 the whole team has waited here none has gone forward and this doesn’t look as to me as though vof is going to be able to carry the doctors are now with him I think the problem he not his back I think it’s just his right leg the official word on vorov was a broken right femur although there was talk that his injuries might be even worse also out was om gafar motto’s hope for a Podium Place Jurgen Vanden Brook he’d broken his shoulder blade while his teammate Frederick Willams had a suspected broken collarbone for David zisy it was his wrist that was fractured one crash four Riders on their way to hospital but as bad as it was at least that was a racing incident an unavoidable fact of Life as a professional cyclist what happened to two members of the day’s fiveman break was in a category of its own now what’s voer doing here now well Something’s Happened back there what the cars what’s going on well I’m not quite sure somebody stopped I think y a little bit of chaos just having a quick look here in fact there’s been a CR oh goodness me that hit the side of the car and that was the French television car going by him there that was ridiculous well they got to get themselves back together and uh that car came in and just whacked that ride and normally the car drivers in the tour to France are experienced ex-professional cyclists but that is bad luck for the bad luck for the Breakaway and tell you what that guy went down extremely hard and that was Juan Antonio Fletcher well you know what happened to the motorbike when Nikki senson the champion of demo was knocked off by a photograph as motorbike the other the other day he was sent off the tour completely and I think the same might happen to that car now well that was Halland who went over the top of Fletcher and ended up in the the field there’s a little bit of discussion going on here they’re calling for a medical car to come forward these three Riders now have been let’s have a look at it one more time that that was well he’s been caught in a wired fence there so he’d be ripped to pieces going into that fence Johnny hland yeah what happened there was the there the team car was coming by there was a tree in the side of the road the tree the car tried to come around the tree should have actually hit the brakes of the situation like that amazingly both one Antonio Fletch and Johnny hogland got back on their bikes their ambition suddenly recalibrated from perhaps winning the stage to staying out of hospital and in the race that piece of spectacularly poor driving left three men in the day’s break Thomas Vera Sandy Kazar and Lewis Leon Sanchez such was their lead that Vera was assured of taking the yellow Jersey the question was whether he could take the stage win as well and look at this voer has pushed them out in front he’s now riding behind them he is going to attack these Riders and here he goes that was a perfect move and he’s put it in and Lance Leo leis Leon Sanchez saw his shadow pole and got the kick on him well he knew that was the moment to move and L Leon Sanchez has got the power in those legs Thomas vuler could not get onto his slipstream fill and it looks like the Spaniard is going to get himself another victory at the tour to France as voer comes around it’s going to be a yellow Jersey for vocal he dreed with the stage Victory and in his favorite area here as Lis Leon Sanchez he gets the victory the clock will start now and that’s when we’ll find out just by how much Thomas voer leads the tour to France when we restar from orak on Tuesday the exact timings didn’t matter to tus soft he knew his run was up and use the final few hundred meters to take credit for his fighting week in yellow so here’s how the standings look at the end of nine days of racing Thomas Vera is the new race leader by 1 minute 49 from the man who beat him to the stage with Lis Leon Sanchez cadell Evans is the best of the big names third at 2 minutes 26 then it’s the schle Tony Martin Peter Ellet and Andreas cleron further back Ian basso is 11th Nicholas roaches 13th Robert King 15th and Alberto contador 16th having lost his yellow Jersey Toft is down to 24th David Miller his teammate is 28th Gite Thomas 32nd and Ben Swift 118th on any other day a French yellow Jersey on a tour that hasn’t produced much home success would have been the podium picture of the day but on this day it was the sight of Johnny herand a man who might easily have died 50 minutes earlier surviving the stage to take the pka do Jersey and then having the composure once he’d wiped away his tears and regained his composure to talk like this it’s horrible I can blame everyone but I think no one do this on purpose I think the people in the car will will have a very big guilty feeling and they will for sure apologize to me and P came to me and he he apologized and it should not be happened but it’s always possible something happens like this and nobody I can nobody blame for this it’s it’s a horrible accident and I was in it but I just say to flet I say we still alive and vion died in the CR I have three three this kind of uh itches so I go to the hospital I think uh I get 30 stitches or something well let’s hope the combination of those stitches and the rest day allow him to recover well enough that he can continue in the race and actually enjoy the Jersey he risks so much for crashes of course a part of cycling but they don’t usually involve motor vehicles coming after the camera bike that took down Nikki senson on stage five that’s two in nine days on this year’s tour and they prompted a review of race safety from a contrite tour director well we’ll wait to see what that review produces but what we do know is that the driver of this French television car whichever one of these two it was at the time will not be on the race when it resumes tomorrow Philip jar will be and he’s looking like a strong Contender for the green jersey competition having stretched his lead to 45 points over second place Jose wakin roas and to 64 over Mark Cavendish in third the king of the mountains as we’ve seen is Johnny hland and injuries permitting he has a chance of keeping it for a couple of days at least until the real climbing starts in the Pyrenees Robert hayn holds on to the white jersey he took from Gant Thomas on stage six when Gant waited for Bradley Wiggins rainar looks like hazings big rival for that Gant himself is now fifth now if your memory is anything like mine you’re fine for a while but then the race reaches a critical mass the stages start to congeal and you can’t remember what happened when so before we start let’s remind ourselves of the state of play coming out of the first rest day apologies if you think this has been replayed to death but it was the big Story coming out of Stage Nine Juan Antonio Fletcher hit by a French television car and Johnny hogland sent flying into a barbed wire fence hogland was cut to Ribbons but got up not just to finish the stage but take the poka dot Jersey as king of the mountains leader his tears multiplied by as many millions as they were watching on television now the good news was that after 33 stitches 36 hours of rest and several thousand internet proposals of mar Mar hland was able to start stage 10 in the king of the mountains Jersey Thomas verler was also enjoying his first day in the yellow Jersey this year his first in fact since 2004 having taken it On Stage Nine this is how the standings looked coming out of the rest day Thomas Vera had a lead of 1 minute 49 from Lis Leon Sanchez cadel Evans was the best of the overall contenders ahead of the schle who lined up in order of seniority Frank at 2 minutes 29 Andy at 237 Philip Jil bear was the only other man within 3 minutes of the lead ahead of the likes of Ivan basso Damiano kigo Nicholas roach and the injured Robert haing Alberto contador was 16th 4 minutes and 7 Seconds down and Samuel Sanchez was 20th at 501 stage 10 took the race south from orak to Caro in the tan getting closer to the Pyrenees still it was a flat stage and Mark Cavendish was looking for his third win and 45 more green jersey points as he looked to make up ground on the leader Jil bear as we go under 10 km to go with the pellet on now we are looking at just 14 second spread on the field in the tour to France it is Garmin SLL who’s got control of the front now there’s so much Firepower in this Breakaway and they could be dragging Tony galipan in the red and white jersey of coverage here Phil to a French Victory more speed required says Thomas voer Tony Marin says well you come in front of me then he says no thanks I’m going behind you the Union flag of Great Britain indicated there that the headwind now might be having its effect they’re all dodging on the back wheel of zilber but nobody seems able to go and give the Belgian a hand and Yen void is trying desperately now to bring the rest of the race into contact well a little move here by Davin as he tries to split up the group he probably realized it’s starting to come back now Phil we’re looking at 7 Seconds there’s the mainfield these are very desperate moments oh and poor old Philip jberry he’s probably got an awful lot of lactic in those thighs now goes a move by usadel usad on the right they haven’t got a real Sprinter but they certainly got some opportunities to try and go it looks to me like isar has made a move here Philip gilberg gritting his teeth here he heard the time Checker just gone up a shade to 10 seconds and he’s gone again well you know this man is having an incredible season and he’s having an incredible tour to France he has literally ridden the other riders in the Breakaway right off his wheel Tony Martin has going back to the main peleton and I think that will be a big Advantage for Mark Cavendish cuz Tony Martin is a powerful man a powerful part of the lead out for HTC High Road the peleton still haven’t got themselves back to Philip jilber if he wins this one this is going to be an incredible Victory they must be wondering Phil what can we do to pull back Philip gilber well he’s got himself into his time trial mode now he’s looking lazily onto the handlebars as streamlined as he can they are still on this long long descent here yeah they are absolutely flying into Caro well he’s got himself still 12 seconds advantage over the Pelon and it’s a bit of panic on board I think in the peleton this afternoon well the Philip has just hit the one little uphill there before we continue our way down to the bottom and that is where the Pelon have used it there is Mark cavan’s Fourth Man in white to the right Rock ass is just behind cavish as well so HTC High Road are now getting control of the race as the game we now see an attack from Perez Alan Perez has launched an attack well another slight move coming here from Von but just look at the organization of HTC H they’re not panicking they don’t want to respond to any of these attacks they want to keep a steady tempo because if you accelerate that really is bad for the sprinters that’s the American Rider TJ Vanguard setting the tempo on the front of the pack but lined up behind him are all of the HTC High Road lead out Squad well the one man missing from HTC High Road surprisingly is Matty G he’s just been dropped by this group and he’s now behind the race so I’m a bit surprised with that but he’s not having a good day after that rest the others are all here and working for Cavendish a game Mark Cavendish as surprises on a hilly day this pure Sprinter has survived to looking likely now to fighting out the Finish Well very often Phil people say cavish can’t climb but bear in mind you don’t win Milan Sano if you can’t climb that is the longest one day race at over 300 km 100 180 plus miles straight down from Alan to Sano now no help coming here when you come down to the end of a race like this it’s quite easy and to make that first initial attack to get off the front of the pelaton but then all of a sudden you get smacked with the wind in your face and the difficult thing is actually continuing that effort there are not many riders in the Pelon who can actually ride off a main field as they come down to the last four or 5 km of a race like this and in fact the Riders who can do it were I should could do it I should say were Riders like letis laav ekimov who did that a number of years ago to win a stage of the tour we are looking for three kilometers to go here as be cadri tries his move the Pelon it’ll disturb them that they’re so far ahead just coming up for 3 kmet to go but just now HTC High Road have got a lot of Firepower down down there and they’ve got the missile up to shoot just behind them all well bill cadri is another local Rider from this part of the world so he’ll be riding in front of a home crowd this afternoon his mom actually owns a a cake shop not too far away from where the race went through this afternoon she’s got a television in the Cake Shop so she doesn’t miss any moment of the Tour of France this year three kilometers to go now Mark Cavendish knows and we certainly know because we drove in that the last kilometer has two extremely short bends on it and caval want to keep himself out of trouble that’s for sure the rider from the lampre team there Phil over on that far side there in fact is the replacement Sprinter that’s Danel o Hondo this is either David I think this is Ryder haod doal here has just made a move no it is Miller opportunist having a go well this is the kind of move that David Miller has used many many times in the past now he is the kind of Rider who has the ability to keep this sustained effort off the front end of a main field when they’re charging into town but there’s organization in that peleton this afternoon and these are Big Wide roads and they’ll be touching speeds in excess of 40 mph Miller will be looking for those corners and hoping he can get round there before anybody else two 2 kilm left to go but this is a great move by Miller this has taken the pressure off his team Garman SLL are trying to set up I think now for the world champion to Hof and so while he settles down the peleton led by Tony Martin brings back David Miller well Tony Martin is the man who’s doing doing all of this paac making to keep it nice and high they do not have an organized lead out train for Mark Cavendish this afternoon onto his wheel it looks very much like they’re trying to place Andre GLE in fourth position well the race radio if you could hear it now is shouting at everybody because they’re getting in the way and they’re very concerned about this last kilometer the motorcycles have been told to get away from the race completely we can’t see any in our picture as they line up with one kilometer to go and this is where you’ve got to hold on to your hats here there are two very short bends but it looks as though at least team HTC High Road have got good control of the front of the race well Tony Martin swung off now and in fact it’s Omega faral Lotto keeping the pace nice and high because there man Andre GLE is up into fourth position bumping and barging that’s GLE right on the wheel of Mark Cavendish the two former teammates now big rivals well they’ve got through the SES here there’s still a sharp left-hander in the last 300 M to Hush off he was about fourth place on the right with those dark glasses on has got himself into a great this is the sharp turn here as they come around the corner now they’ve got a perfect lead up for the line now it is up to see if the Sprint can come and I don’t see Mark cavish getting in on this one now watch out for rockas there he goes he popped out to the shadows and just look at the speed of this man he sees the Finish wait for it to being challenged by GLE he looks at GLE he grips again and on the line GLE this time has got the better of Mark kavenish and that was a terrific spint the two AR Rivals who are teammates have now gone two one up in this year’s Tour of France in the favor of Mark that was an incredible Sprint by Andre GLE and how much does he enjoy that and more sweet because he’s beaten to the line Mark Cav absolutely that will go down as a being very very very special for Andre GLE the presence of Mark Cavendish over the years has kept GLE out of the tour to France to such an extent gripal had to change teams and the result is he’s pit Mark Cavendish right on the line I’m disappointed I I feel I made a mistake but you know G beat me so uh there there’s not an excuse I can say about that after the stage seven Sprint where GLE surge had faded before the line this made it one each in head-to-head competition but on a wet stage 11 Cav got his chance to make it 2-1 10ks from the finish for the six leaders 31 seconds of the Gap the chase is on the rain is on at least it’s beginning to ease at the Finish they might get an okay Finish after all the skies are brightening very quickly all the work being done by the Riders of HTC high road that is Matty gos he’s normally a lead out man for Mark cavish they’re having to use all of their Firepower here to pull it back to the fold just going to the back this is L’s back that’s not a surprise F he’s done an incredible job of work throughout the whole of this stage with Danny Pate the reain has started on the course again look at this now it’s a ironically it’s gone off at the Finishing Line it’s moved up the road and it’s hit the rid look at the face on the right there Fabian kelara try to protect the schle brothers Andy just behind him there but the problem is now these boys haven’t given upy that’s not in the script they’re supposed to give up now and go back into the field they refuse to do that 6 kilm to go they’ve only lost 6 seconds since 10 km to go of the lead now this is making it extremely difficult for HTC hyro because they are using too many men to close the gap to the leaders and therefore losing the men who will lead out Cavendish for the finish and it’s it’s going to be a difficult spin for all of the sprinters now well these guys now are going to be starting to think right this is a possibility of a victory here this afternoon so somebody May well try to make a move on the running towards the Finish finally HTC have got some help it’s the pale blue and pink jerseys of team lampre and just at the back there and the wheel of Mark Cavendish you can see a rider on a lime green bike and that of course is alandro well it took a while but at last lampre has realized the serious seriousness of this situation they have a big Sprinter in Alexandra uh but they finally put two boys on the front to help out Fletcher the man that crashed in that terrible accident a couple of days ago now slipping towards the back of the race here but as we’re getting closer to the Finish now the urgency coming into the teams of the sprinters they do not want to get cheated of their chance of Glory this afternoon because after this it’s into the high mountains and they will be into the autus the group of riders at the back of the tto France who struggle to survive the tall figure in Black has come through now replay Simon garens for sky as Christian KES the German man former German champion on their squad these are the leaders still getting on with the job in hand and agonizingly slowly the big pack is pulling them back the clock is saying 15 seconds now 5 kilomet to go to the Finish they’re getting desperate in the pelaton the roads remaining quite narrow as you run down towards the finishing level 9 seconds is the official gap between the six-man leading group and the front end of the main field and it’s still under the control of Team lampre Big Move now coming from last boom this is a last depth desperate ditch effort 4.5 km Miku delar is really digging deep for the energy and a little bit of an attack going there by Ruban Perez no it’s byone himself who’s made the move last bone now is he going to ride alone to the finish and fool the sprinters at their own game this guy can do it he’s the time child champion of Holland he’s also a terrific man against to watch well he’s the one Rider in that Breakaway who could possibly create the surprise he knows how to master this very explosive effort he’s learned that from cyc Cross in the winter because the probably the most important kilometer in the cyc cross race fi is the first kilometer you’ve got to go out of the Starting Gate and get yourself into the first difficulties in the first positions Lampe now taking over some help there’s Bernie Isel sitting in second position behind him it’s Tony Martin behind him it’s Mark Renshaw the black and white jerseys on the right hand side of HTC High Road R of course team leopard Trek that’s Fabian celara locked on his wheel as if he’s a limpet mind locked onto a submarine is Andy Schleck for inside 4 kilometers to go for L bom now as he ties to time trial away from the field which will take some doing he’s going to have to hit 50 km an hour at least and hold it now as he runs down to the finish this is everything or nothing for him as he pushes on now the pelaton are slowly wrapping it all up behind him as out of the mer comes about 160 cyclist racing in a long straight line towards lav well Andre griffco he’s back in the folder Ruben Perez is resisting a fraction only about 50 50 yards off the front end of this main field and L boom really has put in a solid effort there you can see the remnant of the Breakaway it’s now they’re going to get swept up that will leave just one man off the front of the pelaton here this afternoon and one man who could create the massive surprise and out with the sprinters L boom 3 kilometers to go as they pass under the banner everybody is back except one man so the Breakaway went 13 km in most have been caught at three to go lbone is still disrupting the thought of the sprinters here as the workhorses from their teams are still having to try to reel this man in his legs are burning now with the lactic Hazard that’s starting to build up in them as you can see the concentration on the faces of these rid Fabian canelar is not thinking about Sprint victories this afternoon all he wants is to make sure that Andy schle is Comfortably and safely taken to the Finishing Line it’s Bernie Isel doing a man against man trying to pull himself back to the wheel of the Dutchman L boom just notice Mark renw there sitting in front of Mark Cav he’s just keeping him safe and sound on the left of our picture and that’s it now we all come together at just over 2 km from the finish the sprinters have it now as they line up for the finish and high road has still got a few Riders here but only three of them the middl man is Mark Ren Shaw Tony Martin leads and Cavendish is checking out who’s around him well I can tell him that rockas is getting rather close to him and looking for the perfect lead out David Miller now comes to the front in the blue helmet behind him it’s to Hof that obviously means that the Sprinter for Team Garmin SLL this afternoon is going to be Tyler far the American he should be in third position there it’s still a very long way to go to the line another demonstration of how to ride a great time trial by the Scott here David Miller he really is superb at this s of a run they’re looking now 1 and a half kilometers to go Farah is the man on the far right battling to get into the line Julian Dean trying to get himself in front of his teamate team leader here Julian Dean the pilot fish there floating in the wind is the 1 kilm flag the main field is under the control of argarin sell David Miller will do a long turn he will try and leave the last lead out to Toof who’s there in his World Championship Jersey and now getting himself into that line is Julian Dean the kiwi zigging and dodgy riding going on the right there with the elbow going out as we see now Sky coming through in the middle here sky are going to get mixed up with this one today as they now get under that one kilometer to go are they getting control of the pelaton for the British Squad well team Sky now riding alongside the team of gin cell it’s Julian Dean who’s on the front to making a massive big turn here slipping back into about fourth position is to husoft now as they line up for the Finish now GLE is also in the mix here again he’s going to look for Mark Cavendish at dla Ferrar has got himself too early on the front on the right now as they open up the Sprints on the left here and Cavendish is third in line Rena is waiting waiting waiting to lead Cavendish that’s off the final B now Ren Shaw goes he’s got the max missile locked into his back wheel Tyler perar has G onto the wheel of cavish and Farah has got on to the wheel of cavish but cavish doesn’t care here he comes Mark Cavendish and Andre GLE he looks at GLE he grips again oh boy revenge is very very sweet as cavages wins GLE gets second and Farah gets third well well well it just took 24 hours to get your own back well that was a perfect lead out once again by Mark Ren Shaw of Australia to put Mark Cavendish in the right position to just accelerate and catapult himself to the finishing line there’s the yellow Jersey of Thomas vocal fil so there be no more change in the overall standings Cavendish gripal right up there as well Tyler far well a tremendous result of pure sprinters and that was a see Mark cavis missed his man yesterday in Mark renw who was dropped on the final climb and couldn’t take him to the line but it’s all back to status quo now as Mark Rena delivered the missile to a perfect liftoff and he’s just pipped Andre GLE in the Sprint were you were aware of Andre GLE on your wheel and and when he made his move his effort no I just went I said I today I just said I kick I don’t care he was there I kick and uh when I kick normally I get a gap and I win that was all I wanted to do today it was quite danger at the finish one rder like it was so so close it was F I’m not saying the same like I did last time it wasn’t dangerous but we were so close together that his wheel caught on with a ratchet my shoe my shoe came and done with 500 to go I had to stop if you watch your overhead you see me put my t a buckle and put it back in my shoe again and have to do up with 500 to go you know and you got the green jersey did you know that oh I are lovely not bad go up there having got the Jersey he kissed it been watching too many football matches the question was how many points would C concede to Philip J in the mountains where the intermediate Sprints would be less about speed than the ability to get over any climes that might come before them well that was one question the bigger one was who would come to the four in the race for the yellow Jersey on the tours first panan stage which featured the C tolay and a summit finish up at the ski resort of lcard den as it happened the stage 12 Sprint was well before the first climb and Cavendish won it behind the day’s break away to Pat his lead by a few points in the day’s break was gank Thomas who at won stage had a lead of more than 6 minutes enough to be the yellow Jersey on the road at the top of the first climb that was down to 5 minutes 38 and then The Descent began oh my goodness me he’s crashed he just lost his pedal on the thank heavens there was a space between the cars ooh there’s a crash there’s a massive another crash there on the same Corner Riders going the roads must be very very greasy well the man what happened there was in fact Thomas vocal went round the corner he put his brakes on he corrected it and then he P to pick himself up again the yellow Jersey who was the first to go down was also among the first up and back in the race although he had to give up his matching bik for a spare with a standard factory paint job Andreas Clen had come off much worse and for a while it looked as though Radio Shack might be down to five Riders as he needed rolling treatment at both sides of the medical car breaks are neres steady Gant Thomas got back to the Breakaway Group after his off-road detours and actually attacked off the front of it alone on the C tooray it was an heroic effort from G but it was a tough stage to choose and inevitably he was caught 6.7 km from the summit of lzard den leaving the remainder of the climb to the first exchanges between the favorites for overall victory and there’s a little message here for p delgardo you never by hand wasn’t received uh too well either the Riders don’t always like this cold war water being poured down the neck now delgardo goes he’s waiting till perrow has flown just too many times and look at that Pedro delgardo has sprouted Wings Rish Veron deserves to be the winner there’s no question about that what happen what has happened there it seemed quite a normal corner he must have hit somebody in the audience mayor has gone and it’s complete and utter chaos at the back end of the bike race and he’s going again he’s accelerating again Phil this is amazing this man has been on the ground he almost lost his manhood on that crossbars a few moments ago and he’s decided he wants to go look at the perspiration just running off his face he’s heading now to his 16th stage win of his TS to France when the race hit the climb of lcard den this time round two Riders were out front the Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez and the young Belgian yela van ended a minute 18 behind them Thomas Vera was still in the group containing all the main contenders this is Alberto contador the greatest climber in the world who doesn’t look it right now he’s had to do an acceleration because whatever we said about Andy schle he’s just attacked and Condor saw it and has gone so did too did Kel Evans they’ve all lifted the game the four favorites are going well you that was just a little dummy move there as Andy schle came to the front and immediately the spron came from Alberto Conor and they’re all slowly oh there’s a move by Frank sleck now it was going to be the onew that is the onew it was the dummy by Andy now they got to go basso’s onto him straight away as Frank schle has made the move even ambassa has come across gritting his teeth but contador is gone and Andy Schleck is really gritting his teeth also the petty bran Kuno in pink has joined up as well Evans is there too they’ve got to control schle now well this is all the damage at the back but Frank schlick I think this year could very well be the secret weapon for Leia podre because he’s gone again and he’s forcing Alberto contador onto the defensive gell Evans just sitting there watching the party little nod of the head there for Andy schle saying no I can’t go over the top of this one 4 kilm to go we’re watching The Real Race here now the two boys up front have lost about 10 seconds of the lead with that attack and that Counterattack as they now have unshipped Levi leimer a little bit there he’s going to have to hope they slow down a bit now here’s the tack we expected earlier from Ian basso he’s waiting for the selx to use energy they’ve had to come back at him contador basso um cadel Evans and Frank schle and still in contact 18 W in the yellow Jersey Thomas voer that was a series of attacks there nobody could actually get a little bit of time between themselves and everyone else s looking very nervous looking left looking right waiting for another move to come from his brother and here it is again this is the next attack by the champion of Luxenberg and contador has kicked again so too has cadell Evans they’re going after Frankle because long term they always think Andy is the man to beat to Paris but Frank is throwing in the ricochets now and they’re not giving him any leeway at all matching every move and every person in the red and black Jersey BMC racing cadell Evans looking very calm and collected he doesn’t need to go on the attack today Phil because he’s the highest place of all of the pre-race favorites absolutely no yellow Jersey unless he gets a minute 2 minutes and 29 6 seconds ahead of the yellow Jersey and the yellow Jersey right with them Tommy voet enjoying his day now they’re all looking each other and say well have you got any more to throw at me because we’re all still here well even baso realizes this is the moment to go forward let’s not forget there are still two Riders off the front of this race yellow vendet and of course Samy Sanchez the Olympic champion 108 sliding backwards now this is Jean Kristoff perro of France well as perro takes his final gas there and then decides I can’t handle these lifting of the speeds He Slipped Away from a group of what was 19 Riders here where’s another move by Frank slack again well that’s another acceleration and this time they’re a little bit slow in the reaction because they had Roland on the front who is only concerned to look after his yellow Jersey and that is the gap now they’re going to have to react from the main field well this was the move we were expecting this to be the big one two and this is going to be the recipe fill throughout the whole of the Pyrenees and the whole of the Alps as well the two select Brothers I think are almost on identical form in the tour to France this year if not Andy a little bit behind Frank 2 kilomet to go for vaner and for Samuel Sanchez well Samuel Sanchez right now Phi is probably thinking to himself well I don’t know how I’m going to get around this guy in the Sprint finish towards the end because vender has not won many races throughout his career but he’s a man who’s always been fairly close to the front end of the race I think the best position he had this year was he in fact finished sixth In the Flesh well on race in fact and that was to help his own teammate Philip Zuber get the win and look at this cadell Evans they feeling his second place overall is it would be if it had stay status quo tonight he’s now going to chase Frank schle if he can he’s doing his turn at lifting the pace these are Riders now behind the race here being tailed off all of the time and sadly that looks like Tommy Danielson has just lost contact well the Gap now as Ivan basso accelerates over the top of cadell Evans they’re now starting to open the gap on the yellow Jersey Alberto contador moves and again shadowed by Andy schle and shadowed by Tommy voer as he gets across to join the other two they true what they say about the yellow Jersey it makes you ride like two men and voer has gone across cross to the back wheel of basso well he almost got to the back wheel but I think he was pushing himself to a bridge just a little bit too far then now as we can see Andy schle trying to bridge the gap to basso and cadell Evans Andy schle knows he can’t let cadell Evans get too far up the road well contador and schle has danced the way to the leaders there but how much more of these Riders got they’ve given everything to try and break each other up cadell Evans now is pushing on it looks as though Tommy voin knowing he’s going to stay yellow tonight hasn’t got a lot more left Pierre Rolland has stayed with him he’ll lose seconds but he won’t lose that yellow Jersey tonight go on Kick again well he’s given absolutely everything a little word of instruction to his teammate Pierre Oland what he has to ride now Phil is sensibly he can give away two and a half minutes on cadell Evans well he can give away 225 and still remain in the lead at the end of the day but it’s steep steep all of the way one kilometer to go now for the two Riders at the front Samuel Sanchez and yella vaner who wiped out get and Thomas and Jeremy raw at the start of this climb they race for first and second Frank Schleck the Luxembourg Champion is free to fly but can he close down 47 seconds in a kilometer it’s all uphill I suppose it’s possible and that is 47 seconds you can see them well in fact he’s coming even closer now Phil he’s gone through that point at 25 seconds behind Samy Sanchez and Ven and dir as you can see cadel Evans knows what he has to do he’s also pulling himself inside out well voer has his faithful teammate there nursing him up to the Finishing Line cadel Evans here is racing to keep a high overall but this has been a good day for the Australian basso has now put his colors on the mass he’s a candidate for victory so to Damion cuno in the pink the champion defending is at the back here he must wonder how the world of cycling has changed in the last 12 months well cadell Evans are riding really like a man possessed here taking the responsibility of the chase behind Samy Sanchez and of course behind Frank SLE but still these two men Phil are surviving they’re looking around every corner he says have a look down there we better keep working together because those guys are coming back very quickly and especially this man Frank schle Sanchez knows he has a problem with that Belgian cyclist he doesn’t know how to get rid of him and he’s he’s gambling vaner he’s going to jump in before they get to the Finishing Line I think and they’ve got to play carefully because Frankle is cominging quickly now as our camera has opened the gap on the petty pron there and look at this they better go soon because Frank schle now is going to take this race as he did in the Grom bour as he did on Al Duz he’s never won in the Pyrenees but that I think is about to change but there goes the Belgian he saw it in coming and I’m not sure Shantz realized that attack came of 500 M well Sanchez was right onto his wheel there and he’s gone onto his wheel around the corner that was a moment of Panic by the Belgian Sami Sanchez is in the ideal position now as you can see vener is tuning the lead out well he’s got to keep on going because Frank sleck is not going to relax the chase now sanchezz is gambling here this will be his biggest win since his gold medal in Beijing I don’t think there’s a second kick coming from Frank schle here but I think there’s a second kick going to come from the Belgian Rider the Revelation today in the mountains but the champion of the the Olympic Games in Beijing he’s got it in the end the final acceleration from Samy Sanchez and he’s disappeared into the midst of Lazard den and he’s going to win this by far by far away his greatest one- day victory apart of course from his gold medal win in Beijing terrific ride for Samuel Sanchez he climbed up the overall a little bit tonight but that wasn’t his aim today he wanted to win the first of the big mountain stages of this year’s tour to France and he has well that was a great greatly well-timed Sprint for him as he comes up just keeping himself in second place yellow Ven and dir he made the mistake as the acceleration now and it looked like there’s a little bit of a gap here where is Alberto contador seconds being lost contador has been unhitched and cadell Evans is in this as he goes through on the inside there’s fourth place at stake here cadell Evans on the wheel of basso contador has been dropped as he comes up the climb the champion is losing more seconds on his own Playground now and a lot of seconds as basso gets fourth Andy schle gets fifth cadel Evans is sixth kigo is seventh and contador the clock is counting it’s not a lot but it’s time lost in the tour to France for K it’s time for cadell Evans to open up the Gap Thomas voer will keep his yellow Jersey this afternoon look at his face he’s looking at the clockville and he knows well done thanks very much mate still in yellow V’s first job at the finish was to thank Pierre olon who’d been at his side all day shades of 2004 when he’d held on to the Jersey Against All Odds in 2004 though he’d been yo-yoing off the back of the league group this time he looked a part of it nonetheless the big names were now lined up behind ver in the overall standings Frank Schleck had taken over second place K Evans was third Andy schle fourth Ian basso fifth the head of his fellow Italian Damiano Kuno then a pair of Spaniards the defending Champion Alberto contador and the stage winner and last year’s fourth place Rider Samuel Sanchez the schle had looked the strongest of the group and Frank supposedly here to help his younger brother would looked stronger than Andy I like to win the Tour but if my brother wins the tour I’m as happy as if I would win so we got to play smart we are both pretty good right now so we got to play smart the question is is not if we can win the Tour the question is how can we win it day two in the Pyrenees finally brought some decent weather to the tour and although it featured one big climb in the coldo Beast there was a long flat run into the Finish perfect Breakaway territory and xia mire thought he’d launch the perfect break he was out front on his own for almost the entire day 10 km to go now he’s still clear but it’s close the two pursuers are 18 seconds back of him and Jeremy W is really fighting to hold them off now and he’s suffering you can see that there is the same 10 km Banner now for the Twan Chase well at A Moment Like This Phil he’s hardly got any energy left in those legs of his but he’s got to push that pain barrier that little bit further on he’s got to give his all right now because he knows if he gets caught after this long hard effort that he’s put in he’s Racing for second or third position because they all know how good to husoft is 18 seconds is not very much that’s about 300 MERS there they can now see the cars the red car just in front of Toof is riding right behind Jeremy W 836 forget the break the peleton behind they’re almost 10 km or 6 miles behind this Rider today we’ll have to wait for those to come in for quite a while because this man who is the new leader in the king of the mountains is still time to hang on and give France its first victory of this year’s Tour of France he’s heading towards 9 kilm to go and the other two are now 16 seconds back of him he’s really got to bury himself in a situation like this you’ve got to hurt all the way to the Finish 10 kilm normally will take a ride of between 13 and 14 minutes and he’ll be calculating that in his mind saying this pain has got to be with me for that much longer I’ve got to hold off I’ve got to prevent to Hof coming back otherwise I’ve lost my day but he’s not lost his day completely Phil because he will have a chance of pulling on the poka do Jersey at the end of the day this is the back of the pelaton which is a long long thin line of riders but although they’re going quick because they’re going downhill they’re not closing any gaps anymore they’re going to ride to the Finish as one there’s a little bit of an interest to try and bring back Philip jilber from the MV Star team because he will damage the position of roas if he stays out front it’s a tight finish at the top at the moment for the green jersey Cavendish will keep that green jersey this is the race of the day now Jeremy raw written himself into the annals of the history of the tour the France with some terrific riding for a week and now look at this Hush off is notching it up a ramp here and Monier he’s just about hanging on to his back wheel well Tor has got the bit between the teeth now he realizes he’s got to Peg it back he’s the kilometers are starting to tick away and they still haven’t pegged back that last 15 seconds or so as he go goes around all of these Corners he knows he’s aiming at that carfield that in his mind is psychologically what he wants to get himself to cuz he knows just in front of that car is the man he’s chasing well I’ll tell you what we started to go up this little ramp and he’s actually increased his lead again it went out to 20 now at that reaction from Hof’s brought it back to 15 they can see him he can see them he’s looking through his legs and under his arm he knows they’re coming but he is not going to concede Jeremy ra has got too big a heart to give up raw has just come over that little rise there and if anything these little Rises seem to be in his favor because it hurts the other two they’re so flat out to try and bring him back now we start to have a descent here that might throw it back to the favor of Hof he’s getting no help whatsoever from moutier and I think if they catch Jeremy wat moutier will try to go alone to the Finish 6.2 km to go very soon he’ll see five which will only be three miles to the Finish oh boy he’s suffering all sorts of pain this man now but he knows it’s worth it today well for him it’s a chance of Victory and a chance of Glory he’s had a victory so far this year it was the first race of the year the grand PRI de marz he won a race last year in Britany the trophy bro Leon and a year before that he won a stage of parin and that was in valon pond I just saw look he’s shaking his head here I think I think he’s generally can’t help he can’t go through he just can’t give any help to to Hof and to would not take kindly the attacked if they did catch it with Jerry Mar the Gap has gone out no it hasn’t it’s come back it’s 14 seconds despite the fact the Hof has taken a drink I fful that in fact David manuch does not want to work because he doesn’t want to spoil the French party having a Frenchman work with to Hof he knows that if they catch Jeremy W it’s going to be a victory for the man wearing 51 the world champion and that’s why now all of a sudden all of the work belongs to the responsibility of Toof but he’s a strong powerful character in side he’ll internalize all of this he’ll start and concentrate but you know for the last 5 kilomet it’s varied between 15 seconds and 20 seconds it’s not gone any less than that meanwhile at 10 kilm to go Philip jilber and balk mmer are still chasing here and they’re still ahead of the field Philip the champion of Belgium looking for green jersey points even though there won’t be that many about 10 5 kilm to go and he still looks as though he’s flying across the roads of fr today Bound for Lords well there I say this boy is now going to have to pray for a miracle because these two are so close to him and in the last three miles of the race now hush off is he thinking I’m not going to catch him or is he thinking I’ll get him 2 kilometers out well Tor is not the kind of guy Phil who will give up in a situation like this he’s had glory in the tour to France before as you mentioned he’s won on eight separate occasions he’s ridden the event 11 times and he knows that an opportunity to winner stage does not present itself very often DAV Monier knows the same thing he’s a two-time winner of stages at the Tour of France but he doesn’t want to spoil the party for France the French have not had a stage over the first 12 stages of the tour to France this year and can you imagine what the french press would do to David mon cuch if he helped to Hush off to catch Jeremy W as they’ve done in the past they’ve always said oh the French always chase the French well today it looks though mon coutier on a rival team is not chasing the french’ just gone under four 4 kilm to go now that’s about 5 minutes of pain for Jeremy R and can hush up close that Gap he is now under 4 km to go the Gap is locked at 15 seconds well it is quite amazing you know you can see the man that he’s chasing they’re locked in but they’ve been in the saddle for a long time they escaped early on after the first climb of the day the third category climb of the CUO curon and from that point onwards they started to form that 10-man Breakaway they’re all now starting to feel the fatigue of the last 10 or 15 minutes of today’s stage and still out in front of the pelaton is gev also Boyen hogen Pino back they’re all still ahead of the bunch we just got no cameras to show them to you and the peleton is probably about a minute behind Philip jilo trying to race for a handful of green points for that competition he could finish up in second place tonight but this is the race for the win today and this man has been a hero since he went away on his own on the climb of the cob Beast and the clock is still holding 13 seconds there’s the Gap and in fact mouer has gone to the front but there’s no power there there isn’t very much power at all and it may well be these long little false Flats could go to the advantage of Jeremy W who’s proved that he’s a very good climber to Hof knows that the time is kicking by the next barrier they’re going to see is going to be 3 kilm to go to the finish that corresponds for about 4 and 1 half or maybe maximum 5 minutes of effort 3 kilm to go now he’s about four and a bit minutes away from the finishing line four and a bit minutes if you could ride the bike for him I reckon they would the way those crowds the crowd is just cheering here and this is the Chase and I think at the end of the day there will be desperate moments from Hof he left to go and he’s gone well Hof has got the power in those legs he’s just going to look at the rider in front that white jersey on the shoulders of Jeremy W it’s still 13 seconds it looks as if Jeremy was starting to crack cuz Hof is going across that Gap this is the C he can’t rely on moutier so he’s had to shake him off his wheel moutier though is like olymp it he’s coming back to him what a Pursuit three Riders dotted on the horizon here Racing for first place in the tour to France and T Hush off this incredible Norwegian is now trying to reach this Frenchman and spoil the party well the camera looks back and it sees the white jersey with the rainbow bands around the middle the current champion of the world he won that title in July Australia in October of last year and he’s just about got himself into the slipstream but Jeremy W will not give up until he knows that Toof is right there locked into his wheel he’s made it across Toof he catches at 2.3 kilm from the Finish two Riders together I think you’ll find monut might get back he’s hit him straight away because he knows he’s tired and he’s going to ride to a solitary win here toop the world champion this will be the great moment under 2 km to go for the world champion now he’s free to fly in the most coveted jersey in the world that of a world champion what a moment of Pride for Norway as you can see the scramble mon cuche now is coming up to the wheel of Jeri but nothing is holding back to Hof to tall this afternoon he is a great individual time trials we said that in the early part of his career he’s the world champion at the under 23 level of the time trial but here he has changed his yellow tunic that he had over the first week of the tour franville and he’s put back His World Championships Jersey onto his shoulders what a moment of Joy that’s going to be he’s looking around the corner to see who tell me where the kilometer to go Banner is please the race was 152 km today 2 kilm too far for Jeremy Roa who will be on the podium tonight as the new leader in the king of the mountains but the stage win is going the way of the Norwegian world champion and you would have got impossible odds on this man at the start of this stage because of the counting in the middle there is the one kilm to go this is rather a narrow approach to the town they didn’t expect a big bun Sprint and indeed they haven’t got one Lords hasn’t seen the tour to France since the end of the 40s and now they’re seeing the world champion bring it on home well Gino Bartley the famous Gino Bartley from Italy was the last man to win on the streets of Lords this afternoon and still fill there a Norwegian flags all over the place look at the crowd here and this will inspire Hush off all the way to the the line for his ninth historical stage win he rode his first tour to France and he lasted 12 days back in 2001 and what the fairy tale for the American garment avello team continues here he can’t believe he’s winning this stage with all those mounted behind him this wasn’t to be his day it is now well he’s going to be extremely satisfied with this one Phil he’s won eight times before at the T front but when you’re a sprinter and you’ve dragged your body over the biggest mountains that the Pyrenees could slap in your face it’s going to be a massive moment of Pride and a huge smile will come across his face he just doesn’t believe it this will I reckon he erases the finest win of his career win number eight in the tour to France and he comes home both arms in the world the world champion and he wants you to seee the world champion has to win a stage of the tour to France in that Jersey the only two Norwegians in the race that’s Boon Hogan and T and they both won stages now and they’re both going to finish in the top 10 on today’s stage as David Monier comes across the line he marked this race in his book today to try and get himself the victory he’s going to have to settle for second place but here is the hero of the day Jeremy W he failed for 2 and a half kilometers he cannot believe it I know it hurts in the heart it was a brilliant brilliant Race Across the mountains and he didn’t win it but he went down fighting and he has got a jersey the first ever Jersey he’ll have pulled on in the tour to France it was real panach when you eventually retire and you look back on your tour to front stage wins that’s got to be the best one hasn’t it in some ways this is the best one absolutely I mean winning alone with a rainbow Jersey going over colis a Big R like a heavy Rider like me it’s was incredible stage 14 was the toughest of the tour to date and arguably the toughest full stop five Giant pyan in climbs to get over and a six to finish on the plateau de Bay Thomas verer took a 1 minute 49 Second lead into it but with so many of the favorites lined up behind nobody expected him still to be there at the end mind you no one had expected him to hold on in 2004 when the race finished on the same climb and he denied Lance Armstrong the race lead so he had history on his side if nothing else the schle put their team on the front to set a pace high enough to thin out the field and by the time the race reached the foot of the final climb there was only a small group left a small group that nonetheless still contained the yellow Jersey the schle launched a series of attacks that troubled Alberto contador more than Thomas vla but neither of them very much while yelan endut took advantage of the infighting to ride off the front on his own in the distance is the banner 5 kmet from the summit and it’s climb all the way to the finish today and yellow vaner has taken advantage of the in battle of the favorites to leave them behind and go for the stage when he’s not a danger for yellow just yet he’s 12 minutes and 54 seconds behind the yellow Jersey and the schle has come up to third Evans is fourth contador is fifth Frankle is Sixth and Sanchez has got himself back up as well Pierre Roland has just hooked up to the back cigo looks as though he might be gone just see him in the distance well he’s uh hovering at the back of this group but every time they slow down it gives chances for a rider to come back into the event 4.6 km to go to the summit Thomas voer is now starting to look at retaining his overall lead and if he does today he can keep it for at least two more days before the next assault on the high passes of the Alpine Peaks well deian Kuno going off the back of this grer sixth overall at the start of the day here he is now and this will be the greatest moment of his career as a professional cyclist if he’s to win one of the most coveted stages of this year’s tour to France and he’s got the advantage because he’s lost the time so far they’re not directly attacking him Samy Sanchez is going for it now well this is what happened at lzard Dem but he beat Frank Schleck there frankl’s not going to give him his head this time schle goes on his back wheel but he still persists well this is a slightly flatter part of the course and Thomas vler is digging deep now to make sure that he can ride of his way across that Gap I don’t know how many times he can recover like this and scramble onto the wheel of these attacks by the big heads of state Tommy VOA has gone back into third wheel there cadell Evans has come up Conor has come up we go under 4 kilm to go they’ve weakened a little bit Pierre Roland the teammate of Boer has been dropped in that floody of attacks Sanchez has gone the second time and he’s caught schle out of position well schle said to Thomas VOC why don’t you go and chase him down you chase me down and there’s going to be a little bit of afraid expression now coming into this group Samy Sanchez could be making a good move here he could be looking at another stage Victory he’s got a bridge though 30 get 30 seconds to yell it vend well there’s no reason for voer to chase him yet he’s 4 minutes 11 seconds behind Tommy voer so voer will keep concentrating on the main closest to him and gamble on the gaps that Sanchez is allowed to get Sanchez is an absolute long-term danger they can’t let him go too far Frank schle went out of position Sanchez attacked Kevin cadell Evans is third now this group is getting smaller and Riders are actually getting off the front well this is the leader now yela vender of Team Omega farmer Lotto he’s plowing that lonely far he doesn’t need to look over his shoulders he’s just got to carry on concentrating at 3.1 km to go he may well not even know that coming across the Gap probably half halfway across the Gap is the Olympic champion from Beijing Samy Sanchez number 21 basso has come back to the front again he’s giving as good as he gets here 3 kilometers to go now for Samuel Sanchez he’s uh last time he was with vaner as you say and he had to drop him to win the Sprint now he’s got to catch him and win the Sprint well Ian basso just getting out of the saddle once more picking that pace up to make sure he he keeps the pain in everybody’s legs here this afternoon I would think a little frustration ated number 11 there andy schle he’s not been at his throne I don’t know how many attacks at everyone here watch out for number 18 he’s getting out of the saddle that’s Frankle he’s maybe waiting to see if he can repeat the same attack that he put in the other day when we went up to the summit of lzard denber to uran is the rider here for team sky as well he’s had a very good day in the mountains again Andy schle he made those three attacks you know they always say you can make three and that’s where it stops if you don’t succeed and there’s been no more coming yet the others are getting more frisky as well but they haven’t really put in an attack cell Evans hasn’t Alberto contador hasn’t they’ve just followed the wheels up the mount him they’ve done everything they can do to negate the schlick but now Ian basso May well get some freedom from this because the schle will say to the other guys in this Breakaway okay you chase him down because you’ve been chasing us down as well and it looks as though we are able to change this is per of team ag2r and we didn’t expect him to be here at this stage of the race either but he is chasing basso basso is sitting in fifth place overall 316 down perro is a bit further back at over 8 minutes uh but those two as the inight starts the mark and look at this Tommy voer has left the stars of the tour to France well the projected stars of the tour to France and he’s going up to these other two with a face of pain he is going up to these leaders he is not going to lose his lead tonight this Rider is a gain riding like two men and cadell Evans is moving up on the crowd line Evans has sense there could be a problem here this is going to be a pushed by cadel Evans now well cadell Evans now it’s his responsibility to keep the pace going look at the face of Andy sleck it’s not a smile on his face anymore that’s a serious Grimace as he comes up alongside Evans voger has done I would say the ride of his life comparable to the ride in 2004 when he kept the lead in the tour to France on this very climb for 22 seconds but he was a younger man then Phil an inexperienced Rider today he’s riding with the strength of a long professional career but also with the brain of a season professional a very different tour to France but there are six Riders here who believe now they can win this race Tommy vley will begin to believe he can win this race he’ll need more time of course he’s not the best time trist but cadell Evans if he keeps this group like this he’s going to fancy his chances as we go down into the Alps now we’ve all gone back into the status quo pressure gone off again the leader is looking for 1 kilom to go the lone Furrow now of a belan cyclist I never thought I’d say that in this year’s tour to France winning on the plateau de Bay well the race situation vender is leading Sami Sanchez by 23 seconds and the yellow Jersey Alberto contador group is at 58 seconds from The Lone leader but this constant acceleration and deceleration does nothing to their ability to eat into the advantage of the two men in front of them we’re into the crowd barriers now under 1 kilometer to go for the Belgian Rider yellow van deret who is on the Amiga Farm Lotto team who lost their team leader and potential Podium finisher in Jurgen vam Brook as he fell and punctured along with way back last week and he went home and this man has started to fly the flag for that team well second on the road inside the final kilometer as well 21 Samy Sanchez he could be looking at a lead in the king of the mountains competition at the end of this afternoon but this group here Phil the only Riders to have really thrown serious punches at the other competitors were the two schle brothers but they couldn’t do it they couldn’t open up the Gap and they’ve got two men on that Squad too and they could not get rid of the Limpet like Riders alongside and cadel tried one move it almost looked as though it might have worked here they come under one kilometer to go they’re Racing for third place on the day and no time difference which is what they wanted most of all because they’re all likely to cross the line in the same time Alberto contador he still hasn’t convinced me he’s on great form but he’s had a much better climb here that he had on lose ID down well they could do nothing at all to get rid of Alberto contador but the man that was really astounded everyone I think at the end of today when we start to look back at the results is the man in yellow he was expected to lose the race at larded end he kept hold of it there he was expected to lose the race today and he’s still going to keep it because Thomas vler will remain at a minute and 49 seconds be ahead of Frank SLE this afternoon well prepare yourself now for the victory here of Ven and dirt and this will be the greatest moment of his life as he comes up towards the finish another push on there now by uh by basso who has had a great climb today the man who is about to win this stage has never won a professional cycling event since he turned professional he’s only a youngster and is a long future ahead first to the France first second Mountain Top finish first ictory and he is now going to move up the classification as well he can’t believe it that is a real real Victory today for yell vanet he also gets 40 points in the king of the mountains we’ll have to wait and see if he pulls on the leader he probably won’t because Sanchez will get also double points for second well this is the second group of Pier oan doing an incredible job for Thomas vler here this afternoon every time he’s been dropped he’s come to the front and paced the yellow Jersey Samy Sanchez again snatched a few seconds away from all of the other riders in this race and he will start to climb that little bit closer up to a top five finish he’s lost 22 seconds on the leader but Andy schle now powering away again well are they going to help him or is he going to open a couple of seconds on the line with a Sprint finish he’s determined to get something out of the day’s racing and he’s distance everybody he will get a different time to them or be it by two or 3 seconds that’s a very determined finish of the stage as he looks back and cadell Evans RAC is up to take fourth place behind him he probably conceded 2 seconds well it was just a show of defiance to slap the other guys in the face to say look I’m still strong and there’s a long way to go in the tour to France this week and I’ll be back but for Thomas voer yes that’s a sign of Victory the victory for him is keeping the yellow jersey for another day so implausibly Thomas Vera’s lead heading out of the Pyrenees was exactly the lead he’d held coming in 1 minute 49 seconds Frank schle had simply taken over from Lis Leon Sanchez in second place the heartwarming story of the Plucky home Rider defying the odds that was supposed to entertainers for a few days before things got serious was threatening to turn into the story of the race I would suggest it’s changed the game completely what you did today it’s no longer a question of hanging on you’re a real Contender now I don’t know what to answer to all those questions because uh it’s true do you not feel do you not feel that way I I it’s hard to believe for me to to be in yellow after the p with the quite the same Gap that I had before the py and uh what I expect the the I wouldn’t understand if the if it continues like like this during the last week because uh it’s unbelievable for me and that we I’ll keep on we’ll take the stage one by one as we made since the beginning and we’ll see what happen it’s like a dream after 3 days in the high mountains the race left the Pyrenees not with a rolling transitional stage but a hard fast return to the flat there was almost nothing between lemu and melier except vicious cross Tailwinds and some glorious scenery the day’s intermediate Sprint was late placed with just 46 km left to race and Mark Cavendish took it comfortably behind the day’s breakway to pad his lead over Jose Walkin roas and Philip jilber but the big points were at the finish and with the field alt together on the run into melier the tactic of the day seemed to be disrupt the HTC train now this is how to beat Mark cendes as they go into the last two kilomet is to throw individual attacks at the sprinters team and break up the Rhythm and that is working so far cavano watch the green jersey he’s holding position he is about seven men down there he’s still has control well they’ve got now the organization of lampre coming to the front end of this pack and not far back is Gregor Bley he’ll be looking after Alexander is the rider in the pink and blue jersey there with the lime green bike and the rush through in the center in the black he Gant Thomas trying to pull through Edward boy and Haren up towards the line bit of bumping and barging there is garant in the white sunglasses off to the left here he’s got H to from raberto uran the new man in the white jersey well Cavendish is boxed in at the the moment but right up there as well in about fifth position is Ben Swift it looks as if bosen haan’s going to make the Sprint for Ben Swift this afternoon once again it’s Garren Thomas on the front but now we’ve got the organization coming from HTC for Omega faral Lotto moving on the left hand side and that’s for GLE now the final lead out is trying to be started here but very shortly it’s got to be Rena who takes up the running griel looks as though he’s set up out of this now redshaw goes and still in his slipstream is is the max missile Mark cavish is waiting to be launch and again out of the middle of the field and the debris he is going to launch his attack and I’ll tell you now as I look at this when he goes there is nobody going to touch him and he goes as he makes his that’s Daniel OS who’s coming after him in second place but Ren Shaw is too fast for Oz but look at the Run of Tyler farret farrett coming on the right and Mark caves gets it on the line he makes it look easy but boy again only just ahead of the field brilliant enough he didn’t make it look easy Phil the team made it look easy for him because he cannot win a race without that team around him setting him up to Absolute professional that’s Daniel OS over there in the lime green liquid gas canondale but win number 19 for this man he’s unbelievable mark on stages like that when you get the train working and all men all nine men are there are there ever moments where you doubt yourselves or is is it in your own mind such a banker you seem so sure of how it’s going to work out it’s not a fact of doubting yourself it’s a fact of not letting them down it’s a fear more than anything and you know they’re incredible aren’t they it’s just like that I just I told you after the stage where they rode and G beat me I can’t sleep at night I just go over and over and over it’s serious you think I’m joking it kills me like you know not it’s not the fact I lost if I did it on my own then lost fair enough and the guys put everything into it and I can’t finish it it really does hurt me you know it’s just the case of that they just so well disciplined you know and it’s not a discipline you practice we don’t practice it they just want to do it they’re just there and they all have trust in the guy in front of them and I just have the Trust In Mark in front of me it was pretty much a day off for the yellow Jersey before the official day off for everyone and talking of everyone Ned asked Thomas verler the questions we all wanted to hear the answers to did you read the newspapers this morning no do you know what was in them no not really can you guess no tell me well it was full of talk about whether or not you can win the Tour to France and was is it something that you thought about last night when I a sco for you I’m not able to win the Tour but uh why do you say that because that’s made now n it’s my ninth to the frence since 2003 I made to the frence and obviously uh I’m not able I will give all I can as I said since I took the Jersey but when I saw the guys who are just behind me at the overhall classification a when I saw the different stages I don’t know how I could do that well you did it in the Pyrenees the apps are just mountains yeah may he better the higher mons they’re higher for everyone though Thomas and no one has so far been able to shake Vera off let’s check the standings then after 15 stages Thomas veret still leads the race by a minute 49 from Frank Schleck cadel Evans is third at 206 9 seconds ahead of Andy Schleck and they’re the only men within 3 minutes of the lead Ian basso is at 3:16 Samuel Sanchez at 344 Alberto contador at 4 minutes exactly and Damiano kuna go a second behind him Nicholas roach and Philip jar have both been in the top 10 this week but they’re both out of it for the moment 18th and 28th all the British Riders have been active over the past six stages none more so than gank Thomas who’s already planning more for the final week I’m going to try yeah why not I think uh yeah I felt uh good for the start really and uh yeah like you say it seems to be recovering really well and uh yeah you know make the most of tomorrow rest day and then uh you know two days where I think a breakaway is probably likely so we’ll uh get stuck into the racing again and then obviously the two days where we go with giper will uh try and keep Rigo in the best possible position Rigo being raberto Oran leading the best young Rider competition at the moment climbing well enough to extend his lead in the outs yelan endut has just two points on Samuel Sanchez in the king of the mountains competition and with 40 points a piece at the Summits of the gbia and Al Duz the race for the pka do Jersey is wide open the race for the green jersey is not 37 points is Mark cavendish’s lead over Jose wahin roas and the more dangerous Philip jilber is now 71 points behind him e stage 16 took the race to the foot of the Alps with a finishing Gap via one Alpine Foothill that had already secured its place in tour history alongside kl’s 10 times as big it wasn’t the climb of the cder mon that was intimidating but the fast tricky descent just 11 km from the Finish Line the same one that had ended Jose boki’s tour in 2003 and sent Lance Armstrong off-roading through a farmer’s field a leading group of eight Breakaway Riders were hoping to profit from the coal knowing that whoever L over the top would have a great chance of holding on to win with under 15 km left and a lead of nearly 6 minutes that group began to split up on the climb behind them the favorites were all together Ryder Hazard doal is prizing that Gap open now Phil it’s up to 26 seconds he looks over his shoulder to judge what the Gap is well I think I’ve Just Seen Boyce and Haan go from the pelaton we’ll check that up if we can they’re going up to 15 km to go Toof has counted the move as well so edal boyon hogen for team sky has gone and look at this contador suddenly hit this is a big test now contador has launched an attack and they wouldn’t have been expecting this they would not have expected a move to come so early on before we get to the big high mountains this is how it happened he was sitting in about 10th or 12th position he could feel the slight kick in the gradient coming around that corner and they’re going to have to respond to this one look at the Panic Fabian celara on his wheel cadel Evans Alberto contador Phil he was down in the first week he was down in the second week he’s now back he’s got to get time back but I would never have thought he was going to choose today and I bet the other Riders didn’t either now this is a real slap in the face to the leaders of the tour have counted this man out and Thomas voer there fighting for his yellow Jersey is counting as well and he’s coming across to the chase grp the man who’s surprising me is Fabian Canela who’s still here on a climb and trying to drive across Frank and Andy schle and cadell Evans well they’ve put down a little bit but as you see Thomas Voca scrambling across the Gap they’ve got rid of Ian basso and Sami Sanchez so this is a big move this afternoon I just noticed the orange Jersey of Sanchez he sees this as being extremely dangerous they’ve got to chase if they get away and they have to take risk down the other side that would be terrible and let’s go back quickly to the front because at the front heel is getting away too he’s breaking from ignatev Sanchez has come forward his golden helmet of Olympic champion makes him very easy to pick out there he is on the head of the race he now countered the move with these others well contador has really lit the touch paper now and everybody’s throwing a hat in the ring well those are the guys that we’re looking at the top six guys in the overall standings they’re battling it out Thomas vler has seen this and he is still accompanying the heads of state the men who we talked about as the pre-tour favorites Andy slex sees this is an opportunity to open up a little bit more time but voer is a man possessed he is riding incredibly well and I wonder if they realize now they may well have made a little mistake in not trying to get rid of Thomas vocal and the schle goes over the top is also excited now he’s trying to do it you know I don’t think they can get rid of him contador is not really showing any signs of injury anymore schle has tried many times to rid himself of contador contador is having null of it they’re still 5 km to go as he wants now Sami Sanchez to come and do some work well they’ve got a slight Gap over the pelaton here but this is an amazing situation to see what contador has all of a sudden done we are setting ourselves up to a very big Escape going into the big mountains on the front the blue helmet there of gin SLL that’s Tommy Danielson the now res resident of Boulder Colorado he’s in the top 10 in the overall stands he sees this as being a very important move and he’s closed the gap down because of it as well it is amazing situation to see the top six riders in the overall classification go out on the attack together projecting themselves as the best six men in the tour to France but they cannot get ahead of one another now there’s another attack being launched as we go back to the Ryder heidal who’s going serenely to the summit here and could be going to his first ever stage win in the tour to France well looks like Jesus Hernandez coming over the top here they want to keep the pace nice and high they’ve seen that they’ve got themselves a nice juicy little Gap here and coming over the top Andy Schleck so that’s not a very good move as they continue on the climb this is the pelaton try to repair the damage am auna going the pink jersey has got himself up here the poka do Jersey of B and D of Belgium also near the front so as they’ve tried to open up the gaps in fact the peleton has clawed its way back up to this group it’s not as big as it was by any means but still the big names are here nobody seems to be able to raise one Sprint over the other I think one of the reasons Alberto contador went on the attack there Phil it was a psychological move we’re going to have a big psychological battle over the next couple of days and it was for Alberto contador to say to his teammates I’ve got the legs here guys are you you’re going to have to work for me over the next couple of days cuz I can still win this tour to France it’s now Daniel Navaro on the front behind him Andy Schleck raberto Ur the rider from Colombia and sky in fourth position there in the white jersey best young Rider well I wonder if gadel Evans was expecting that move because he used his teammates to ride near the front and was ready for it when he came as we headed towards the summit as we look now at the leader here the Canadian haal is looking for the top of the cder mans once over the top it’s 112 km downhill to the finish a very very precarious descent too in this race and the two Chasers here edell boy and Haren of Team sky and the world champion Toof they are inside one kilometer this is Johson well Tommy Danielson trying to get himself across the Gap but the man doing the damage from the breakway is Ryder haal the Canadian Rider it doesn’t really matter whether or not he goes over the top on his own in the front or whether he gets caught by his teammate behind as contador goes again with vuler vuler has got his back wheel this man will not give his yellow Jersey to anyone they go past johnan as if he’s not even riding quick reaction from Andy schle as they come up towards the group again now well vler is a man he’s unbelievable he’s a man on a mission and although he said he has 0% chance of winning the tour to France this year for if he continues to ride like this with the confidence of a tourto France winner he could very well stay in contact in the mountains cadel Evans on the back foot now on his wheel there is Frank shle Damiano Kuno Samy Sanchez they are starting to scramble their way back and it’s all up to cadel Evans now on his own to nail these three back and nail them back he most certainly will here as Evans has caused a cracking the chase group he’s so anxious to get onto the back of those front three he’s cracked and Frank SLE himself is looking over his shoulder just behind Evans Evans comes back so contador will shut down now once they come back let’s go up to the summit now and see the arrival of Ryder heidal the Renaissance of the Canadian who finished SE seventh overall last year in the Tour of France he’s never won a stage but he’s got his best ever chance now 112 kilometers all downhill to the Finish yeah and he’s a great descender as we go back here to the little battle that’s happening between Alberto contador and the other guys in the overall standings he sees this almost because of the technicality of The Descent almost as to like a mountain top finish he’s prising a Gap open now on Andy schle and cadel Evans has to go SLE is cracked SLE has cracked and cadell Evans most certainly has not he’s catapulting himself up to the side of Alberto contador well contador has announced his return to the Toyota France today on a second category almost Anonymous climb as we go into the Alps he has really hit out at his Rivals he obviously saw there was a problem now bear in mind his team manager is a guy by the name of B re who last year was the team manager for Andy schle and I wonder if B re had a feeling today that Andy schle was going to have a hard time Schleck now has cracked and he’s allowed Alberto contador to fly free well there’s time gains and of course cadel Evans if he stays in this situation will move up into second place overall tonight he can possibly get back the time gap of over 2 minutes to claim yellow but this is the time now this is the most serious attack and contador is looking extremely strong here Sanchez is another big danger who appeared in the Pyrenees and is going to disappear in the Alps and watch out Phil on The Descent once we start that descent because Samy Sanchez is one of the best descenders in the sport yes he can go uphill very fast but he can also finish it off on the downhill part of the course Andy schle now on the back foot has not got any friends with him haal looking over his shoulder he wants to know the distance between himself and his teammate and there not very much more than about 50 m they’re going to come up on him and this is another perfect ride Asia remember Asia doll is on the same team as the world Champion Hush off he will not be sad if he sees them bring him back because with Hush off they would win the stage anyway but these three are making real time on the Toler France and they are gaining I think we’ve seen Andy and Frank crack here we should have suspected it in the Pyrenees because they did everything and it didn’t work and contador has waited now it’s three men at the front they’ve joined Ryder hodal for this rip roaring descent well and that’s the word this is a really really dangerous descent it hasn’t really started yet yet believe me these boys they go down this long long descent then have to turn back on themselves a real sharp turn it’s a herping right Bend almost a full reversal they’ve got to really watch that on in these conditions they’re over the summit now as that I don’t think they can bridge to the leaders that’s impossible but they can certainly do what they’ve trying to do it’s make real time over the schle brothers and of course the yellow Jersey of voir so at the moment the cons group he’s 18 seconds ahead of the SLE group there’ll be no improvement in his position overall tonight if it were to stay like that but he would have closed down a little bit on time 505 back to the pelaton but the race has really lit up now these are the men who are chasing and the men who are gaining real time it’s taken 16 days to break the spirit of the slex but cadel Evans Samuel Sanchez and Alberto Conor are clear for the first time in 16 days of the Tour of France now this is coming to the very short reverse herping here as they make the way on what looks likely they are wet roads again now as we descend back down to the finish this is Tony Martin in fourth place on the road he’s trying to get himself across that Gap he’s caught at 34 seconds from the three leaders he too must make a few risks on The Descent if he hopes to try and catch the flying Trio well this has been a most incredible day of racing we are going to come into the finish at approximately 20 minutes quicker than it was ever anti anticipated by the organizers today just got to be careful on these long slippery wet roads here this is a really dangerous descent I think they were lining up for a Sharp B but our cameras have cut to the back here well don’t expect a cadel Evans to be scared going downhill he’s an incredible mountain biker he won the World Cup mountain bike before coming across to the roads side of the sport look like Gandy SLE himself hanging off the back of that peleton not looking too happy with the way he was going down there cadell Evans remember twice is a winner of the World Cup in mountain biking before he became a top Pro Road man this is a chance to gain time and this is on the day nobody would ever have thought they would have gained time a second category mounting the weather’s done it the highspeed racing we’re getting very close that is the beloki corner right there they’ve come round it well now the sharp left turn they’ll pass on the left shoulder the point where Lance Armstrong ran across the field just about there and jump back in the race and continue to the finish in gap rder ha now is not too far away from coming onto the main road then the flat running towards the finish the three Chasers there be behind the three Chasers now it’s Thomas voer voer is a very good descender he will take advantage of this descent to put time between himself and the schle brothers with the possibility he’ll be dreaming now of a serious possibility of a Podium finish in Paris well I don’t think Andy schle was enjoying that descent at all he was sitting off the back of the Pelon he was a little bit worried about that descent well in fact you can see there just slipping off the back this is the day danger of not being a great descender as we start to plummet down towards the outskirt of Gap the gaps are appearing on the road to Gap this is the changing face of the tour to France today and Andy schle has announced himself as the big favorite he has always said he was going to win the Tour he was going to beat cono he wanted him to ride so he could beat him but for the first time he’s now been put big time on the defensive everybody wants to win the stage and that Breakaway has suddenly been the big attraction to break up the tour to France today they’re on the Flat Road now they’re about 2.7 kilometers to go to the finish a little move there by Toof obviously a bit concerned about the presence of bosen haen 37 seconds behind is Tony Martin but still a 30 second Advantage for contador and Sanchez over the schle group well bosen Hogan has gone to the front now he’s willing to work here he won the stage into leier his first ever stage win and he folks and there’s a crash on the Ben that’s Anthony Ru has gone down and this is a very nasty corner there’s roas going round as well he looks like he might be getting himself a few points on this Mountain Stage this afternoon they’ve regrouped here at 2 kilm to go Hof haal Hogan and team Sky have got a man in the Breakaway today who can Sprint and Hush off will know that so he’ll try and play oneoff fortunate thing for haran is it’s two against one well Ry ter coming across the Gap there to the yellow Jersey to Thomas voo might be doing a very good job of work here this afternoon because he looks like he’s putting a bit of time between himself and Frank and Andy SLE but now you can see cadell Evans now is attacking this descent like a madman coming across the Gap Alberto Conor they’re actually putting a bit of time between themselves and Samy Sanchez which is a bit of a surprise to me well Sanchez I don’t think likes these are these are treacherous roads our cameras are not doing this road at all Justice this is a really tricky descent meanwhile it’s heidal who’s Now setting the pace don’t be surprised if we see a little attack from number 51 just to try and draw Hagen he’s worried about it I think this is really telling the truth that these two rid is from gin SLL are concerned about this young Rider Edward bosen Haren that’s why they keep attacking one after the other because you’ve got a CT you’re certain to win if you go across the line on your own and that’s why they’re trying to get rid of him watch this next move is it going to be another move by Toof he’s in the best position well two Norwegians you know they won’t like to beat one another because they are from Norway a country that doesn’t have many top cyclists but they’re going to have to attack each other now to hush’s in the best position for sure boy and hogen knows all of about him they’re on opposing teams and haal is the man who’s being left I think he’ll open up the spining haal and BOS hog will have to chase him well he’s going to have to lead the Sprint out for Ryder haal the Canadian now he’s going to have to play the team man his teammate Toof is the faster of the two but the question mark is has to Hof still got that power left in his legs to beat the youngster haal now starts opening up the spring we will find out now Boon Hogan W in lier Hush off W in Lord in this year’s to the France a rider HED doll has never won a stage and boyon hog is going to wait till the last minute to go for the rider in front he’ll have to because Hof will come off his wheel and he won’t count to the movement well he’s gone he and that wasn’t expected by boyon Hogan that was a terrific move by Hush off again the tactics of the man now has he got the legs to do it yes he has and boyon Hogan was not ready for the jump Phil you said it earlier on in the commentary he is a great tactician when it comes down to moving away from Breakaway group like this fourth place is going to go to Tony Martin well coming across for fifth place there that’s Mikel ignatev the right hand B now you know there’s a gap here between cadell Evans and Alberto contador contador is going to have to ask Samy Sanchez here for a little bit of a hand to try and nail back the Aussie well Deon there being chased by Marco marato and just behind him there it’s Andre grico marato gets the next Po and then you can see Devon and just riding in the next guys to come up to the Finish Line though should be cadell Evans chased dramatically by Alberto contador well every second could count here for cadell Evans who’s climbing very close up now into second position in the overall standings he’s concerned about getting a few seconds here and there over Alberto Conor look at the face of this man this is Andy schle here beaten on the climbs and now on the defensive and not in a very happy position just now cadel Evans you think he was racing to a stage win in the tour ofr today but he’s not he’s Racing for about 11th Place on the road as as he goes under 1 kilm to the Finish cadel Evans is gaining real time as he takes the roundabout here in gap one thing is for sure now cadel Evans has climbed to second overall on the first day in the Alps today well he’s thrown down the gnet as well himself to Alberto con saying come on Alberto if you think that I’m going to take this one lying down I’m going to attack every possibility that I have through these Alpine stages he knows it’s important the camera there being a fores shortening a little bit the distance between him and the Chasers Samy Sanchez giving a serious hand here to Alberto cono he said that if the situation happened and he could help contador although they’re on different teams they both come from the same country the average speed of the stage 46 km an hour these boys have flown into the Alps today and cadell Evans has answered all the attacks and now clearly had a plan of his own we watch the clock after he hits the line here to see just how much time he gains but they’re coming back slowly but Sur little rise up to the line determined efforts every second looks like it’s going to count in this year’s Tour of France they are trying desperately to get him at the same time as Evans they won’t quite do that Paul sherin’s got them at 5 seconds behind yeah next man to come in Thomas boka he’s not going to lie down either the big battle these are the guys who are second and third in the standings for the green jersey competition the big acceleration coming from roas he won’t get too many points on today’s stage but every Point’s going to count for him as Philip Jil bear comes across him and Jil bear takes him on there too even for the minor placings and in comes the Mayo yaor now where is was Andy SLE in that group he wasn’t in that group he’s still coming in so the yellow Jersey has taken time again over Andy schle he’s lost a little bit of time to contador but he had four minutes in hand on him so he’s not too worried Evans was at 206 well Tommy Danielson in this group Ian basso these are guys who’ve lost a little bit of time this afternoon on the stage when they probably didn’t watch out for the Sky Rider there to because garant Thomas is going to be pretty dangerous in the next couple of years well at the moment cadell Evans has picked up 22 seconds of his 206 deficit there on Thomas buckler as this is every second count G now for the group that’s coming in 531 as they cross the line so can you believe this but they picked up 1 minute 7 seconds on Andy schle by cadel Evans and that is huge talking of huge Toft the big Norwegian tour was getting even bigger and so was norways his second stage win and a Norwegian 1 123 if you go back a couple of generations in the hodal family the rest of the top eight was filled by Riders from the day’s Breakaway the real action though was 4 minutes or so behind the winner cadel Evans finished alone gapping Alberto contador and Samuel Sanchez by 3 seconds and it would have been more if the two of them hadn’t worked together to bring him back Jose wackin Ro has beat for y bear in the Sprint for 13th at the head of a group containing Thomas Vera and Frank schle 21 seconds behind Evans Evan basso lost 54 seconds to the Australian Andy schle lost 109 to Evans 106 to contador schle though wasn’t blaming his lack of descending skills he wasn’t even blaming bad luck or bad weather he was blaming the route and the people who planned it I am uh I pretty disappointed but more in uh I mean is this really what what people want to see uh actually raise to decid in and downhill if uh I don’t know I don’t think that that’s what uh I think the parkour is really bad chosen today we don’t want to see Riders crashing or Riders taking risks everybody a family at home and finish like this should not be allowed did you expect that attack of contador I expected him to attack yes so the day before the high Alps a small descent had changed the standings cadel Evans was up to Second 1 minute 4 five behind Thomas Vera but more importantly 4 seconds ahead of Frank Schleck and a minute 18 up on Andy Samuel Sanchez who’ looked a virtual right off after the first week was only 23 seconds further down and 39 seconds ahead of Alberto contador stage 17 took the tour to pinerolo in Italy via the first big Alpine climbs of the race the C moaner reestri a but it was another downhill finish steeper more treacherous and even closer to the end than stage age 16 had been the good news for the schle was that at least it was dry on the cold of pantino the bad news was that the tree C me sharp transitions from shade to bright sunlight after being jumped by his compatriot on the previous day’s finish Ed valal buron haran was attacking off the front on his own behind him everyone was expecting another attack on the schle on the C pra Martino now there’s a launch in the attack we’re hearing from the pet on there it is the attack by Alberto contador and look at the acceleration this man is beginning to look like the old Alberto contador and the sleck has got his back wheel and can you believe Tommy vuler has got his back wheel as well well Tommy vuler right there this is the kind of climb that Alberto contador likes it’s a steep climb 3 kilometers to go to the summit for the main field that’s when it kicks into 10% cadel Evans is there on the left hand side that was the first of a salvo of attacks I would expect from Alberto contador here this afternoon just look at this it’s like like these two were climbing up the C of Talay last year side by side Andy schle now just EAS it in front of contador and voer just watches the move he had no problem there neither did cadel Evans as they move back up Pier Roland comes up to give the yellow Jersey some team support here they’ve slowed it down again well over on the left hand side yel venad the rider from Omega faral Lotto looking very comfortable race situation now Eddie bosen haen in first place he’s been changed by hi of s and in third place on the road now at 20 seconds is B MMA so he makes his way through this crowd and through this shaded part of this climb the very difficult climb the final climb of the day the pra Martino now and once he goes over the top he has 5 miles to go to the Finishing Line 8 kilm here is the summit of the climb so it’s over the top for Edward bolsen hog and he wins the last climb of the day but more importantly Will he win stage and that would be his second stage after he win in redon he is 8 kilm to go he has come up alongside B malima yeah these two Riders now filler looking at second and third place on the road now Andy schle has a little dig at the front he’s just I think this is more psychological than anything else but this is the acceleration of contador and yet another attack by Alberto contador this is what he tried yesterday and in the end it worked now this time I think Andy schle is much more attentive I think the mood is here to try and just get a little lead over schle and then really test him on this very very dangerous descent but just look at Thomas vler the leader of the Tour of France he’s mixing with these boys and he is living with them Frank slick Over the Top This Is The Duo of Frank schle and Andy schle and this is what they have to do if they want to try and recuperate some of the time they lost yesterday to Alberto contador but this is just a Tempo that this was not really a major attack coming from Frank and still cadel Evans is sitting there watching the moves this has got to be an order for tomorrow and the massive three or category mountains that face these Riders on their Journey back to France from Italy they are just addressing each other they again not advertising Who The Prize winners will be in Paris we don’t know the order just take it Frank schle Andy schle contador Sanchez these are the boys and so as the race continues down now it’s a very dangerous descent down now as they make the twist through the te’s through the trees here it’s a difficult descent and they’ve got to take it very very carefully 453 the race for the first place is now on the Escape down the hill but these Corners are very very dangerous indeed and they’ve got to watch the bends down here the result of the mountain Edward boyon her moner and I and there’s a massive crash here now this looks like Gano has gone B it wasn’t Bal M it’s I who went down he was taking too many wrists down this corner watch this one more time he was so fast wrong line into the corner he’s very lucky to get a soft Landing there and B MMA gets just around him on that corner this is and we warned a very very dangerous descent here boy and Hogan is controlling it well as he continues to go to the finish and he’s clipping these Corners as well he’s taking all the risks and he has to here we’ve gone back to the main group of the peleton here they’re starting to pick up Riders out front well this is Ram ter on the front for coffee this he sees this as a great opportunity to try and have a crack at the lead in white jersey competition for him he’s second in that competition but a little bit further back I noticed that the white jersey of raberto uran was still in contact with the group only just well he’s a Columbian Rider a young Rider and he’s having to fight now in the to the FR to keep that white jersey on the shoulders of him and for team Sky who at the moment are heading for race Victory down in pinolo as the peleton here now will shortly begin their now everybody is dodging the corners down here they’re going to have to take great care and at the time paradoxically they’re going to have to take risks as well if they might gain time down here as as Evans and contador did yesterday they have gone over the top the leader is still Edward Boyen hog and he’s being chased by balk mmer rabber Bank hi we think has G up himself now what’s happened here he gone off again he went right behind the barriers there this kid is taking so many risks on The Descent and he was very very lucky there was an oh good job that they left the gate open today when they pared the car because that was Jonathan hi who’s gone into the car park anyway there’s still two Riders chasing and the Chasers must be coming up on him this is the way down to pinolo it is a really really difficult descent as we race back up now to pick up the Norwegian Haan bosen haen now looking at a roundabout a 20 second Advantage fi over B mm I think it been an awful long way back to Jonathan hi because he’s been off the road roughly on three occasions the long straight road it leads to pinolo it could lead to Victory and in as many days another victory for Norway unheard of in the tour to France and also for team Sky trying to repair the Damage Done when they lost Bradley Wiggins on stage seven with that accident they’ve tried every day to win stages and now he’s got the best chance well second on the stage yesterday Phil remarkably he was a little bit smarting by the defeat but this is not surprised to see by me because Thomas voker is one of the great descenders I hope he doesn’t take too many risks because this is a tricky descent but voer is one of the best if you’re of nervous disposition then look away because he does go down well but look at that he overcooked the corner they were through on his inside there Samuel Sanchez coming through as well followed by contador I think and now they’ve got a break really hard for the leftand turn they are what they’re trying to do is take time out of the race leaders on The Descent Samy Sanchez is one of the best when it goes to going uphill but he’s also a crack sender coming across I can just see a black and white jersey that would be one of the Riders of leopart TR but which one is it as Samy Sanchez pushes it into these Corners a BOS and Hogan here but the chase is really on this is Alberto contador in the last days of the tour to France returning to his very best he is trying to take his time back going downhill not uphill well uh this is all about the Tor of France and people have said to win the Tour you’ve got to be great in every different concept of the sport whether it’s time traling climbing or riding against the clock you’ve got to be able to go downhill fast as well and Alberto Conor is certainly doing that you have got to admire this man now doing this he’s lost time in 16 days of racing he’s got to get it back wherever the opportunity presents itself he is taking enormous risks here for what will only be a few seconds at the end under 1 kilometer to go now for the leader of the race boy and Haan is going to get the sort after stage win and it’s not his first but his second AG win of the week of the year in the his first tour to France he has been absolutely superb he W in redon and now he’s going to win in Italy in pinolo well I’ll tell you one thing Phil if there were any people left at all up there right up there in Norway I think they’ve all got the boat down because they’ be down here for the weekend to watch these guys because the Norwegian two bike riders in the race and we’re looking here at stage Victory number four yes and it wasn’t wasn’t withon it was lure where he won in as we started our South in northern France and that was his first day out for sky this will be his second repairing all the time The credibility of this incredible team Sky who in their second tour to France have really flowered and it really was a sporting tragedy they lost their Bradley Wiggins with that broken collarbone because they may have had a man on the podium in Paris as well but right now he has tried and tried and tried again and he succeeded for the second time edell boyhan straight stens his Sky Racing Jersey and gets the result the amazing thing is Phil they came with one strategy and halfway through have a look there the same car park as hi did that’s the yellow Jersey trying perhaps a little bit too hard well you know you have to be very careful Thomas vo was taking risk there to try and get himself back up and he’s being pushed back onto the race rout there by one of the spectators at the side of the road well he might even own the house and thanks Heaven he left the gate open because that’s two Riders we know have been out into the car park and now the continues to race to preserve his Mayo today he should do that as we come down it’s balk malmer who’s coming home in second place here but it is such an incredible Chase off the mountain too as the Riders start to finish uh voer is did a bit of a bunny Hopper through that car park by the way the Sprint for third place now as they race up to the line taken out by Sandy casar down at the Finish as the Riders now continue to go mano a mano contador racing alongside Samuel Sanchez as they continue to go down towards the Finish they’re gain they’re gaining time but this time Paul they’re not with cadel Evans well this is two men from Spain two men who work together they know each other extremely well and Alberto contador has found himself a fine Ally in the Olympic champion Sammy Sanchez he’s very good at going downhill but now these two men are working together to try and put time between themselves and this man the overall leader Thomas V who took so many risks on The Descent there to try and get himself back to the contador Sanchez train well well done to Alberto Condor this has been a treacherous descent but here they are projecting themselves ahead of the Pelon look at your time here he looks across at Sami Sanchez these boys are Rivals but friends different teams but know each other pretty well as they work together racing it to pinolo the winner is home second third fourth fifth six they’re all home they’re all watching this on television the Mayo’s been off the road and in the car park he’s still trying to recoup time I think he’ll keep enough in hand to to lead the tour to France tomorrow but Tommy voer is having to repair the damage that should be the group there of cadell Evans there the black and red jerseys of Team BMC racing you can see this is Tommy Danielson also trying to keep himself in the race this afternoon with Ian basser there number 91 a little bit further forward the yellow Jersey in front of the yellow Jersey is cadell Evans I believe who started the day a minute 45 seconds behind Thomas voer in the standings and that’s why voer can keep that group inside he’s wisely slowing down for Tommy Anderson’s group there to come in that’s looking down there that was the uh the group of cadell Evans and Andy schle they’ve gone under couldn’t read that 4K to go I think it was VOA wisely is waiting for the Tommy Danielson group here now and they’ll work together and see if they can close down they look like haar zubeldia coming up there to Thomas fer but these two men this after look at the faces on these two guys they know this is It’s All About seconds it could all be just seconds going into the final time trial around groby between cadel Evans Alberto contador and Samy Sanchez and these few seconds here could win or lose somebody the tour to France this afternoon Sanchez sits fifth overall in the tour to France contador sit six the same two men have gone together to try and help each other gain time they’re under one kilometer to go as they swing into town as they continue to gain time there’s your view as yesterday but this time no cadel Evans gaining time contador is pulling back a little bit of his disadvantage on the desense he’s looking he looked over his shoulder there to see if anybody was insight he is power I tell you what Phil this is setting up to be an incredible next 48 hours once we start to go up to the high spot contador normally adors the mountains going upwards but not necessarily going downwards the survivors here Nicholas roach on the left hand side there as they come up that’s Martin jangali behind Nicholas roach these boys are racing up to the line now and divert is there too roach comes home what time has gone by 402 is the gap that won’t make too much difference this though at the Return of the return of the schle have caught contador on the run into the finish these boys are going to come in in the same time Evans is there as well it’s a wipe out on the Finish Line they’ve gained absolutely nothing except on Thomas voga who’s the yellow Jersey at the start of the day he probably has lost himself 15 to 20 seconds that is amazing that is amazing they all came together on the running Thomas vler will lose a little bit of time here but all of the big F fav suddenly came together in the last couple of hundred met he’s got to lose a minute 45 he won’t lose that he keeps his Mayo yawn and he’ll fight to the line to save every single second of it voer keeps Mayo we think his loss will be 25 seconds they’re nibbling at his jersey but they’re not getting it off his shoulders yet in the end 27 seconds was the official nibble count from the timekeepers but everyone was a three course meal behind edal Buren he took a great solo win ahead of Bal MMA Sandy Kazar beat junor Al forz and Silvan chaanel in the separate Sprint for the French stage win then it was two kazaks either side of a pole as it were Dimitri fofanov mache pki and Dimitri mavv after the schle chase back Frank ended up leading in the group containing Samuel Sanchez Alberto contador cadel Evans Damian iGo and his brother missing though were Thomas vler and Ivan basso who came in 4 minutes 53 behind the winner nearly half a minute behind the other big names Thomas vler was still in yellow but for once his trademark aggression had worked against him while the schle footed safely down the cold of PR Martino his carport detour had cost him seconds he could ill afford to give away in advance of the two giant Mountain stages to come well at the top of the last climb I tried to go alone and uh the second round I go wide then two times after the same and uh the first time I had to jump about something uh about one m and I I was really scared I I was very very lucky so at this moment I was just behind contado and Sanchez and before before schle and Evans and uh at that time I I lost many many seconds your climbing is good though my you’re climbing uphill yeah but um good enough for tomorrow I don’t think so it’s it’s different uh 6 kilm climb and uh tomorrow is 35 different 35 km and 100 years to be precise the tour was celebrating its Alpine centinary on stage 18 with an altitude finish on top of the mountain that had started it all since Gustav gagu got off and pushed through the mud and the snow in 1911 all the great names had climbed the cier on their way to famous stage WIS or to overall Victory but in a century of tour visits no one had ever won at the top the first time ever on stage 18 the race was going to stop to enjoy the view hundreds of thousands of fans had turned out for the galib 100th tour birthday party knowing that they were going to get two stages for the price of one on stage 19 the gbia would be the warm-up act for Al Duz on stage 18 though it was the headliner the highest Summit finish in torto France history so almost a challenge from the race organizers to the Riders to produce something special and there were signs that the big names would plotting something from the makeup of the day’s Breakaway group 19 Riders including two each from leopard Trek BMC and ausel men who might be useful to their leaders later in the stage the template for recent tours had been for the favorites toit for the final climb of the day to open hostilities but on the climb of the cizo with 60 kilm still left to race the template was about to be redesigned Andy schle Has Lifted the anti so he’s used his last man St of Grady there’s a reaction only from keray I think it is who has started for Europe car now can Tomy voer answer this one they’re going to have to do something he’s gone very early Tommy voer what about Alberto contador and what about cadell Evans they’ve got to respond to this this is the Ste deepest part of the climb we’re about to go into an area Phil called laass desert the desert of stones and this is the worst part of the climb it’s 10 11% and there’s no reaction at all from anyone if Andy schle wants to do this he may well be putting a lot of pressure on the rest of the main field gives brother Frank a nice Easy Ride well this has had to have shocked the race leaders because he’s gone so far from the finish of today’s stage of the tour to France they will be unwise not to react to this and they are hesitating the teammate of voer has come back here to vo’s side cadell Evans was right there on the front when the move was made he’s the center Rider of the three and contador is in the dead center of this group and he’s not reacting either with the help of his teammate Maxi mfor who’d been one of the day skps Andy schle rode past the Breakaway Riders and kept going on his own as he hit the glier he seemed to be heading not just for an historic stage win but the yellow Jersey behind him cadel Evans was doing most of the work in a chasing group that had all the other contenders but no cohesion schle has just come through 5 km to go cadel Evans is the only man chasing everybody else is following the Australian the Gap is down to 3 minutes 14 and second by second it’s a painful way to earn your money but cadel Evans is claing himself back into the tour face of cadell Evans here now he doesn’t even look at anybody he just wants there’re the flags of the city of Luxembourg or the region of Luxembourg rather than the grand douchi itself and they are going to be waving violently or they already have been because this is the Pelon who comes through these people have literally walked up the side of the C Gia they couldn’t even walk up the road today they come up the side of it as the flags are shown to the Riders here of the region of the Alps it’s 314 is the gap 345 to the Sanchez group now he’s falling away here from a top three finish this is Sanchez here with himar zubel a former teammate a number of years ago before he moved across to team Radio Shack and Eddie MKS the winner of five tours to France and Heil will appreciate a ride like this oh you can bet your life he’s going to shout words of encouragement this is what Merks would have done this is how Merks would have won his tour to France he’d be full of admiration he’s shouting at Andy schle it’s a tough tactic to move at 60 kilomet from the end of a stage of the tour to France but when you’ve got three outside categorized climes it really is a tall order cadell Evans knows that cadell Evans should the ically be a lot fresher Alberto contador still happy to hide in the wheels well the amazing thing is two behind all this yes we might have a new leader tonight but the Earth while leader Tommy voo will only drop into second place and cadel probably down to third at the end of the day with one more day in the mountains to come OA can still think of a podium in Paris after a ride like this as we go now past 4 kilometers to go for Andy SLE he seems to be a little bit more motivated Phil this is the most difficult part of the climb it’s an average gradient of 9% over the next kilometer and still cadell Evans out of the saddle battling with his machine battling with his body realizing that this is the moment that he has to save the tour to France a little bit like you mentioned earlier Steven roaches when he did it in 1987 he had to fight his way back into the tour having lost it at the start of the climb well at the moment cadel Evans has gone from being 118 ahead of Frank of Andy sleck back to 2 150 behind him he might handle 150 in the time trial on Saturday he might not this is the Samy Sanchez group these guys are in all kinds of difficulty as they’ve still got a long way to go to the top of this CL hard to believe Phil that 3 kilometers to go that these roads a couple of days ago were covered with snow well the impossible is sometimes possible and Frank schle is only 3 seconds behind cadell Evans overall and you can pull three seconds out in a Sprint finish to the top of the gier the sleck brothers could be on a great day out today cadel’s got it locked in now at 308 he’s not going for forwards he’s not going backwards they’re riding at about exactly the same Pace as Andy schle Evans continues to set the pace all the way up the gb8 no one has helped him vo be prepared just to follow him and this is the composition of the group at the moment of korle basso Nicholas roach Evans cuno Thomas vo Pierre Roland that is it he’s eliminated all of the others on this climb cadell Evans it looks as though Nicholas roach just unhitch the back there as well well I’m Amazed by the yellow Jersey of Thomas foler I think once again the tactics of the race the way they’re riding this race the tempo riding they’re doing actually plays into the hands of Thomas foler this year’s tour to France will allow this Frenchman to start to dream about possibly coming to the tour to France next year and trying to win it for France a title they haven’t earned since 1985 in berino schle looking over his shoulder looking down at the uh the curves and the straight lines a little bit further down the road there just to see if he can see what is happening that should be 2 kilm to go that Banner they’ve gone by two kilometers to go at the moment it looks like this Thomas voley will stay in second place at half a minute cadel Evans will be in third at a minute 48 Frank schle will be fourth and contador 345 and there is confirmation of Alberto contador the champion of the tour to France the past two years is yoyoing on his favorite play ground and I think that’s the end of the tour to France for him as a winner this year well that’s what Andy schle felt you know Phil he said that the tour to France would be decided in the last week of the race it was all about the freshness Alberto contador’s got the Jiro diala in his legs don’t discount the man he’s got a huge heart and he’s got a huge bag of courage and he’s pulled himself back into this group but yes he’s having a hard time pride has done that pride has forced him to come back onto the back of that group he knows now that coming up to the last 2 kilometers of the day it’s been a real tough fight for the champion of the past two years and a three-time tour winner he come back but he’s gone again well he tried with everything that was the pride of Spain on his shoulders there trying to push him back into that group Evans continues to fight to try and round it out to three minutes before Andy gets up to the finishing line and look how he’s reduced this with his incessant pacemaking there’s only five Riders following cadell Evans now he’s churning a massive gear the rider in the black and red jersey there cadel EV because all he’s thinking about is trying to reduce the deficit onto Andy schle Alberto contador well he’s just got to survive now and try and limit his losses because he could be plummeting down the overall standings and maybe looking at himself dropping outside the top seven or eight they will decide to retire from the tour but I don’t think Champions do that sort of thing and Alberto contador will try again tomorrow possibly to win ad Al Duz as all the cheers on top of the C de Gan now go to this remarkable ride today one of the great rides in Modern Times by Andy schle in the tour to France he took the race halfway up the isard knowing he had to go early and he took the risk of blowing his whole tour to France out the window and it isn’t going to be the case he should get the yellow Jersey tonight the chase is at 2 kilm to go separated by a kilometer that on the slopes of a mountain like this corresponds to 3 minutes I just saw the tunnel over to the left hand side and now he’s on the final part of this climb Alberto contador is on the back foot in the Tour of France this year he’s never really looked very comfortable at all and now this man is getting his revenge he’s looking for yellow tonight and victory in Paris on Sunday you might just have noticed so all of a sudden the green jersey of Pierre Roland has come to the front for Thomas voer he’s going to try and save that yellow jersey in the final 2 kilometers of today’s stage 237 is what vo will not want to see on the clock because that will cost him yellow but they are so close to defending it we are now just 19 seconds behind and he could still be in Yellow by a second this is how he lost to eventually to Lance Armstrong well there’s a little word there coming from vocal come on let’s keep this yellow Jersey he’s really struggling Evans is just there he’s come back they saw that the French did not have that power the dream was to try and protect the yellow Jersey of Thomas vocal this afternoon but there was no power in the engine room where they shouted down for it so it’s still up to cadell Evans this has been a great fight by cadell Evans he’s been left alone here it’s been an easy ride for Frank schle in many ways in the black there who’s watched his brother fly away today but look now look now 2 minutes 44 there is still a chance here for voer to keep his lead Andy is just praying for the end of the stage now I think the legs have cried enough is enough he’s fighting now H yes he’s getting time gains but is he going to get yellow but what is he going to do tomorrow he’s got to come and back out and do this all over again as cadel Evans slowly pulls it back 241 the yellow Jersey 240 it’s now starting to tip towards the conservation of the yellow Jersey by Thomas bogler and he’s going to have to say a big thank you very much mate to cadell Evans absolutely 236 and vo keeps yellow and it is tumbling down Andy slick is now absolutely on his limit here where a where is the finishing line as the clock continues to descend it is 240 and falling the empty road of the cder galier one man against the field and the clock the clock at 1 kilm to go pH has just said 235 so Thomas voer has climbed himself back into the overall leader I don’t believe this is an incredible tour as you take your hat off to this man today he has been the M most magnificent attacking cyclist in modern times in the Tour of France uh but he’s a matter of a kilometer too far the legs are folding beneath his body here as he comes up to the line he will win the stage and that he thoroughly deserves and he might win the Tour to France by Sunday but is he going to be in yellow tonight or is this incredible Frenchman Tommy voer going to be in yellow for the 10th day and he gets it the clock starts now 2 minutes 37 seconds is the the time that will wanted to be seen by Andy schle to be the yellow Jersey tonight voer is now lifting the pace he must have been told he can keep yellow tonight that’s why he’s trying to find the last few things 45 seconds has gone by 46 and Counting as now cadel Evans gained turns he needs every second he can get to try and stay in this race because the time trial will favor cadel Evans well Frankle sitting on his shoulder there that’s psychologically again the minute has gone by cadel Evans is the one still trying to save the jersey for himself later on in the Tour of France but also today for Thomas vler who has been incredible on today’s stage in the mountains and Frankle just sitting there waiting for the moment to pounce well as we claw and crawl our way up to the top of the cder galier we are looking for 237 and that will be curtains in yellow for Thomas voy who will be tied right to the line he’s got to fight all of the way he knows what he’s got to do he’s running now into the last minute to the summit to retain his yellow 138 and going forward now he’s 100 m to go now there’s no surprise Frank SE has watched and waited he’ll spin away for second place but watch where the clock stops for the yellow Jersey 152 he’s he’s only 100 m from the front he’s got a Sprint this is going taking the clock back seven years for little Tommy voer as Frankle comes away at 204 the gap for him now Evans he’s got it down to just on two minutes he was 118 behind now he’s a not that far behind overall 237 he’s going to keep his yellow Jersey take those pictures back to 2004 it is incredible Paul I just don’t believe it what a fighter unbelievable I don’t think very many people would have given him a chance of keeping the overall lead this afternoon but there’s not very much in it for what kind of a day is it setting itself up for tomorrow well absolutely they have been Heroes Galore today in the tour France the biggest of the all I suppose yes is Andy Schleck but this man 10 days in yellow now and refuses to lie down and cadell Evans had to fight to stay in the tour to France today and he’s achieved that as well another one and a half minutes behind Thomas veret was Alberto contador struggling over the line on the wheel of the pka dot Jersey yel van endit and another 52 seconds behind them came Samuel Sanchez a bad day for the two Spaniards who’ve been looking so strong in the past few stages here’s the stage result then Andy schle 2 minutes and 7 Seconds ahead of his brother cadell Evans riding to limit his losses to 2 minutes 15 and in the process pulling a group containing Evan basso and Thomas Vera along with him basso was fourth at 2 minutes 18 and Thomas Vera who started the day 236 ahead of Andy schle and started the final climb over 4 minutes down lost 221 at the line to keep his joury Jersey by 15 seconds so Andy schle had gone from complaining about dangerous descents to riding away to the highest stage win in tour history while the presence of his brother Frank behind encouraged their Rivals to waste time looking at each other until cadel Evans had taken charge of course thanks partly to Evans pulling the group up the GB like a diesel locomotive one man who hadn’t lost any places on GC was Thomas vler his lead though was down to 15 seconds and up to second place behind him was Andy schle Frank Schleck was third at a minute and 8 seconds 4 seconds ahead of cadel Evans instead of 4 seconds behind Damian iGo was up to fifth on the same time as Ivan basso 3 minutes 46 Alberto contador was 4 minutes 40 down in seventh place Samuel Sanchez e8th at 520 now half an hour after all that drama another drama began the cut off time for elimination from the tour ticked past and there was no sign of Mark Cavendish he finally arrived in a group 35 minutes 40 behind the winner the good news for him was that he had 87 other riders with him more than half the field and the rules allow for the reinstatement of a group arriving outside the cutoff if it’s more than 20% of the pelaton the bad news was the rules also specify that those Riders should be punished by the loss of 20 green jersey points and since Jose wackin roas had been inside the time limit Cav’s lead was suddenly down from 35 to 15 the worst news for Mark was that he was in danger of losing another 20 the following day stage 19 took the Riders back over the galier from the other side and onto the tour’s final Mountain finish at Al Duz the most famous climb in cycling is also the most packed the most drunken and the most orange long since having been colonized by the Dutch who’ve turned it into the world’s steepest beer garden there’s the sign 13.8 the Finish Line sits at top alz this is the climb that has seen so many of the big names in the sport of cycling seal their victories names like Greg lont Bernardino Lance Armstrong you name them that when they’ve got to the top of this mountain they’ve seen Paris in yellow and now we’ve got a Canadian the only Canadian in the race and amazingly Paul there are hundreds of Canadian people on the top today we met both of them last night and that Ryder hodal now is in a perfect position with Pier Roland to go for the St stage win not the tour win but the stage win and that is a big deal well this is fugang coming to the front he’s had a pretty easy ride as well he’s been in a number of groups out on the course as we’re trying to see BMC Place cadel Evans he’s ridden alone on a number of occasions he’s come right up to Fugal sang he was beaten on this slope a few years ago by Carlos sast put a massive big attack in and cadel Evans now has got that big diesel engine in full swing the concentration now cadell Evans knows he’s got to ride he’s got to keep his eye on two r iders Andi and Frank Schleck as he rides now for Australia’s first Victory it looks as though the yellow Jersey although he came back with an incredible Chase he’s now slipping through the pack but this now is cadell Evans and coming up alongside him Fang is bringing up the two boys Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck now watch the left of your picture because here we go will there be an immediate reaction after Alberto contador because he’s lost nearly 5 minutes in the tour to France and it is only 12 km to go Fang Has Lifted the tempo falang has got Andy schle on his wheel and he’s riding slowly across the Gap the reaction is coming though from cadell Evans who’s seen this as a danger point he’s only going to follow one man he’s not really concerned about Alberto contador he’s got a pretty good buffer over him in the standings but he does have to make sure he keeps in contact with Andy Schleck there he is the Australian is locked onto the wheel of Schleck the determination of kador who wants some consolation from the tour and victory at the top of the Alp would be major consol for the three-time winner and you know I’m not so sure Andy SLE has got it right now cadel Evans is locked into him well cadel Evans is locked right onto the wheel there of sleck that’s all he’s going to look for as we look at the damage this race is doing now it has all come down to the alz again what a race on alz here the defending Champion refuses to go out of the television screen and die gracefully he’s fighting his way back he’s too far behind we think to win the Tour to France if he wins by by minute to the top he might take his time back in the time Z and now he’s gone out of sight around the herping Benz well rer haod doll and Pierre Olan look across and say wow this is Alberto contador he’s come straight across the Gap to us contador is looking for huge time this afternoon he’s also looking for some Glory as well Andy schle is concentrated he knows what he has to do he has to try and get time between himself and cadel Evans but after being up the front of this race for such a long time today and yesterday I’m not sure he’s got the jlet or the attack to get rid of Evans on this climb as contador has caught the man who started the moves now and Pierre Roland grits his teeth this guy is a real man for the future he’s only a youngster but now this is about the pass winner versus the other boys who wants his crown well Phil the start of the day there was a 3 minute 32 gap between cadel Evans and Alberto contador now if he goes crazy on this climb and he pulls out a minute and a half or two minutes he could put himself back into the Tour of France this afternoon in the time trial tomorrow and no one would have thought that was possible at all the face of Andy schle as he now tries to get rid of cadel Evans Evans riding his slipstream without any problem as he continues up the lower slopes of the climb Evans does not look in any trouble here and he may find if the Gap does open he may have to attack Andy schle and steal back seconds off him and close down seconds on contador just looking here number 45 B MMA and in fact in a little while we’ll go around what they call dut corner corner number seven it will completely be painted in Orange and there’s a big sign out there and they’ve been shouting for balk M since early on in the morning Ryder heidal is now feeling the wind behind of the arrival of Andy Schleck and cadell Evans on the climb they’re going to have to keep chasing Conor we’ve got no time checks yet yes we’ve just got one they’re 36 seconds behind contador now well 36 seconds that makes the difference between cadel Evans and contador 3 minutes now in the overall standings cadel Evans I think a little bit later on rather than just watching Andy schille he’s going to have to come up and start to work with him to try and pull back the Spaniard 10 kilm to go for Alberto contador he started the day 4 minutes 39 seconds down and he’s fighting his way back into the picture he’s put like 33 seconds at the moment well he’s getting into into that zone now and he’s really all of a sudden bounced back in the tour to France this afternoon Phil 30 seconds is the gap that he’s got over schle and Evans and he’s looking like for a very likely leader very likely winner of the stage here this afternoon which would be not inconsiderable consolation for the former champion of Spain and the three times winner of the tour to France and the emphatic winner of this year’s jro dalala they now pass under that same 10 km Banner life’s getting a bit complex in the pack here in the race for second place though that’s for sure and Evans will won’t Panic he will be told by his team car the time gaps he will know exactly where contador is as will Andy schle so they’re going to hold themselves because this levels out in the middle as contador is on the top corner there and now what’s happening a little test there well Frank slex having a go now immediately covered by cadell Evans moving up into third position Andy sck this was what we expected to come but I think as soon as he sees cadel Evans there he’ll sit up and maybe we’ll see another counter move coming from Andy this is one sleck swich it’s going to give them indigestion because cadell Evans is marking both of them right now and he still does not look like a man under pressure they are using what energy they have left after a week in the Alps to try and dump the Australian and I’m not sure they can this man who’s lost too much time for the moment to win the Tour to France but that is a temporary situation ask me in another 20 minutes he might be out to win the Tour to France well he could be he’s not looking comfortable he doesn’t like like is’s enjoying this it’s not the fluid action we’ve seen before he’s being chased at around about 20 seconds by Pierre Roland Roland is not actually giving up too much space here and he in fact I think is riding an incredible race at 24 years of age all of a sudden we may be looking at the Renaissance of French cycling here is the lonely figure of Thomas voley who has gone out of the lead of the tour to France with total Pride today he’s written absolutely brilliantly there’s an attack by Peter vit from HDC another surprise man may not be an immediate reply to this although it looks might be Sanchez is replying Sanchez has seen that he’s got himself a little bit of a gap there and he’s looking to try and keep himself well up in the top 10 at the end of the day now he could be a dangerous Rider Sanchez he was one of the strongest Riders on the previous cig Gali he was he dropped out after a terrific ride through the Pyrenees he got right up amongst the leaderboard he’s dropped out to eighth place yesterday at the end he’s 5 minutes 20 behind voer and take off 15 seconds he’s 505 behind Andy schle who’s the leader on the road right now and but he seems to recovered entirely today he’s had a very very good day racing but it’s still the story story of the Renaissance of the winner of the tour to France three times Alberto contador this is the picture I love to see but the Riders must never see it no it’s absolutely horrendous those are the 21 switch backs that takes the race right the way up to Al Duz that’s not aldz there that’s just the small town of wazon a little bit further up you see the zigzags continue right up and that’s where the Finishing Line Is Right in that Hamlet on the top of the Alp 219 the back to the yellow Jersey but now Sanchez is also going away he’s not going to be reacted on by the others because he’s lost too much time now well it’s now up to brother Frank to do the pacemaking cad 11s just concentrating on the SLE Brothers he knows exactly which Riders he doesn’t mind letting go in this race it’s all a question now of starting to calculate and Ryder hodal who made the move has found the strength to stay with the Evans SLE group at the moment just coming into our picture there and that is a tremendous RVE by the Canadian to hang on looking at the face now of Peter vet as he comes up to the Summit well not the summit but the next Village along the way of way we’re now looking at Sanchez licking his lips in the distance the group they have just left Ry Costa here now he’s going backwards from the leaders into the group at the moment I think it’s a little move by Thomas Dent trying to get off the front surprising to see him riding at the front end of this race with the men that are in that Breakaway group while a lot further back Thomas Vu using huge chunks of time fill I’ve got him now down at in excess of 2 and A2 minutes in AAR Berto contador is he doing enough to at least get on the podium that’s not a bad place to be as the defending tour champion in the first three positions this is certainly a determined day out for him well just looking here at the moment the Gap is beginning to be prized opening vo group is back to 240 but the Gap is still holding here Sanchez is putting bellet into trouble now as the red jersey of Evans takes up the running again Andy schle is having to do the paac making and cadell Evans follows this time from riblon then Kuno then Frank schle and then Ryder hodal and the cheers now for Alberto contador they were booze at the prize presentation nearly three weeks ago now they are Cheers well you know what Phil this is an amazing ride back into the tourto France by contador 36 seconds he is ahead of Samy Sanchez 53 seconds ahead of the Andy Schleck group and that’s getting very close up to the one minute Mark but now I think Andy schle himself is starting to take responsibility of making sure Alberto contador doesn’t get too much of an A Time Advantage Sanchez is now picking up Pierre Roland Roland seen him he might try and raise the pace just a little well he’ll TR try to take a little bit of inspiration from seeing the way that the Spaniard is riding he try and get onto his wheel and hold on to it for as long as possible because what he’s looking at is the possibility of trying to get himself a top three finish and of course at the end of the day for the Frenchman he wants to try and get himself the best young Rider competition he’s only 24 years of age the lone Pho of Alberto contador 27 seconds back to Sanchez and roll on a minute exactly now the computer says so the reaction here by Andy sleck is closing the Gap and cadel Evans in that style he always has of concentration and rocks out the saddle he’s just sitting there and waiting I think there’s plenty left in that tank further up the roads the lone figure of Alberto contador three-time champion and really they shouldn’t be running in front of those cards it’s not a healthy thing to do no he going around Dutch Corner there you can see it’s painted in Orange and if you ever fancy an allight party well that’s the place to go the day before the Tour of France actually comes to finish on the alz and the crowd are going crazy this is Dutch Corner and they had hope to be cheering Robert hessing up to the lead here he’s had a terrible tour game crashes for him so they’re reserving their cheers now for Alberto contador and that’ll be quickly followed by Andy schlick contador carries number one three-time winner of the tour to France once the cloud wave him through here a little bit more passive than lower down the slopes a Spanish Bas flag just being waved at him here as he continues to climb up towards the summit of alz behind at 21 seconds Sanchez Roland 5 kilom to the Finish three miles you can actually see the shall on the top we can’t show them to you at the moment Peter vich Thomas de out of 40 seconds and the schle and Evans are of 56 seconds they’re holding him but boy what hard work crowd again a little bit crazed at the moment here they tried to close down the gaps the spread is 2 minutes and 53 it’s a minute 5 now they’ve opened a little bit of gap on the SLE group now SLE is having a word with Evans here and Evans is saying I’m sorry I don’t know what you’re saying they’re trying to talk to each other and I think that Andy sleck wants cadell Evans to start chasing and cadell I think has said no well he’s just going to do one thing cadell Evans is only one thing he needs to do and that’s to watch Andy schle cuz he believes that he can beat him in the individual time trial a little Shake of head there I think he said no mate I’m not going to work with you this afternoon if you’re out number two to one would you help absolutely not he knows what his tactics is he’s seen the attacks come from all of these guys the damage is being done at the back here because uh I have to say Thomas vler at 5 kilometers to go is still trying to keep himself in this tour front he won’t lie down this man he will go down with a fight this will be frank leading the group now over the top at 4 km to go and not over the top still climbing climbs all the way to the the summit here as Frank dispenses up the sunglasses here this afternoon as he continues to nod on his machine he realizes this is a very tough end to the tter Frans and tomorrow let’s not forget we got to do it all again and come out with an individual time trial Sanchez looks at Rolland there can’t be much left in that youngster’s legs but he’s still hanging on to Samuel Sanchez there’s not very much left in the legs of Alberto contador now let’s not forget he’s the man who made the move early on in the race over the first kilometers of the cut Telegraph it’s now down to 12 seconds that difference between contador and the Olympic champion Samy Sanchez and Pierre rolon I do believe they are going to catch him and now as you tell me all the time Paul Sanchez is a great fan a friend of Alberto contador what’s going to happen when he catches him you go for the win mate why wouldn’t you because Samy Sanchez is an Olympic champion he doesn’t want to drag Pierre Roland up to the top of this climb though and he’s asking the young Frenchman do you want to work with me I wonder what language they speaking he just said no he just shook his head quite plainly and simply so it’s up to Sanchez you can’t come this close to the head of the race on a stage like alz and give it away so you’ve got to go for it in the end and Pierre Roland remember the French have not won a stage of this year’s race they’re running out a road as well further down the slope Phil it’s almost three minutes now for Thomas vuler he’s lived the dream for 10 days and he had the weight of France on his shoulders I think they were all beginning to think that he was going to win the Tour of France they thought that if he could survive to the top of the C of gallier he could take it all the way up to Paris and look at this now Sanchez has brought up up to contador Pierre Roland you can see his face to see how hard the climb is and Roland has gone through on the inside and I’m just wondering if he’s made a move there because the cameras missed it but I think Pierre Roland attacked immediately there he is well I tell you what that’s very surprising as Sami Sanchez made the move right the way up and he caught Alberto contador and at that point I think when he went around that corner it was so steep he was caught out of breath well that was a great piece of thinking for the youngster in France in green here Pierre Roland contador just about hooked up but already at his limit is Samuel Sanchez if Roland slows down Sanchez might come back here but this is a different battle this is the battle for the win if they start this in fighting then the boys from behind are going to close in currently there 63 seconds just gone up to 66 seconds behind well how happy are the French going to be with this Tour of France nille because they’ve had the yellow Jersey for 10 days on the shoulders of Thomas voer and now they could very well be looking at the Poss possibility of a stay Victory on one of the most iconic races most iconic mountains that the tour has to offer and on the same team as the yellow Jersey Thomas voer and cadel Evans has gone this is the answer now for Australia now can sleck contain himself he’s gone with him he never misses a move does he Andy SLE he does not miss a move there’s a attacks all over the slopes of this mountain now as we’re racing to try and win the yellow Jersey other Riders are racing to try and win the individual stage and cadel Evans has almost got himself across to Damiano Kuno in the blink of an eye Kuno won’t know what’s coming on and Pier Roland has dropped contador Frances racing to its first stage win on the iconic stage of Al Duz and on a day when Europe car lose the individual lead they get the new man in the white jersey and could be a stage win as well well it’s amazing to think that Samy Sanchez did the bulk of the work coming across there he caught up his mate Alberto contador they’re shouting at each other to work together now to try and get back to the the French just a little bit further up the road Alberto contador has given everything this afternoon there’s the Frenchman just around the corner looking back to see what the Gap is I well I can tell him it’s 11 seconds it’s a winning Gap I think I better correct myself it’s is third to the France but we didn’t know him was on a different team last time and he never ever distinguished himself but he has now as he’s gone to the new Europe car team inspired as the B who’s looked after the yellow Jersey of Thomas Bo over every mountain and kept him in yellow for as long as he could now he’s going to try and get the best Young Riders Jersey and the stage win Sanchez will be kicking himself because he took him up and Evans goes again and this time he never misses he’s after him again and the sleck has gone they’ve gone around Peter bellet and Thomas Deens well now EV go Evans is looking for second and third place on the road or third fourth place on the road because just ahead of him now not too far ahead these two Riders who are losing incredible chunks of time as they go on the the flam ruse the red kite 1,000 M to go for the Frenchmen and do you know by the end of this day we won’t know the winner of the tour to France either it’s going to be so close and it goes down to a little time trial around groby tomorrow 42 km after all these thousands that we’ve ridden through this really tough course Pierre Roland is grimacing with pain here he’s got that little bandage little plaster which widened out his nostrils so he can get more air in across the bridge of his nose how is he going to feel here climbing up this hallowed Road here all the way to the summit of alp Duz and to an enormous cheer Al Duz a French winner a white jersey they lose the yellow it’ll be a forgotten thing well Samy Sanchez has gone this is a last Scuttle across he’s left Alberto contador behind contador I have to say was the champion of the day today the bravest man out in this bike race but the man who’s taken advantage of a rough day of racing on the final day of the AL is a Frenchman Pierre olol about 500 M to go he’s going to take the left hand turn very short right yeah left hand turn very shortly and he’ll see the finish line in front of him and he climbs all the way up to the line listen to the cheers now as he lines up for the Finish we’ve seen all the stars of the toour of France do this one he can still drives the time doesn’t worry too much now this is going to be a huge tier and the Frenchman gets the win at Al Duz as the crowd cheer a two arm salute look it’s me and he gets a white jersey as well and it’s the Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez who comes home and for many the hero of the day Alberto Conor who will cross the line in third place well Alberto Condor tried to do everything to turn this race upside down this afternoon and what a phenomenal performance by him 34 km an hour not really a good time to remind you the elimination time this afternoon will be about 25 minutes and I would think there’s a lot of riders a long way back Andy sleck now is coming up to the line and he’s caught up everybody taking on vellet as they come in select determined Evans must keep that Gap closed down there’ll be time gaps if they don’t as they race towards the line V is going to take on Andy SL look at this and there’ll be no split time here cuz Evans is making a dash for the line Evans wants to prove a point and he usually finishes off with Victory but today he’ll have to pay a second fiddle to Peter ell who is going to survive best but in second place it’s cadel Evans I reckon tonight in hindsight he may have won the Tour to France tomorrow so he sits 57 seconds behind Andy SLE when they start tomorrow in the time trial and this will seal the team G saell as they finish rder hll and Tommy Dan but tomorrow Paul it will be Andy schle in the myo it will be Andy SLE what a fight by the sleck brothers here this afternoon and there’s going to be a huge cheer also because you can hear them and they can just about see the yellow Jersey coming around the corner that’s Thomas voer he’s ridden exceptionally well I have to say today Phil I don’t know where he’s got all of his strength from because he almost made it back into the group The Crowd he’s getting a bigger cheer than the winner of the race today and he’s detering to show his colors at the front of this group he had 15 seconds at the start of the day now and he’s lost 3 minutes of that but it doesn’t matter he has gone out in a a Cloud of Glory today and well done to voap he won’t be in yellow tomorrow but he’ll certainly be a better known person because of it the yellow Jersey had changed hands then but have the green once again Mark cendes came in with a large group outside the time limit but this time Jose wakin roas was with him so they both lost 20 points and Mark kept his lead of 15 the French had lost the race lead but they’d finally registered a stage win and taken hope for the future because Pier long had taken the lead in the best young Rider competition and since alz was the final climb of the tour the mountains title was decided too Samuel Sanchez won it after the heroics of his 10 days in yellow Thomas Vera had slipped from first to one place off the podium Andy schle was the new leader of the race 53 seconds ahead of his brother and 57 ahead of cadel Evans Vera was 2 minutes 10 down in fourth Damian auna was still fifth 14 seconds ahead of Alberto contador Samuel Sanchez 7eventh of 4 minutes 22 while Ian basso slipped to8 440 behind the new yellow Jersey it was the first yellow Jersey of the race for the man most people had tipped beforehand to be wearing it in Paris All Andy schle had to do was hold off cadel Evans in the time trial on stage 20 so after four Summit finishes in the Alps and the Pyrenees 42 A2 kilometers of time trialing the only individual time trialing kilometers of the race were going to decide the winner and since the two individuals involved had occupied the second step on the podium for the past four years there was huge pressure on both of them the course was actually exactly the same one used in the Criterium D do 6 weeks previously that had been won by HTC’s Tony Martin and he was setting the best time at all the intermediate check he’s rewriting the checkpoint times there’s a new best time by 37 seconds 40 minutes and 26 seconds Tony Martin Phil will be very motivated by the fact that he knows he’s won on this course before gadell Evans he looks ahead what does he see a yellow Jersey and the AR Triumph or is he going to be beaten by Andy Schleck two great cyclists who’ve gone head to-head for 21 days it’s come down to 42 and A2 kilm pretty impressive speed here we’re looking at 80 km hour on the clock and as we look up we’re looking onto the back of Tony Martin 55 of 33 is the best time for Tony Martin and that is going to take some beating he’s always feared cadel Evans and he’s always said it the May of the to France on the eve of its end in Paris is on the road well just a quick look at the computer there fil they were showing that cadel Evans at this point had already pulled back around about 10 seconds on Andy schle are we witnessing the first ever winner of the Tour of France of Australia 12 seconds is now the Gap virtuel he’s already pulled back 45 seconds of his 57 deficit they are equal on time cadell Evans and andley schle they’re turning it over now 1 second advantage to cadell Evans over Andy SLE now this is going to be a huge battle all the way down on the running towards the Finish Evans look at his face here he is riding to win the Tour to France for Australia today and he’s only 7 Seconds slower than Tony Martin as the clock continues to count now towards the finish at this next checkpoint for Andy schle he goes through with a time of 4215 he’s 2 minutes 8 behind cadell Evans cadell Evans cannot be beaten now he is over a minute to the good he has absolutely slaughtered his opposition his time is 5540 it’s second best on the day but he’s won the Tour to France he had hoped the magic of the yellow Jersey would have brought him Victory tomorrow in Paris the magic hasn’t worked on this occasion but one of the most popular men in the world of cycling is racing home to close goes down this incredible stage of the tour to France which has seen an Australian get the final yellow Jersey to ride to Paris in tomorrow the end of the day was the end of Andy schle one day in the yellow Jersey suffocated by unwanted attention at the finish line and beaten by a better faster cadel Evans who’d finally taken the drama out of this most dramatic of Tours by powering around the course to turn a 57 second deficit into a 1 minute 34 margin of victory this was the stage result Tony Martin winning over the circuit for the second time in 6 weeks gadal Evans only 7 seconds away from the stage win himself Alberto contador had faded after a blistering start he was third at a minute and 6 seconds Thomas fourth Richie Port fifth Jean Kristoff perro 6th Samuel Sanchez 7eventh and Fabian kelara eighth finally in yellow and very nearly in tears as he crushed the complimentary leader line with the emotion of it all cadel had taken the lead at the best time possible on the eve of Paris when it can’t be taken back his winning margin a minute 34 over Andy Schleck made it sound more comfortable than it had been Frank did hold off Thomas Vera pretty comfortably to take third by 50 seconds Alberto contador moved up to fifth with his time trial ride Samuel Sanchez also moved up to sixth the pair of them leap frogging Damiano Kuno and Ian basso who SLI to seventh and eighth 20 years since I watched my very first tour to France on on TV and um 20 years I’ve been I’ve been cycling it’s um a lot of hard work from me a lot of hard work from a lot of people well not not not as many as many people think but some really great people who have believed in me in all this time and um you know it’s um you know this makes it all uh all all the more worthwhile I think when you uh succeed in the in the ambitious goals that we’ve set for ourselves so on to Paris for the ceremonials ceremonials for the yellow white and polka dot jerseys that is Mark Cavendish still had to make absolutely sure of the green and cadell Evans didn’t seem entirely comfortable with the traditional final day cocktail party once the photographers had filled their compact flashcards he swapped his yellow bike for the one that had helped him get yellow in the first place as usual things only got serious once the race hit the Shany L very serious for Mark Cavendish who was chasing a pair of historic firsts the first British Rider to win the green jersey and the first Rider of any nationality to win the final stage in Paris three years running now all that Mark Cavendish wants to do is win the last stage and that will also confirm his green jersey there’s only one man at the front of this race now and it’s Mark kage his own teammate as he sweeps across on the Shan by Ben Swift is back in the peleton now this is going to be a rather interesting final 2 and A2 kilometers once they get themselves to the rudder rivol leag round the back heading now for our last visit Beneath The Garden of the twery as the pelaton still tries to wrap this up desperate L’s back the first man to congratulate back if he were to win would be Mark Cavendish just reward for all the work he has done for Cavendish throughout three weeks of the tour to France but it’s not going to happen they’re all together led by the champion of belgia Philip jilber also the rider from gin in the blue helmet that was Christian vandervell whipping up the pace all of a sudden last back has been wiped away Hof into second position looking over his shoulder he’s looking to see if he can find the shape of his own team Sprinter Tyler far taking a back seat now just for a little while you got Bernie Isel but behind Bernie Isel you got Matty gos you’ve got Mark Rena then you’ve got Tony Martin in the mix somewhere and the green jersey of Cavendish Cavendish back now in the D SE there leading out rockas is’s in a brilliant position now to get the drop on cavish and if Rock has finishes a few places ahead of Cavendish Cavendish will lose his green jersey this is the last Turn Down Under The Gardens then when you come out you’re one and a bit kilometers from the line now they go under this uh tunnel of the L now for the last time they’ll take the left hand Bend and then all of a sudden across the road there Phil they will start to see that red kite which will indicate the final kilometer of the tour to France 2011 and still they’re waiting to pick up the pace team HTC High Road they’ve been here before they’ve taken Mark Cavendish to the victory on two occasions on this very Street on this very Avenue and they will wait until the last possible moment to open up their fire power here it comes now this is Bernie Isel this is not a usual finish for them but it looks as though Isel this time has got himself under control Cavendish is trying to hold position at the back behind Mark rencho 900 M to go to the end of the tour to France Cavendish has won twice here before can he get the hattick as they change Partners at the front Tony Martin now the winner of the time trial yesterday is right up into the first position behind him it’s Matty C behind Matty gos it’s Ren Shaw they’ve lined up the first four positions here as they come across the PLO Concord for the last time the world champion peels off he’s done his job for Tyler Farah Hof drops out of it now this is the missile launch as we entered onto the shant two years ago when he won by a mile it’s a Deja Vu it’s just cavish now is in the Third Wheel they’ve left it later because of the headwind that blows down this straight now red Shaw will go Cavendish is going with him Boon haogen is trying to get on his wheel he’ll never be as fast as Mark Cavendish eyes down because this one will be Mark cavendish’s third win as try as they might Mark Cavendish gets win number three of his in history on the Shantal he gets his fifth stage win of the toil of France and as he just told us he gets the green jersey as champion and once he’s clear there’s no way that man ever runs out of fuel a predictable end to a massively unpredictable tour but still a pretty thrilling one as Mark cish stage wins usually are five stage wins 20 in four years a sprinting career that’s heading towards being the best we’ve ever SE scene and finally after 3 years of disappointment the green jersey that should go with all that for Mark Cavendish so happy man and yeah you know we work so hard for it you know they changed the rules this year to uh well they thought if you win five Stag and normally you get the green jersey but so it has worked out but whereas in past years if they’ have probably done the same thing i’ I’ve had an armchair ride to the green jersey we really had to fight for it this week and uh it’s been a lot of effort but it’s so so worth it in the end you know we gone home with six stage wins here five from me one from Tony green jersey um making me super super happy Second Twice in 2007 and 2008 then 30th and 26th the past two years it was starting to look as though cadel Evan shelf life as a tour Contender was close to expiring at 34 he’s the oldest tour winner since the second world war he was also the strongest man in one of the hardest tours we’ve seen in a while cadel of course you’ve had to stand on that Podium before just not on that top spot can you put into words what the difference feels like oh um personally coming second so close uh on two occasions before was um so close yet so far but this year to be there and with a with a sizable lead as well to come into the um to coming right on the Shon it just makes it uh just makes it a pleasure just to be here when the organizers changed the rules of the king of the mountains competition this year it was to ensure that a proper specialist climber or an overall Contender should win it they got both in Samuel Sanchez there was further hope for the home nation in the performance of Pier long who shephered Thomas vla through the mountains and then rode away to take the win at alz he’s the best young Rider his fellow Frenchman jome copel is third estonia’s Ryan Tar is an exciting Rider too gin CLL had a fabulous tour four stage wins including the team time trial and all nine men on the podium although Dave zisy looks a little flat on the far right of your pitchure that’s because he’s a cardboard cutout having crashed out on Stage Nine and finally there is the 123 made 3D cadel Evans in a Schleck sandwich he got out though to become the first ever Australian to win the Tour to France and he won it in a vintage year he n n so as the pelaton heads for the final intermediate Sprint of this year’s tour it’s all come down to this one very prolonged kick in the tail but as we all know by now the real beauty lies in the detail the inspiration and aspiration allegation and incident which make up the fabric of each July and this tour has had as Rich a seam of that as any we’ve been there every kilometer of the way of course sometimes on our bikes how many have you got 14 you got a cold one sometimes by the side of the road I failed twice before and always shoving a microphone where it sometimes doesn’t belong well good luck to you cadel it was a kind of Guera F I don’t know what is guaa it started with a boo the returning Champion roundly unappreciated by a hostile French crowd then from the moment The Winds of the V blew life into the year-long dormant corpse of the tour to France the battle commenced not so much man against man but more man against tarmac stage one saw the man with number one on his back on his back and that set the tone bone crunching aside the winds were shared out with happy abandon the world champion looked great in yellow and Gant Thomas’ contract negotiations were helped Along by a solid run in white the reward for a beligerant opening week his solo dig on the tolay stage with hair raising off piece moments the aggressive highlight of a tour which has earned him a new three-year deal with Sky can he be a proper GC Contender you can’t say that he can’t if Sky had ever dreamt of the yellow Jersey then stage seven saw that dream bite the dust Wiggins crashed out it’s over for Bradley okay he’s got broken coll I think at the Finish as Cavendish crossed the line for his second win he had no idea what had happened behind him I’m gutted for him we could have brought home a Sprint prh the Sprint any Mark Cavendish himself was having a typical tour a little slow to start but picking up Unstoppable momentum and a serious love for green I think the color suits me though you yeah absolutely it’s a spectacular success British success apart it’s been Norway who’ve stolen the show Toof the world champion has to win a stage of the Tour of France in that Jersey and the young Pretender edar bosen Haren riding out winds in a bunch Sprint and a textbook Hof style Breakaway move into the pinolo the master and The Apprentice on any other year the sight of the world champion riding out two heroic stages might have been the show in its entirety the 2011 has been a riotous race a big broad bold and very beautiful landscape on anything other than the steepest of inclines more than 80% of the energy arider produces is used simply to push air out of the way yes cycle racing it’s all about aerodynamics in fact it can be used to explain most of the behavior that you’re going to see on the roads so with the help of Ned here we’re going to try and illustrate the cause and effect of this one cycling fundamental oi this 80% rule only really applies to the rider on the front tucked in behind here well I’m producing about half of the power of M one as Ned here is able demonstrating you all right there Ned it’s just like Sheltering behind a wall in a high wind more riders in front of me bigger the wall put half a dozen of them there and I can literally be freewheeling one of the likes of Ned here is pulling his Tripes out so now you’ve seen how the raw principle Works let’s see how that plays out in the race you coming through anytime too gold in a bit mate and so the French drought on the tour to France is well into its third decade frankly this is a nation which for too long has been surviving on scraps of success individual performances from the likes of viron or Fu latra or chaanel successes which have been celebrated or in some cases perhaps over celebrated and yet in Thomas vler the Evergreen Rider with a serious collection of yellow jerseys they do have a true hero when you wear this jersey do you feel a great responsibility for for France as well as yourself because of your status no oh no I just try to be myself and uh I just try to to do my job and that’s all the clock will start now and that’s when we’ll find out just by how much Thomas voer leads the tour to frogs of course it had to be Vera there was some good for Fortune about last Sunday he admitted that himself he could for example have very easily been taken out by the crash which eliminated Fletcher and hogeland from the Breakaway he certainly benefited from the ill-judged temporary cessation of hostilities by Garmin but it mattered little in the end when he took to the podium you didn’t need a degree in Psychology to second guess what might have been going through his mind I’m not a dreamer I I will just uh fight and give all I can and I know that it’s impossible to me for me to keep it 10 days like 2004 on Monday’s rest day fura was joined by his family little mayah was busy putting his old man through some slightly unwise interval training at the team Hotel this morning he wasn’t even born the last time his dad were the mayoon 10 days which held France in a spell but it was the two big mountain stages in the Pyrenees which created the myth on the first of them stage 12 he lost half of his Advantage the next day Armstrong went on the attack leaving vler riding on his own further down the climb to Plateau de Bay defending his lead for all he was worth 504 is what he’s going to beat he can see the clock now as he’s lined up he’s got the yellow Jersey for at least another day probably for two fantastic what can you say he hung on and life has never been the same for him since now 7 years later he finds himself facing a similar rear guard action now you know I’m 32 years old it’s not like if I were uh 25 so I take day one by one and we’ll see what happen uh I have no pressure I just give all I can we’ll see good luck so fcker is fated his presence on a damp morning brightening moods and raising Smiles his leftover Podium treats handled with the sacred Zeal of religious icons it’s an easy dream for France to dream a harder one perhaps for Thomas vler to ride into fulfillment ladies and gentlemen back by popular demand the men in the blue polo shirts Phil and Paul here to answer your emails they’ve been fully briefed they’re prepped they’re ready to go is that correct it’s correct Ned but keep them easy I will okay Matt Downing emails in with this question bearing in mind some of the rain at the finishes has a stage of the tour ever been canceled due to adverse weather perhaps excessive rain or fog yeah it has been canceled we finished a time trial once won by einini Bine we’re in the Alps and then we were facing up to a ride to cestria it would have been 1996 and we didn’t believe the forecast he said it was going to be snow and but when we looked out next morning we couldn’t find the car it was completely disappeared under the snow and the organizers obviously couldn’t race and in fact the cars went up the ceron where the wind was blowing it was a blizzard and they were bringing off The Spectators who’d ridden up on their bikes with hypothermia they actually did them all a favor but the race was taken over the top and uh B re went on to win the race they restarted on the other side of the snow and raced to setria is that the year that Gary imlac almost abandoned because we sent Gary imlac to the top to watch the riders coming over we had to pull him down a little bit later on he was like an igloo yes he was very very cold yeah I can picture that all right here’s an email from Colin from Barrow upon saw in leester I was wondering when the first lead out train appeared in bike racing now interestingly here he says I don’t recall the likes of chiellini zabal or Abdu japaro name but a few benefiting from the kind of lead outs enjoyed by C it’s not quite true about chiellini is it no it’s not chiellini was he had a lead out train didn’t but in the early days people talk about the great Rick van Loy who was a sprinter who came to the Tour of France he was eagerly awaited to come to the Tour of France he crashed out uh but he did win stages using the solo superior team but I have to say that um really the lead out train is a modern thing and it’s coming now from people like HTC high road and before him Eric zarell organize the lead out trains as well we don’t forget Alexandro Pak had a great lead out train I think he took a lot of the Riders from Mario Chip’s lead out train when chipollini actually retired and I think from then on HTC High Road of Mark cish they’ve really brought it to Perfection okay one final question subject very close to both of your hearts are the Riders paid wages by their teams or is it just the prize money that they earn for each race how much would a tour winner earn well as Paul became very rich as a professional cyclist I’m sure you know the answer to that no it’s actually it’s such a wide uh wide list of how much a rider can win at the height of his career Lance Armstrong was earning between 25 and $35 million which is2 million but the prize money for the man who wins a toal I’m a bit shock sometimes €450,000 or £400,000 is all the winner of this 3-we bike race gets he doesn’t even keep a penny of the winnings he puts it in the coffers of the team and it’s split up amongst the Riders who ride the TOA frons on the team because as the winner you become very famous and then you earn your money after that and that’s exactly how it works with the commentary team as well they divide everything that they earn on this production fairly the en fantastic keep your emails coming go to itv.com that’s where you can find all the links to the emails and uh also follow us on Twitter at ITV cycling the most feared of all weather conditions and a regular in the Tour of France crosswind but why is it any different to the normal flavor of airflow the answer is space is it yeah come on yeah headwind Tailwind or no wind at all the influence of the airflow on the Riders is in their direction of travel meaning there’s an infinite amount of space for them to get shelter behind each other now when the wind comes from the side well suddenly there’s only enough shelter for eight to nine Riders and should the lead Rider in this case me choose not to use all of that space well now there’s only enough room for just one Rider to get shelter the others might be physically close but they having to push the wind to stay where they are and should the lead Rider choose to accelerate well that’s when all hell breaks loose they just turned into a cross wi and now the team time trial has arrived a day early this is team Columbia HTC they realize they’ve got a split and now you see the dangers because celara was ready he’s up here I knew this was going to happen in these crosswind diagonal line of riders and trying to Shelter From The Wind in a diagonal line across the road those lines are called echelons and if you don’t manage to fight your way into the first one the best you can hope for is to form another one as quickly as possible and pray that yours is collectively strong enough to stay with the leaders many of GC Rider has been caught out by either not being close enough to the front when somebody tries to exploit the weather conditions or by getting caught up in the crashes that often ensue this is a big split and there will be serious alarm Bells Phil ringing behind nobody wins the tor when the wind blows from the side but there’s always going to be those that lose it now even from this considerable distance of someway away from the UK I can hear you all thinking exactly the same thing not enough yens Voit on the show well there one easy way of remedying that sit him down stick a microphone on him and let him talk last night I did just that at first you’re a little shy you know when you like um have the camera in front of you and um like even more when it’s you you know it’s life so you try to like not think about the fact that there’s maybe a million people watching every little bit you seeing now he’s a world champion that means he’s not exactly kicker you know he’s a great Rider sometimes even get in trouble in school because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut so I think it’s just Story of My Life just always talks kick out everybody who is making our life difficult everybody kicking everybody out who’s causing trouble kicking everybody out who makes our life complicated and more difficult I think damaging our that that I’m allowed to say um that this might be part of the reason why I’m a little bit popular because people see what they get and they get what they see there’s no faking you know that’s just what I say what I what I show what I do that’s what I am ation of vo’s triumphs on the day that was an extraordinary finish for Yen’s vo the tour still it’s it’s a challenge it’s an adventure it’s you know it’s the hardest thing you probably can do have seen I would think like the whole variety of feelings you can have from like loving the tour hating it from Triumph from pain from scandals you know I mean my first tour was already the Festina tour then had some great tours some successes for myself personally we had this beautiful year in 2008 where we want to the fs with caros sastra we all around him on this Podium on sh looking down sh you know and you know it’s done you did it and you know the next morning there’s no more pain no more stress for you and that was a fabulous moment actually then I crashed the last two years I had some really hard crashes only one per year but hard ones but I would think I would like to think that but I still kept a little bit of this fresh Spirit of this enthusiasm for my sport I think I still kept a little bit of that all all through this this years who’s impressed you more than anyone else well myself you know 40 years old still selected for the tour team still there kicking around you know I think I have seen the whole the whole thing from all different angles you can look at it ohoh that’s nasty in 2009 you had that horrific accident is it all a blur has your memory come back at the accident or or not fortunately it’s not because I don’t want to have this Memories Back it’s just going to be full of pain so um I have a like I would think loss for about half an hour I was apparently 3 minutes really unconscious where I didn’t answer and react to to them but I had a loss of 30 minutes I remember the last thing I thought before was I’m drifting in the group to last position to get more bottles and then the next thing I remember after that is I’m laying on my back and looking at looking at the ambulance I was already in the ambulance and I’m thinking how the heck did I get in here and then of course the next thought is why does everything hurt so much and then you realize okay I must have crashed memory goes and on and off I remember I was in first hospital he said no it’s too complicated for us go somewhere else and I had a helicopter flight I remember a little bit of that they Stitch me together actually that was a terrible moment actually like I I sort of like waking up and I see them stitching my right hand together I see another team stitching on my head like putting stitches in here and I see the third team already disinfecting in my right hand to put stitches in there as well I’m like give me a break do one after the other not do it all at once you know so as I said two teams stitching here and on my head and the third team already preparing to stitch me together on the other hand um yeah then I said hey I need to call my wife to tell her that I’m alive it’s no doubt that everybody has to suffer to go through a tour you suffer to win it you suffer to finish it but that’s that’s just part of the job and and I think uh fortunately for myself um early enough in my career I realized that a lot of hard work and a lot of suffering already in training makes you better makes you harder it makes you winning more race or makes you more successful Eddie ma who is undoubtedly our biggest rider ever uh he said um the one who suffers the most wins in the end I somehow took this idea in in my head and it paid off for me I realized that okay it’s suffering now but you get a reward for it it probably it’s terrible if you suffered you never have a reward that must be terrible right obviously my role in the team is changing I’m not the champion I’m not the one that’s supposed to win and attack and take the stages but I’m the one that prepares the stage for the others and now when you become like to the latest Stadium of your career you realize you know what it is as great to help the others and see them winning and celebrate together after the stage in the bus or in the hotel and be happy with the boys you help to win so it’s the same suffering it’s always involved but that is just part of the job I mean it’s no bowling what we do here