2008 Tour de France – World Cycling Productions coverage with narration by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen.
00:00 Intro
02:59 Stage 1 (Brest to Plumelec)
08:46 Stage 2 (Auray to Saint-Brieuc)
17:01 Stage 3 (Saint-Malo to Nantes)
23:46 Stage 4 (Cholet) [ITT]
32:33 Stage 5 (Cholet to Châteauroux)
42:04 Stage 6 (Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy)
48:36 Stage 7 (Brioude to Aurillac)
55:41 Stage 8 (Figeac to Toulouse)
1:00:35 Stage 9 (Toulouse to Bagnères-de-Bigorre)
1:07:05 Stage 10 (Pau to Hautacam)
1:30:49 Stage 11 (Lannemezan to Foix)
1:42:35 Stage 12 (Lavelanet to Narbonne)
1:50:33 Stage 13 (Narbonne to Nîmes)
1:56:30 Stage 14 (Nîmes to Digne-les-Bains)
2:03:18 Stage 15 (Embrun to Prato Nevoso )
2:29:16 Stage 16 (Cuneo to Jausiers)
2:39:28 Stage 17 (Embrun to Alpe d’Huez)
3:23:06 Stage 18 (Bourg-d’Oisans to Saint-Étienne)
3:31:01 Stage 19 (Roanne to Montluçon)
3:36:22 Stage 20 (Cérilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond) [ITT]
3:47:10 Stage 21 (Étampes to Paris)
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Start List b: https://wcpcycling.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Tour+de+France/2008_TourdeFrance_StartList_b.png
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Produced: Tim Grady
Narrated: Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen
Hosted: Gary Imlach
Field Report: Gary Imlach and Chris Boardman
Interviews: Ned Boulting and Matt Rendell
Edited: Peter Hussey
Note: This video was created by World Cycling Productions. I do not own this content.
every year the tour to France finishes on the Shan and frankly thank goodness for that these days it’s one of the few things you can actually rely on when the race sets off that 22 days later in some shape size and state of Health it’ll arrive in Paris everything else his subject had changed without notice the 2008 Edition had incident accident Scandal the odd headbutt and uncertainty about the outcome until the penultimate stage which was a relief really because back at the star in breast all everyone was talking about was what the tour this year was missing first off there was no defending Champion Alberto contador’s new team had been declared unwelcome because of past problems with drugs for the first time in history there was no official recognition from Psych World governing body either the r over how to fight doping had turned the tour into a renegade race the prologue was missing two the organizers had decided to ditch four Decades of tradition replace the opening time trial with a road stage and that was just the first of a string of Innovations on the most experimental tour route we’ve seen for years britainy played host of the opening 3 days in fact it was the tour to France meets the shipping forecast as the race kicked off in fin a stage one was breast Plum 197 windy kilm with a vicious kick up towards the finish the locals perhaps not having traveled much called the Breton Al Duz the Finish to stage one The Climb at the end now I know you’ve got experience of it uh they call it the alz of Britany don’t they can you can you describe it what it’s like to ride up well uh I think it’s not like I putress but uh it’s very dangerous at the beginning of the climb there is um there is a big road and in 50 m you turn in a small road with only two Rider can pass so it will be very dangerous at 2 km negotiate that safely and then it’s on to the slopes of the kadal 1.7 km at an average gradient of 6.2% now it probably won’t be enough to break the Pelon R apart but it might just produce a surprise winner if Val wants he could win the stage but uh I don’t think he would like to have the Y jersey for the first day and you you’ve won there this year so is it a stage for Tommy vler do you think yeah I won over there this year but it wasn’t the same Riders at the start and uh I think the speed the rhythm of the last time the speed was not the same so wait and see Herve du lell never got there every year somebody has to be the tour’s first casualty this year it was him and he was almost followed out of the race by the first big name last year’s King of the mountains Mauricio Solair went down heavily on on his wrist and was already chasing the rest of the field almost before the tour properly started we’re going to join the stage one action with the whole field together approaching the decisive climb towards the finish in Plum the co Dua we got an attack going on the right Fabian Wegman the champion of Germany and this is exactly what out foxed Eric zarell a couple of years ago because there was a late attack came it’s not it’s not the champion of Germany in fact fromel this iside from agu tuel who’s made the move here and it would be the sort a move by Roman Fu who has made a move on the climb and he’s I think he’s gone too early but it ised Fu who’s gone as he starts to climb here and he’s got a little Gap over the field and this is the moment of confusion who’s going to take up the chase because they don’t want to waste their energy this is a good gamble by the Frenchman but now comes Geral Steiner Geral Steiner have got themselves organized this is the counter move now Fu really himself a little bit of a sprinter I felt was going just a bit too early there but now we’ve got Geral Steiner this looks like Stephan schum marker well this could be a good move from Stephan schar and he once won the ABS goal race in the move like this up to calberg in the south of Holland he’s now made his he’s got an enormous Gap there’ll have to be a quick reaction to close this down this drag will split the field up for sure now as he continues to count now the field is starting to rip from behind well they’re all over you’ve got to convict yourself now just to keep going you cannot pause at A Moment Like This Eric zaral is still pretty much up there they’re now starting to get the headwind into their faces these Riders as they come up the last little bit of curlies as they come up towards the top sharker looking over his shoulder to see whether or not he’s got the power still to go the mainfield is still all over there is Alejandro Val in the middle the champion of Spain he’s looking for The Gap he wants to win this coming across there is Kim kirken kirken has made the Junction now he makes the move kirkin has gone over the top and I saw also Al and Philip gilber in white as kirken tries to go clear now and there’s a move from a lamp playay Rider is it Kuno no it’s not right on his back wheel I think Kim Kirk’s gone a little bit too soon here well I think that’s Alexandro Balan there in second place but look in fact you can see kirkin is opening up the Gap here schumak has gone backwards there is cadel Evans in about fourth position he’s pretty happy just to be there we’re inside of 250 M to go and this is going to be a great move coming around the corner 41 kir this was what was planned Kim Kirk and Alan Piper said he hoped it but at valie I think has taken a flyer from the line Alexander FAL is heading home well his team said he would win he seems to want the yellow Jersey from day one the hot favorite with cadel Evans and that is an incredible win for Alexandro valy Philip gilber I think will have got second place on the line there Paul the power of that man well I think not only the power of Alejandro valve but the way remained calm and collected and watched the race unfold in front of him and then all of a sudden he came out to take the big pay packet there this afternoon well as opening day finishes go it more than made up for the lack of skin suits Arrow helmets and close-ups of human suffering we usually get on day one and it produced a winner who wouldn’t have been in the top six of a prologue but is aiming for the top Place overall in the tour so it felt as though the race had got straight down to business it also left Alejandro valde with an almost undefendable Lead 1 second over the first dozen Riders behind him including Kim kieren the pre-race favorite cadel Evans Frank schle and Britain’s David Miller too with another 30 yard Riders behind them lying just 7 Seconds back so although Val had looked impressive in taking the yellow Jersey his chances of holding on to it for long looked pretty slim great for the race and seemingly fine by valde too as if to demoralize the Riders stage two sent them back North to the Britany Coast after the race had started off South and the weather wasn’t helping technically speaking it was a flat state age but not really and a flat gave us our first real sighting of Mark Cavendish at the back not where you want to see the world’s best Sprinter you only have to look back to last year in Mark cavendish’s debut tour when he was denied the chance to even compete for a win by a series of scrapes and crashes here’s Ned bolon he can still pass largely unnoticed a shy smile which masks an iron self-confidence is all you get when you’re first confronted with Mark Cavendish but in the next few days and over the next couple of months that could all be about to change at the minute I’m I’m one of the hottest properties in cycl the last 200 meters you can’t deny with facts you look at me I’m the fastest you know 11 wins in his debut year then came the difficult second album he’s barely put a foot long I was coming so fast Tom didn’t see me he thought he was so far ahead he could raise his hands and he raised his hands and yeah I was coming that fast that I could come underneath him and I got it so it was special for me that usurped the natural Order of Things even if it left Cavendish himself a little unbalanced more though would follow on airo he shot through two Finish Lines first only the third British rider in history to win a stage there he even gifted a third Victory to a teammate and finished the race two stronger and quicker than ever if they needed convincing about his potential his bigname Rivals have all the evidence they need I mean he’s a really good uh Sprinter he’s for sure one of the fastest one and uh last year uh he took I think he took a big step from last year so yeah he can be one of the biggest one this year so we’ll see okay well he’s achieved a lot so far in his career he’s doing really well uh developing really well as a as a rider and as a sprinter uh this year when his first stages in a grand tour in the jro so now I think he’s definitely capable of winning a Tour stage he has wrongs to write from last summer the fall in Canterbury and then the slight and not so slight misjudgments which along with more bad luck meant he left France last year with nothing more than bruises but with no boner or bonati and a muted mccuan to beat this year the field looks ready for him to rip through listen to this for an endorsement of his Potential from a man who knows about the race better than almost anyone in the pelaton Cavendish I mean that that kid’s an incredible cyclist I mean it’s a real honor to be uh teammates with him you know I’ve been I’ve been teammates with the best in the world best in cycling but I see so much in him uh so much potential even though he’s already reached higher levels and the most cyclist in the pelaton but I think you’ll be seeing him win for the next 10 15 years meanwhile his assault on Madison gold in Beijing alongside Bradley Wiggins counterbalances his ambition over the coming weeks it’s not that he wants to choose he wants them both and he might just get them the high esteem in which Mark Cavendish is is held by his teammates is matched only by the esteem he holds for the tour itself this year he’s in it for the long haul I want to finish it’s not fair on the organized it’s not fair on my team it’s not fair on myself if I say I’m going to go into the toil Defence with wanted to wanted to quit halfway you know I want to finish this might not be the fast flat finish he’d prefer but the chance to win a tour the France Sprint stage is a precious thing and they seldom come gift wrap to order so come on team Columbia Marshall your forces behind Cavendish we’re dying to call him the miniature Ms wonder and help us expunge some of those dark memories of s this is an incredible Chase and we’ll see Team Columbia move up they’ve got blue jerseys down there they’re the lighter all blue strip because they’re thinking of Mark kavenish as well George H be the strong one there they are in the distance oh boy they’ve left it late at 2.8 km this is not a done deal and that’s what Silvan chabanel thinks he’s moved off the front and he’s got just enough time to make the Finish well he’s got to give everything now this is a Do or Die move you saw there that Thomas vler tried to get across the Gap now that chabanel has opened up his Advantage he has to ride and not even look back he’s got to make his body hurt he’s got to just not listen to the message from his body to stop the pain he’s got to keep the pain for another 2 and A2 kilometers he’s actually extended his lead over the front end of the main field this was the move that he had to make and he’s flown alone you are looking at a former time trial champion of France here and in fact he is the current time time time he just wanted a week ago as he now settles in to the chase on his own he has the legs if he strong enough and he’s the absolute hero of the day he could have led this race for 162 of the 164 kmers there’s the Pelon now snapping up the Breakaway one by one but they may have left this a little bit late look now at the long line there of riders from Team Colombia you can see they’re trying to get themselves organized as well and I think George hcap is right up at the front end of the main field but peeling off the rider from quickstep is peeling off now there’s the main field there’s only one man left in front of them and it’s chavanel well look the grim look of realization on the face there of moo and voyle there’s only one man left now and that is Silvan chaanel the clock is counting 8 seconds it is case the PA trying to guide Val safely off the front this is a long hard climb and he’s still there that was Lis Leon Sanchez on the front there for case depa doing the paac making for the yellow Jersey the other teams now are starting to crack a fraction and chaanel has still got a 6sec Advantage with 1.7 km to go there’s a lot of tired bodies at the front end of that mainfield Philip jilber Phil has moved up into third position team Columbia’s organization seems to become a little bit disorganized and now it’s really going to be all up to Alejandro valdi moving up the right hand side there there’s a couple of riders from Silence lter but chavanel really has to dig deep now he wants this one to survive and I tell you this is a mean mean run into the Finish just remember between kilometers 2 and one we’re on a beautiful road you can see it here well barried and nice and wide we closed down a little bit between 1 kilm and 500 M and there’s a nasty kick there there’s also a central obelisk in the middle of the rad but a catch is coming and now it is every man for himself as we start it’s Fabian canelar and there’s been a crash already at the back of the race a quick look at the Riders none of the favorites are there that was LE Hoster who was down and one man is clear and can chalara at 1 kilometer he’s trying to do it again he did it at compm when he wore yellow last year posato is coming across though in the lime green jersey for team liquigas and they in third or fourth position in fact is cadell Evans taking control of the front end of the main field BTO wants to win this again like he did in 2004 but you’ve got to be a tough man to catch Fabian canel this is just like the last stage of the tour of Switzerland well this is the tricky bit now they’ve just gone past one section of the course he’s almost on the line but he knows this time at 500 M he’s not quite going to make it P zatoo a few deep breaths here he’s HED up into the slipstream of Fabian canelar who’s the world time trial champion and the race is coming across the Gap Jeron Pino is there again he was third yesterday the yellow Jersey is going to have a go valver surely not another stage win for the champion of the tour so far up on the outside is that Hush off who’s launched an attack yes it is it’s a god of thunder roaring but the challenge is coming and this is Kim Kirin coming on the shoulder of to hush but on the line to hush has got the win and Kim Kirin will be there in second place Toof ground out a strong man’s win beating Kim Ken Gerald chol and the elements well today we’re heading down south to n the last stage in Britany this by the way was one of the original towns on the first route in 193 before the Riders rode all the way to Paris from nant well the first email we have to answer today comes from uner and Peter Moors and they ask who is your favorite to win the Tour this year well my favorite always has been he’s been training very hard all season the Australian cadel Evans who finished second last year and without cont here I think he must have a chance who about you I think I’d have to go for Alejandro valve who’s looked pretty good since the start and I think his time traving abilties improved as well so he’s the man to watch I think well he set himself a tough Target to try and Lead this race from day one that’s for sure we’re going on then let’s have a look at Len Minette from Norfolk who is the oldest Rider in this year’s race and who is the oldest Rider to win the Tour well I’ll take the easy question because I think the oldest rider in the race is Stephan guar he’s 38 years old and a few months but don’t forget today happens to be Eric zabel’s birthday and he’s 382 and he once won in charir in Belgium on his birthday so maybe he’ll win today he is a spinter after all well the oldest Rider to win the Tour to France that happened in 1922 and his name was Ferman Lambo and he was 36 years of age but we have had a number of winners at 34 not least of course the last one Lance Armstrong one at 34 years of age Regina barley of Italy we’ve also had yob deik that was in 1980 and another Rider who won was Lucian bua a Belgian Rider who did that in 1926 now let’s go back to the action let’s take a look at stage three 28 km from Sam Malo down to non and unlike the rolling terrain of the first two days almost nothing on today’s profile except wind rain and three intermediate Sprints and there was plenty of both Wind and Rain that is another day for the kestian Diplomatic protection unit to shelter their man in yellow the tour is the French protest movements publicity vehicle of choice took some ad hoc diplomacy from the race director Christian prudon to get the pelaton passed now as we’ve seen on stages one and two the French Riders have been getting their faces out front as have the French public this PA mesmerized by their closeup moment completely missing the day’s Breakaway flying by in there were a pair of Frenchmen Roman Fu and Samuel dumah along with an Italian Pao Longo borghini and William frorn of the USA through 3 kilm to go Phil that is around about 4 minutes we will now know whether or not Roman filu is going to be the new leader of the race well I’m sure we know he’s going to be the new leader of the race but by how much yes he could be by more than they imagin back in the peleton totally misjudged this today they were chasing well it was going well suddenly they found they weren’t catching the leaders then came the crash everything went wrong the teammates here now of credy agrial driving on trying to close the gap down it’s all too late of course there are plenty of green jersey points from fifth down to 25th so Hof will want to go in the Sprint but forget the race for first place now the winner is going to be Pao Longo Roman faure Samu Duma or William frorn of Gman chapley one of those four today will win the Tour to France stage well they certainly will this is the group of menof he’s still looking for around about 30 seconds he’s got Ricardo Rico in the group with him and they’ve been put seriously on the defensive here this afternoon but at the end of the day Roman fu is going to take the overall lead with a 21 second advantage over the rider from bow will Paulo Longo but there’s still the glory of winning the stage that is at hand here Phil this afternoon France are looking for a stage Victory maybe it’s going to go to Samy deula at the back because as you can see Roman Fu he is riding his heart out for the clock that’s all he’s thinking about you can see he’s thinking of time the other three are thinking of Victory I think the spint will be between Duma who is a fast f finisher in the right conditions and William fisko and I think those two will be heading up first and second can’t see po along Longo he’s rather tall and lanky man I don’t see him being a pure Sprinter I’ve never seen him Sprint in my life so I don’t know of course the other Riders will be doing just what I’m doing on a setting there goes the attack de mulan’s not leaving it to the Sprint and will Frisco and he’s going after him too B Longo a little bit slower r f he tags on the back all he want to do is hold on there that’s a good attack by deu Lampo but Gorn is up for it well fris Gorn has seen this he knows he’s got himself a chance of winning a stage in the tour to France so these two Riders here are extremely tied now they’re the ones who are first and second overall in the standings at the end of the day but I think the legs have gone but Roman Fu has said I’ve got to go for this he wants every possible chance of staying in contact he doesn’t want to give any time at all away but you can see frisor has caught Samy deula there and the Frenchman Fu I think now feel he’s going to come back well that was a bit of excitement but I think it’s all about to come together again 900 m to the Finishing Line and fer is going to go straight by them and fish must react this boy is going to go out on a high in yellow and as a stage winner frorn goes again he drills himself here but he’s taking with him Dulan who may still have some legs left forget Longo he’s gone now but this is a French tour to France just at the moment because Roman filer one win this year he’s only a kid by the way he’s 24 years of age he is in yellow tonight of that there is no doubt out but dula is coming back as is frorn and frorn is going to have to go now because it looks as though Samuel Duman who has ridden the tour to France on four occasions he’s going to get his day but F will not give up he has kicked again he’s back into his slipstream this is an awful long kilometer for these rides come on William frisor for gin chapley but on the line fris was the way we thought Paul Dulan gets the win frisor and gets second F gets third and the Mayo je and Paulo Longo Four Musketeers who beat the peleton today in Britany Samuel Dulan took the stage win Guan Fu finished third gained enough time over Alejandra valde to take the yellow Jersey the day’s Breakaway had parachuted three of its four members into the top placings Fu Longo borghini and frisor valde was down to Fourth but behind him the real race standings remained pretty much the same to most of the big names except for Dennis menof and Ricardo Rico who’ both slit back by 38 seconds on the day after getting caught up in a crash now every year the tour organizers review the race just gone and tweak the parameters of the one to come in the hope of producing the most interesting contest this year they cut down on the length of the first time trial perhaps trying to lessen its importance or at least keep things tighter between the contenders for overall Victory heading into the Pyrenees of course the organizers intentions and the way the race actually develops always diverge sooner or later and for at least one favorite Dennis menof stage four in Chalet even at a relatively flat 29 km had already become a huge test it was a big day too of course for the time trial Specialists men like David Miller and Switzerland’s Fabian Canela and a specialized discipline take specialized preparation you put uh some good music on pump you really the whole thing up and and then then you’ve self motivated get up go on the home trainer faf around go to the start right around the course talk to people start time TR 5 4 three and when he say two I stand up on my bike then for me is ready cuz then I take a big breathe then he say two 1 Zer time tral is very kind of rer specific somebody like me is very Punchy I kind of have to be putting it in the red and like kind of letting it come back down again I’m very kind of aggressive I need a computer on my on my bike because when I see 53 say Okay 53 is nice but I have to go 54 when you have 54 you try try to go 55 but then you have your sports direct that he says he need BL come on pick up the motorbike and sometimes hey why I have to pick up the motorbike they can’t get around these Corners as fast as he can feel they don’t realize how fast this going every ride is different we all have our ways of doing it and so for me it’s that if I’m fit I kind of I tend to be sort of just high revving and resting and kind of just constantly putting just digging deep and then shutting off and and it’s it’s kind of unorthodox but that’s the way I do it I have a big big engine but sometimes it’s not only the engine that makes a differ because without this you never will win races with no opening prologue this year stage four was the first time out of the truck for the skin suits and the big hats as the contenders for overall Victory stopped dying each other for a day concentrated on the clock the first individual time trial wasn’t long by T landard 29 km out from and back to chol but with the outward leg Against The Wind and The Return leg with it there was some careful pacing to be done that’s Kad 11’s strong suit and he was looking to gain time before the mountains the best early Mark was set by Yen Voit until Dennis Mena needing to claw back the losses he’d suffered on stage three shaved a second off it the man expected to take a side to everyone’s times have been Fabian kelara Fabian canela’s got 16 seconds to get to that line it is still an awful long way but he’s desperate now has he reversed the deficit of 7 Seconds at the last check into Victory he’s sprinting here like it’s the end of a mass start Road Race 3 seconds 2 seconds he’s done it goodness me he has done it best time 88 of a second he came across the line there he was looking at the clock fill across the Finishing Line I could see him changing his gear up he was getting the turbo he was looking for fourth gear fifth gear sixth gear on that racing machine of his and confirmation there’s still a lot of big names to come though as kelara stops the clock 1 second faster than Denny menof two seconds smarter than his own teammate but this man number 111 Stephan schume marker has just recorded the new fastest Ed at 11 kilometers 15 seconds faster than Yen vo David Miller the champion of Great Britain he’s 30 seconds ahead of Danny Pate his teammate so that will put him up amongst the leaderboard if he confirms when he gets through to the checkpoint at 11 km as cadell Evans comes up to this vital first check to give us some idea but it it’s a bit of a way behind shaca but more importantly it was about 4 seconds behind men cadell Evans has gone through there in eighth place losing himself 22 seconds as we go back here to the Finish Line well this is amazing Canela will be desperately surprised at this ride by Stefan Schumaker it is going to a nice iate the time of the world champion and I think might lead the way to the best ever Victory his life as he comes up to the line he’s looking at the clock best time at the moment by 33 seconds and look at this man’s face here as he looks at the line he doesn’t even Sprint he knows he has to keep the pressure going all of the time and that is a phenomenal new best time by Stephan schumak as we look here at Val heading in for the second check I’ll tell you what valver has actually improved Phil over the second part of this course he was a long way down to begin with but he’s now moved up to 18th Place but the time he’s lost is a minute at this point he’s moved up 12 places though as cadel Evans comes in to the finish here celara is the second best time that is what Evans is aiming at now and remember canor is the world champion cadel Evans is back in this toour the front even if he was ever out of it because now he’s got the second best time that is a terrific result for Evans well cadell Evans has done a phenomenal performance there he was a long way down and he’s actually improved at every individual time check and that is a sign of a man who knows exactly how to ride an individual time trial well this is a super finish by Miller but it’s going to slot in probably in a second place finish here should be a good one for David he’ll have a high overall position tonight he’s ridden his best time trial for many many years here Miller and he’s taken it to the line second best time for David Miller this is the interesting time the arrival of the green points Jersey leader here Kim Kiren and on many people’s lips a favor to win the Tour to France too his team have got great encouragement here for him cuz they believe he could win the Tour to France well he’s getting out of the saddle now and coming up to the line and what a part time to get our little technical problem he stops the clock there Philly’s lost 18 seconds on Stephan schum marker and he’s come across the line in second place and he’s telling cadell Evans watch out mate because I’m here to race this tour Alexandro Val what has he done between the 19 km check and the Finish Well it’s gone outside of the 37 minute time and it’s going to be closer filter 37 minutes and 20 seconds now that will be a little bit of a shock to his system he’s got to get his mind back into this race well the mountains are just around the corner now 23rd position 37 minutes and 18 seconds for alesandro valde and that’s a big gain for cadel Evans today as the yellow Jersey Roman Fu had the honor of starting last wasn’t far off finishing last he was 169th out of 178 Riders 4 minutes 59 behind the winning time that belonged to Stefan schumacker he was 18 seconds clear of Kim kirkin who was tth of a second faster than David Miller cadel Evans beat all his Rivals although only by 7 seconds in the case of Dennis menof Alejandra Val on the other hand lost a minute and 7 Seconds seconds to the pre tour favorite caros sastre was another 7 seconds behind him and Frank schle lost over a minute and 34 to Evans first blood to the Australian then in what was really the first stage as far as he was concerned in my mind for classification really this is the really the first appointment for the GC favorites I think and um you know like I said so far so good and um let’s see in super best I think will be the next Real showing for the GC Riders the immediate effect on the standings though was to produce the tours third race leader in 4 days Stephan schumacker had won the time trial by enough to take the lead and the four men behind him Ken Miller Evans and kelara also turned their stage finish positions into overall placings Dennis menof was solidly back in the hunt 11th at a minute 12 Alejandro valde had slipped to 17th at 1 minute 27 just ahead of Andy schle the best placed of CSC saxo Banks 3 contenders now Britain’s Mark Cavendish came into this year’s tour widely acknowledged as the fastest Sprinter in the world over the last few hundred meters of a race nobody could touch him the problem on this year’s tour wasn’t the last few hundred meters it was the 150 km or so before that if it wasn’t the organizers putting in uphill finishes it was the pelaton lacking organization and failing to pull back breakaways in time whatever the reason four stages into the race Mark Cavendish hadn’t had a sniff stage five was the longest of the entire race 232 km which took the race across country from cholet to chatar Ru almost in the center of France it was the flattest 2 with almost nothing to break the journey except the feed Zone 100 km in and no excuses for the sprinters teams if they let a break survive poor of Mauricio Solair didn’t survived the neutral zone he came off before the race had officially started and decided injured as he was from stage one not to get back on Alejandra V went down two once the stage got going but he was quickly back in the race and seemed as happy as a 5-year old that he’d have some scabs to play with back at the team Hotel later on The Daily break went away to no one’s surprise and to no one’s surprise but Great British frustration the sprinters teams Mark cavendish’s Colombia included looked in danger of miscalculating the catch once again as they wound up the speed in pursuit of three skps on the run into Shadow Ru we are now at 6 km to go we are 28 seconds still to the good these boys now are living on pure hope and they have led for virtually the whole race today the longest stage of the tour but Team Colombia have got to the front the rider in green is also Colombia that’s Kim kirken who’s got himself into the picture lock fist is there in the white jersey it’s all Team Colombia right now as they try to line out for Mark kavenish yes but waiting to take over on the right hand side a little bit of a problem here looks like there’s a crash on the left hand side of the road there’s a rider gone down very hard he’s come to contact with the spectator well that is a real shame collision with a spectator here they look okay let’s hope so well the race medical people will be on hand the rider who had the Collision there is passeron of Sonia Duval he looks across at The Spectator he gets back on his bike but outside lose time here is outside the 3 km to go back to the action here now 24 seconds to go 5 km the they are still there and they are still racing to the finish for Paul Team Colombia and George hppy had to get up there has now got themselves organized yes and if Team Colombia start to fade over on the left hand side you’ve got froes this year behind them waking waiting to take over as well you’ve got team quickstep for K sterman this is keeping the pace nice and high this is Marcus berghard going through there at 5 kilm to go and they’re still looking for around about 20 seconds the mainfield are going to judge it to abs absolute perfection here this afternoon but you know the sprinters are all very nervous now they haven’t had a serious cracket of Victory here this afternoon a little bit further down on the left hand side you can you see the yellow Jersey Stephan Schumaker he’s riding in the front because he wants to keep himself out of danger to Hof will be in there somewhere as well but look at the movement everybody’s very nervous this afternoon well eight of the nine members of Team Colombia are up there and here comes the rush now by Lei gas because they tried to bring cheeki or Kiki up there as well at four kilm to go I take my hat off to these three we can see how quick the pelaton is going these boys are hanging in there 20 seconds still in hand 20 seconds is really not very much at all that corresponds to around about 300 M Advantage for these three men it probably is not enough 19 seconds lead just inside 4 km from the Finish team columia have got hold of the tour to France by the Scruff of the racing shorts and have put all of the team on the front it’s all thear Cavendish right now but there are plenty of others trying to break in here particularly the team from Italy of gas there’s been a crash on the bend one Rider on the floor it’s a g Steiner Rider who’s got caught out a teammate there of the race leader I’m just trying to see who it is Paul but look to me it is hler the Australian German who’s caught the edge of those cobblestones maybe we can see it again here well that’s where it happened in fact he touched the wheel of the rider in front a rider from Lampe in Fr front of him slowed down just a little bit too much he rear ended him and then went down and he looks as if he’s in a serious amount of difficulty Gerard Port the famous doctor of the torto Frances up there alongside him well it’s Thomas Lois there the new rung rider in the white jersey who’s doing a sterling performance at the front he’s dropped back a little bit now as the other light blue jersey of Team Colombia they’re trying to deliver Mark cavanis to his first ever win of a stage of the tour to France here it would be a huge result for the team and for him and for the American Squad as well as Li gas are losing Firepower they’ve only got two men left up amongst the Front Runners watch the left of the picture here because these riders in Orange are bringing ustar fera the big Sprinter from Spain forward and on the right ball word they looking to bring Robbie Hunter at 2 and 1 half kilometers to go this is now not for the nervous these are the three leaders and they’re still leading inside of 2 kilomet to go they are holding on and I don’t know how they blown our computer out of the water because they are still up there now at 1.9 km to go they’re trying to bring Sebastian chavanel through in the white jersey team of Fria big George hppy back and driving the front now because this they’re trying to keep the race so fast nobody can catch up with the leaders of the Pelon and this is what Mar caveng just needs a real shot at the Finish because he really is the fastest man over 200 M well he is but he’s got to be in the right place he’s got to make sure that the doors are open in front of him because you can be the fastest man in the world but if you’ve got riders in front of you there’s nowhere to go through Eric zaral is not far away from the front end of the main field now ncol V has thought about this one he is going for one last burst here and he’s looking to see whether he’s going to spot the last kilometer this could be an impressive turnout for these guys cuz they may well just survive the final throws of a man who has been in the lead for 220 km today as somewhere the champion of France has found some power in those Pistons we call legs as he races now towards the finish the other two I think will be swt up they have really diced with it this time one kilometer to go and one man the champion of France is still away he’s still away on the front of the main field it was the man who wears the green jersey leading them out and that is Kim Kirk and the Riders from the breakway have swung over now they don’t want to create any accidents as you can almost see and feel the pressure in the main field they feel that they may well have lost this one as they’re looking to pull back 250 M inside of the last kilom it’s quick step on the front end of the main field but vundi here could very well have created a massive surprise it is a long straight Sprint here but for bndy it is a greyhound rush for the line don’t look over your shoulder because there’s still a chance here for the champion of France A desperate evid after leading for almost all of the 232 km Mark cavage is bursting out of the pr he’s had to make a run very early here he’s challenged by the spins look at the speed of Mark cavish here as we get the shot he’s down the champion Mark Cavern the youngest British rider ever to get a stage win in the tour to France well God forbid Mark Cavendish should win a simple Sprint to open his tour account the catch was in doubt until the closing meters of the longest stage for a few seconds he seemed not to believe it himself then suddenly the world speed it up again he was in one of those Finish Line scrums he’d watched on telly Growing Up Race officials clearing a path for him and teammates appearing out of the CR crowd to celebrate with him then the podium music the girls the flowers Bernard you know for goodness sake and the Winner’s interview what was said before this stage because the way you you rode as a team on the stage it really looked like you targeted this one I woke up this morning and I said to Lads I’m going to win today I just feel it you know and uh it sounds it sounds arrogant but I just I prefer to say on the line of confidence you know we got a such a strong team here and we showed that we shown that the other day and we had to come away with a stage sooner or later and after the other day I wasn’t going to let them down you’re you are a confident lad but the the the not backs the setbacks when it doesn’t go according to plan it doesn’t it doesn’t change your belief does it oh not not one bit you know it’s uh at the end of the day uh the to of France isn’t the only bike race in the world the Olympics isn’t the only bike race in the world I think a lot of uh I know British British fans uh think that’s that’s the case you know and they don’t appreciate how much I’ve done in uh in other races you know so at least can show you that I am the fastest guy in the world and uh on thank you suddenly Mark Cavendish had become one of those people whose mobile number is gold dust and whose time is no longer his own mom I’ll call you back I’m on the tally sorry Mrs C but I hope you enjoyed the coverage and I’m sure he called you back dinner at the team Columbia hotel came with a glass of red champagne’s reserved for the yellow Jersey apparently and the feeling that the wine waiter might be needed again before the tour was over six day of racing today and a tough finish here at super best but the weather at least is on the Riders side time now for your emails from the commentary box let’s have a look at the first one it comes in from Terry Davis from Cambridge Terry is asking how many calories do the Riders burn up on a stage of the tour to France well it depends really for what kind of stage it is and it depends also on climatic conditions on the flatter stages a rider will burn around about 5,000 calories but on the big mountain stages that figure can be as high as 8,000 let’s go on to the second question then this is coming from Ed Simpson in Greenwich what is the significance of the yellow numbers some Riders are wearing well we all know that the yellow Jersey indicates the man who leads the race on the shortest time well the yellow numbers is for the team that leads on the shortest time and the team competition is actually the time taken on the first three Riders of each team every day added together team with a shortest time is the team leaders and at the moment I think it’s Team Garmin Chipotle leading it is indeed the top three teams Garmin chle team Columbia and CSC saxo all right the third question then this one comes in from Sarah Evans Cardiff how can the chasing peleton time the catch of the Breakaway so close to the Finishing Line as they did yesterday well I don’t think they calculate in fact it was a miscalculation Yesterday by the main field because normally what they would try and do is pull the Breakaway back at around about 10 to 15 kilometers to go using my favorite little recipe of pulling back a minute for every 10 km of the race however yesterday the mainfield really got caught out I think by the strength of those three men up front well when Mark cavish actually got alongside the last of that break away nicolar vandi there was only 2 seconds of the race still to go let’s go back to the action with just five stages and 831 km raced the tour hit the mountains of the massive sentral stage six was 1952 km from aarond to superb there were four climbs including the one up to the finish at just under 1300 M but a steep kick towards the end that looked the perfect launch pad for a late attack cadel Evans got in an early attack no actual bodily harm I don’t think but he certainly made his point to the motorbike policeman he thought was slowing down the team car as he was paced back into the race after a mechanical problem Alejandra valver was likely G down the right side after his crash the previous day but felt good enough to have his team on the front on the run into super base the case that pawn Riders are running out of pacemakers here sooner or later I think some he’s going to go yeah well I tell you what they might be running out of pacemakers but they are the guys this afternoon who have done the job for Alejandro valde they’re pulling off now and now we’re going to see who is the one who’s got the acceleration menop was on the left hand side cadel Evans on the right hand side and this is the difficulty at the back and there is Damiano Kuno not enjoying this last 1 and a half kilometers no he’s not and I’m surprised to see that but Kuno who we thought had good form he’s shaking his head a little bit there these Riders under extreme pressure here now as the the big men of the toilet front suddenly have lifted the tempo look at the gaps that have been forced open here now and Kim Kirk and he’s still up here the yellow Jersey here menof Evans Ricardo Rico valde all of these Riders going shoulder toosh shoulder to the summit the only man who’s got a teammate left in there to give him any hand at all is Alejandro valve and his teammate has come straight back up to the front that’s Oscar periro on the front now trying to set the Sprint up here for Alejandro valde moving up look at the man on the right hand side in the yow Jersey the white red and white the white and yellow Jersey that is Ricardo Rico he’s waiting to pounce his nickname by the way is the Cobra and the man we haven’t mentioned Frank schle the champion of Luxembourg is here as well this is it and now periro who was given the tour to France after Landis was disqualified and there’s a crash here Shar has touched the wheel the yellow Jersey is in trouble and as they spin for the summit of the real here Ricardo Rico is going for it and there will be time lost I think for the Jersey depends how the judges read the last kilometer Ru but look at this the man called the Cobra is striking again as he did in the early days of the goo toal you he gets the stage when valver is second but locked right on his wheel cadell Evans Frank sleck and then comes kirken and then comes one of the Riders I think it’s yes Roman CER of Ley gas comes over well I have a funny feeling Phil we may well see that they will not apply the kilometer to rule on a climb like this because this is a Mountaintop finish and we’re going to get a change in the overall classification well I really think they will split time the Riders now looking the distance there there is the yellow Jersey coming up towards the line of schumacker I make him down by 32 seconds so he’s definitely lost that lead as yellow Jersey not a very nice way to lose it but you know the best place of the front run is Kim kirkin I think he’ll be the next leader and let’s have a look now at the slow motion of the accident here really unfortunate but as you can see here there’s a move and it looks to me as though Kim kirkin is the rider that Stephan schumacker has hit his back wheel it looked as though Kirk moved across to his right up the inside of Frank schle but it was Kirk’s will now how ironic is that going to be because Kirk and I think will be in yellow Dean Schumaker didn’t seem so sure or at least his team didn’t because having got onto the bus for a cons solitary leg rub and ego massage they sent him off again in the direction of the podium it was a wasted Journey though the president of the commissaires was clear on the rules and how they applied has to go as quick as possible so team Columbia’s astonishing opening week continued a stage win for Cavendish Thomas list leading the young Rider competition and Kim Ken the owner of the green and now the yellow jerseys even if it had taken a crash to help him claim the race lead can you just tell me what happened with schumak did you know what happened when he hit the deck no actually not I have been on the right side so they closed and uh everybody was breaking down in front of me so I had to break down too and uh I couldn’t go for the victory then uh I lost too much speed and uh I lost the stage too and uh shum I haven’t seen for the last two KS and the next few days next few days uh we tried to control the race would be hard uh but I have a good team and have a lot of confidence thanks Kim well done thank you now the first six days of this year’s tour had produced four different yellow jerseys the last of them when Stefan schumacker joined the long and slightly tatter tradition of race leaders who’d crashed while wearing it Kim kirken set off from brude on stage seven hoping to reach orak without adding any tarmac streaks in fact it’s four tours in a row now that the race leader has crashed starting with David D brisy in 2005 who slid off the back of CC’s time trial formation and out of the race lead to Hof suffered at the giant green hand of fate in 2006 when a fan waving a piece of promotional cardboard cut him across the arm on the run into the finish of stage one and last year Fabian kelara came down in a crash at gent on stage two eventually rolling over the line nursing a shoulder injury and they’re just the most recent race lead casualties in 1998 Chris bourman celebrated a famous prologue win in Dublin but like many visitors to Dublin failed to make the ferry back after touching Wheels with another Rider and hitting a wall on the way down in 1991 rol senson scored a unique double first he crashed to take the yellow Jersey when arosta went down in formation during the team time trial but still won the stage then crashed out of it again three stages later although having neglected to package of clothes he was obliged to wear it in hospital for tragic comedy though no one comes close to the leader of the 1951 tour the crying Dutchman Vim vanest in fact for a while after he went over the side of the cold door Beast no one could get close enough to him to pull him back up in the end his teammates made a rope out of all L be inner tubes and since they were stretched to uselessness in the rescue operation the whole team had to abandon well we’re over the th000 km Mark now in the tour and after today’s 159 from Bri VI to orak will be exactly a third of the way round it is a flat finish but a tough day for the sprinters to survive that long and stay in touch Alejandra Al’s teammate Luis Leon Sanchez made an impressive Breakaway from a breakaway to cross the line alow three official kilometers to go to the Finish as he swings around the town square we are crossing the center of orak now now at 3 km from the Finish Lis Leon Sanchez has gone for gold not from the leading group but he’s been all day he’s been caught by the bunch and he’s gone away again well they’re trying to pull him back and you can see liquid gas all over the front end of this field now and they’re trying to set it up for them man people Pato who took the race Bible a week before the start of this race and said to himself I want to win here I want to win in orak and he’s done that in the past before and he has come up with the goods but this man May well be there to spoil the party he’s been in the Breakaway for the majority of the day this afternoon admittedly not doing a bulk of the pacemaking but he’s now got the ability to win himself his stage he is the national time trialing champion of his country for just over two weeks now and this is his for riding alone against the watch well he’s now riding alone against all of the stars of this year’s toour of France and they are still after him but that Gap is a very very good Gap the big situation for his downfall Paul is the finishing ra is long long long and you can see the banner for well over a kilometer yes but if they don’t get themselves organized they’re not going to drag this man back into the F because he’s not the kind of Rider who will crack he’s not the kind of Rider who’s got any weakness in an effort like this and all he has to do is keep riding this constant Tempo a few more corners to go and he’ll start to line himself up for the finishing straight Le gas if they want to win this of people podz need to get their other man up there as well and I think ciger is in the group with pipo podz so liqu it’s all up to them now if they want to win the stage it’s 23 years since orak gave home to the tour the France at the end of the stage today they’re looking at the Spanish Rider aim for the finish the whole of the cas the team behind will try to break up the chase well 23 years ago the nationality of the rider who won here was Spanish as well Eduardo Shas and that was at the end of a very long break now you can see there the two Riders from liid guest they are sacrificing themselves for their team leader who is just there that is pipo podz he’s waiting to see if he’s going to get the victory or not and I reckon if Sanchez does get anywhere near being caught Alejandro Val will come out and look for the win but one kilometer to go for the lone leader and in the far far distance there’s not another Corner in sight now is the finishing line of today’s stage of the tour to France he just has to sit there ride it if he’s riding the national time trial title of Spain like he was when he won it two weeks ago and it just might come his way well he’s got the concentration he’s got a big gap over the front end of the main field and he’s looked over to try and judge how much effort he has to put in and he’s just kicked that little bit more he’s looking for the 500 met to go Banner now and I reckon Philly’s got himself around about 12 to 13 seconds Advantage it’s going to be very difficult to pull back a man like this well this is his third tour to France he’s never looked like winning a stage before he didn’t even finish the last time he rode in 2006 but is this going to be his greatest moment boy it’s hurting out there now he’s got the T the France behind him but they’re struggling they are closing but I don’t think they’re going to catch him they will not catch this man here this afternoon because he is a great individual time trialist he’s up to 200 M to go they’re really doing everything to try and pull him back into the F but I don’t think they’ll do it this afternoon it’s all over time doesn’t matter to this man it’s the win he wanted let’s give Lewis Leon Sanchez his worth that was a great win today what none of us knew then though was that a small incendiary device that had been placed under the tour back on stage one was about to go off this is Manuel Beltran being escorted to doping control on opening day back in Plum and here he is being arrested by the French police after his positive result for EPO was released on Friday evening he was out of the race out of a job and in custody his team liquid gas to the surprise of many people was still in the race will Le gu continue on the tour wa backing around it was a bad end to a good week for the tour but the general feeling as the Riders rolled out of fiac the next morning seemed to be the day at least the new targeted testing was working and be that at the age of 37 Beltran was a representative of an era that had largely passed stage8 took the race another 172 km further south from fak to too the equivalent of Cardiff to Oxford with the addition of a small mountain range the mountains were actually bunched up towards the start of the stage where the were a couple of small uncategorized hills on the run into to L there was nothing much to get in the way of a bunch Sprint except miserable weather and the daily breakway that is for once though the break was swept up in good time and the main field was all together and winding up for a big finish in to lose the yellow Jersey of Kim kirken who also leads the green on points is locked in there as well this is going to be it could be the kirken in yellow will lead Cavendish to the final Sprint line well I tell you what Eric zaral is not too far far away he’s got himself now to the back wheel of George hppy behind him there you can see kirken behind kirken is Mark Cavendish in fact it’s toic is behind him and there is Cavendish just in third position behind the yellow Jersey looking for the good lead out from his man there you can see Cavendish just popping out on his wheel is K sterman the sprinters are all queuing up now behind Team Colombia the face of George hppi just peeping into our picture here but it’s the rider just behind and not far away from Robbie Hunter of South Africa Mark Cavendish is there there’s a push on the outside though all of the sprinters for the first time I think really fancy their chances today as they race into too look how they’re Fanning now as they all Tred to find their own way at 2 kilometers off the front and team Columbia now are having to shed some men well Robie MCU and zigzagging in the middle waiting to see which side the door is going to open there’s a line of white clad Riders over on the right hand side there those were the guys from quickstep they’ll be looking after there maned sterman I haven’t seen anything of to Hush off for the moment I’m sure he’s absolutely there it’s in fact Quick Step now of taken up the pace making on the front third in the line there is big head Steger man’s normally known as a lead out man for Tom boner but he knows how to win stages of the tour to France himself high road now Phil have lost a little bit of control at the front end of the main field and that makes it precarious well that means now that Mar cavanis may have to switch teams here and start following the ride of some Belgium in the Quick Step colors of white and blue Robert Foster is forced into the way too with Team G Steiner they are the lighter Brew colors it may be all going a little bit per shape for cavish at this moment he’s going to now watch this Ben this is the one where it could all go wrong as they gently make the corner the middle of the bunch has had to slow right down here now which means it’s only the riders in the first 30 now who have any hope at all still in control Quick Step not too far away peeking round every now and again is Mark Cavendish Oscar Ferrera Eric zel they’re all there Robbie hunter in the red as well well C there’s cavish in the light blue he’s a little bit far back but he does have a terrific finish if he gets a good view of that finish and as they try to lead stagman to the line here now fera is third wheel caves is sixth place at the moment but this man does pack an incredible finish Cavendish needs to break now as Stegman get the perfect lead out frera is looking hot Robbie Hunter coming in the red stegman’s goes now here comes Mark kavenish he swings to the left he kicks Mark kavenish so quick over this last distance as Cavendish races towards the line he get it that is unbelievable he has got his second win of the tour to France to equal the two he got in the Ziro dalala well Mark Cavendish is proving unbeatable at the moment in the results at the end of the Sprint he has got such an incredible turn of speed his team had complete control until around about 2 kmers to go and then they lost control but he was still Phil able to do it himself yeah it was brilliant you know once again you got to see how well my team worked you know they controlled the race all day there was a breakway and then yeah we got help from the Sprint teams this time at the finish and it came down perfect time to catch the break and uh we caught them and finished off with a onew so we can’t get any better than that from the experience of a lifetime to twice in a week that’s the way it goes when you’re the world’s fastest Sprinter not that Mark Cavendish was Blas about it but coming across the line this time there was no momentary disbelief just endless self-belief not that he’s winning only for himself or by himself the Columbia train had done its job and the jettison parts of it could be seen celebrating further back down the track even the yellow Jersey had done his bit although for Kim Ken staying up front and out of trouble was just smart riding anyway he still led the race by six seconds from cadel Evans Dennis menof and Alejandro vde stayed fifth and sixth just over a minute off the lead and David Miller was in seventh another great day and a great race for Colombia we must be getting the quickest return on their investment of any sponsor in cycling history 3 km from the finish line today the tour passes the santra lauron F on the outskirts of town the winner of the 83 and 84 tours settled here in Baner de Bor after he retired and he established a center from which he runs cycling excursions up into the Pyrenees so if you’ve got a few quid to spare and a bit of time on your hands why not ride up the tourmalet with the great man himself for Stage Nine took the race into the Pyrenees 224 km from too to Baner de Bor it was the second longest stage of the entire race and certainly the longest in the mountains seven climbs including two of the tours most famous and most visited it was the 60th Ascent of the C pagas Sword and the 68th time the tour had climbed the C span the Finish though was downhill the big news of the day though wasn’t on the big climbs it was the sight of cadel Evans swapping to a spare bike after a crash that no one saw but the aftermath of which was unmissable a ripped Jersey a grazed hip and cuts to his knee and elbow on his left side a silence Lotto escort was quickly assembled but not long after they paced him back to the main field he dropped off again to consult the race doctor who was King to check there was no collarbone injury come the cine of the asban Evans was once again alongside all his big rivals and one man was out front on his own gal Steiner’s Sebastian Lang with a lead of 3 minutes but 30 km still to race and four of those uphill a lot of work there being done again Ricardo Rico over on the right hand side the Cobra and he’s looking to strike once again the C the lasan that’s the summit 1500 M but that’s not where we’ve got to just now we’re still looking at about 4 kilometers to go Ricardo Rico the speed of Ricardo Rico here as he gone straight through everybody there I must say he made them he made David a Royo look as though he was standing still and they’ve brought back Dela fente as well this R has only won three races this year but they’re two stages of the tour of Italy and one stage of the tour to France he chooses well well what an explosive attack a lot of people compare him and look at the way he’s ridden straight across that Gap he’s joined mfor on the front there in the red L Leon Sanchez and he’s straight onto the back and don’t be surprised if all of a sudden he goes straight by them as he does well this is absolutely amazing riding now Sebastian Lang is still out in front Ricardo Rico has reached the Riders immediately behind him he’s now Racing for first place here and he’s got a bridge a gap of 2 minutes 45 it may be less than that in fact check that out for an attack that’s how you make an attack pack I don’t know where he’s got those legs from he must have just purchased them halfway up the climb because he absolutely is flying from the pack a quick acceleration nobody can follow him straight past David delente who was up with the leaders and within seconds he’s in amongst it and he’s now second on the road and going well Rico caught Lang before the summit of the cust ban and didn’t stop to exchange pleasantries he went over the top with a lead of 1 minute 11 seconds over the group containing all the big names and as he screamed along the 26 km down ramp towards the Finish he had plenty of time to think about his celebration there it is it’s all over I’ve just won two stages son Deval Scot he points to his team it’s his victory today an average speed in the mountains of just on 40 km an hour today that was the fastest expected arrival of the team as you can see the Shadows of the wheel pedal marks of the riders in the group Behind still LED at the front there by Alejandro Val and all of his Riders from case dep but for eim kin it’s a nice second place on a Mountain Stage little bit annoying he couldn’t get the win he probably think that way he started 303 behind the leaders today he’s probably going to get back 15 20 seconds of that he’ll move up a little bit as we race into the mountains again tomorrow but Vladimir epim has pulled off a great coup there and a terrific show of strength as he salutes the crowd second today now who’s going to take out the Sprint here all of the projected stars of the tour to France are still here in this group well that’s serial desel getting across the line there I think Phil for third place but the rest of the mainfield did not really Sprint it out there for them they’re already thinking about otam well whether they were or not it was a show of attacking by Ricardo Rico that made a lot of people take notice two climbing stage wins to equal Mark cavendish’s pair on the flat not much change at the top though Kim kieren still the race leader by 6 seconds from Evans although whether it was the same cadel Evans who’ started the day we weren’t sure Christian vanela had moved past Stefan schumacker into third Dennis menof and Alejandro V stayed fifth and sixth while Stein dealer and Oscar perero moved up a place as David Miller dropped out to the top eight the CSC Trio also moved up on mass 10th 11th and 12th for Carlos sastre and the schle Ricardo Rico though was the big Gainer he was in 21st his deficit down from nearly 4 minutes to 2 35 there was one big question going into the tours big stage in the Pyrenees and that was exactly how badly cadell Evans was hurt after his stage n fall cadel wasn’t saying the closest he got to a comment was to submit his battered helmet and speed off while the Press SC checked to see if it might contain a blackbox flight recorder but really in the end the lack of a public statement from the pre-race favorite didn’t matter he was about to undergo the public examination of stage 10 the last stage before the rest day was the toughest of the tour to date 156 km from po up to otam heading Southeast out of Po through the foothills of the Pyrenees it was a gently inclined ramp to start with then over a couple of third category climbs before the Riders hit the first big test of the day the C du toay topping out over 2,000 M and after 36 km of descending to recover from that came 14 more of steep Road up to the finish at OT Camp the first chance for his Rivals to test cadel Evans was the tooray but it was soon clear that Alejandra V Verde was in no state to in fact he dropped off the back of the yellow Jersey group the best represented team by far in the group was CSC with Yen Voit putting in the kind of spell at the front that can only come before a rest day well that man is worth twice his salary I don’t care what you say for a team he’s brilliant but I saw Cel Evans that group is now down to just 20 Riders Denny menof is still there Evans is still there the yellow Jersey is still there I think he’s having a much better day than yesterday for Kim kirkin this is the leader he deserves his Moment On Top of the cold talate one of if not the most famous climb in the history of the tour to France and Remy deorio sees the Banner on bastile day and he storms the mountain well this is one of the legendary climbs of the tour to France first introduced into the tour in 1910 to toughen up the race it’s certainly toughening up the race here in 2008 and Remy de Gregor oi gets himself 20 points maximum points over the summit there while at 6 and a half minutes Yen f is putting everybody into difficulty this man will give up I find that amazing for Yen’s void to do that dealer is the next victim of yens F yens f is stamping out an infernal Pace on the front end of this main field he is eliminating Riders one by one Phil almost singlehandedly but he is using the energy of course that will cause him to fall back on OT cam but he’ll hope to have left the sastra we’ seen M also going for cofes he’s the climber now and this Rider here is suu who’s done his best for the Riders up front for Kim K in particular but he’s going back as well now one by one these Riders are cracking big time aeloa in Orange he’s also lagging off the back there’s a lot of big names in serious difficulty here this afternoon now you can understand why we’ve not talked about team CSC since the very first day of this bike race because they’ve been planning they’ve been waiting they took the race Bible a week ago Phil and they said right forget about all of the fun we can have on the flat stages we’re going to come out and have some serious fun in the mountains and I think despite the fact that yens vo is pulling himself inside out there he’s enjoying what he’s doing to the Tor Fran this afternoon this is the remnant of the Breakaway it’s now spread across the Toray but they are still ahead of the battle for yellow just sat the back here J it’s his teammate who’s gone over the top in first place dupon is there as well 103 meanwhile these long legs of Yen Voit tapping out a rhythm that few Riders seem to be able to hold one man is holding that grinding pace and it was Denny menof he was right up alongside Yen vo there he’s a man who is very difficult to put into difficulty he’s a strong tough Rider from Russia and he will stay right at the front end of this main field slipping to the back Leonardo ply there the man who many people think this stage is lined up for here this afternoon we still have not caught a glimpse of Christian vanela but he’s there he’s right there and so too is Kim kirkin so the big three in the tour of kn been broken yet kirkin Evans vanela are still there the start today schumac is fourth he’s been dropped and menop is there and up to Fourth at the moment Val has been dropped he should get back on The Descent but a kilometer still to climb Paul he’ll have to rise hard 191 there just sitting at the back in front of the yellow Jersey is Christian vanera he started the day in third place in the overall classification but Phil this is a serious sorting out we’ve had the first serious sorting out today there is Frank Schleck a little bit further back in the red white and blue team CSC have got hold of the front end of this race Andy SLE is here there are five Riders from CSC in this group and don’t forget in front and only one working and look at his face and one in front where you must not forget they’ve got Fabian kelara and I think once we’ve gone over the summit of the C tolay he will become a member of this group and they’re going to hammer down the road to set us up for a very magnificent assault of the climb of otam but there are others still here people at the back is a great climber they’re inside a kilometer to the summit they haven’t lost any ground or time look at cadel Evans number one he’s looked very very smooth Ricardo Rico is here 191 the American sensation this year Christian Velda he’s not in any trouble at all let’s have a look at kirin’s face he’s concentrating he’s on a better day it’s not showing any signs of emotion at all it’s just playing concentration he knows what everybody’s trying to do to him he’s just sitting there sticking on the wheel of the man in front of him there’s the South African white flag there waving it himself high for John Lee Augustine who’s a little bit further down the road but Phil this is a select group Ricardo Rico is in this group just sitting nice and closely to the front end watch out for the final climb of the day because the last man in that group is Leonardo py he’s one of the smallest bike riders in the race but one of the fastest climbers and the Finish coming up is just like he likes and I have to say it just like Rico Ricardo likes as well or Ricardo Rico rather but I also in this very selectable 14 now we have lost one man we never thought would be dropped alesandro valde he’s dropped about a kilometer and a half from the top they can get time on him he may not get back on The Descent before we start the last climb of the day and that’ll be every man for himself then and Yen vo won’t be there not the way he’s written today he has been absolutely magn magificent look at this man Paul you got to love the style of yens Voit he’s all over that machine you know if you took him away from the sport of cycl him and put him in any other sport he’d be a boxer so let’s just have a quick resume of the riders in that group sitting in third position there is Carlos SRA and that’s why this work is being done here this afternoon by team CC on the right shoulder of sastra in the orange Jersey is Denny menof there’re a little bit further over over there you can see Christian Velda this is further down the climb number 31 is the man expected to be the danger man today and it’s aleandro Val he is in all kinds of difficulties if he can get over the top of the climb less than a minute behind then he has always got the chance of reintegrating the group at the front number four daroon just check the faces of these Riders now they want to lift the pace once more Velda is still there with and here comes the man for the summit again the Cobra is about to strike again well the Cobra is striking here for points let’s not forget he was third Phil in the king of the mountains classification at the start of the day and he I’m not sure it’s a bit complicated to try and figure out how many riders are in front but really I’m not sure myself anymore well a little bit further down the climber this is the group of Alejandro valve he has not enjoyed the C the to here this afternoon but he mustn’t give up you know you can have a bad day in the mountains in the tour it can all turn around the next day and he has to remember that he’s got a rest day that he’s facing up to tomorrow but he’s got to come back into the Pyrenees the day after that and if he hasn’t lost himself more than a minute his descending skills should allow him to get back up to the group of the leaders well it was eighth place indeed of uh judging by the Riders In Front still in front are jaon Roy du the leader of course Gario who still got canel they’re now going to rethink the strategy on the way down here to Baron desent for a little while it’s a long sweeping descent to begin with and as you can see there is no safety net at all it is a long way down this descent around about 20 kilm well we’re chasing one man and all of the pack are together except Valverde 557 the Gap ahead of them lies the final climb up to otam where in the VIP section watching is Miguel indine the race climbed go to cam in 1996 in what was expected to be the great Spaniard sixth consecutive tour win instead it turned out to be the climb on which he cracked and lost the race Matt caught up with him and broed the subject gently fr fore when the CSC attack finally came though it wasn’t team leader Carlos sastre who went but Frank schle he was joined by two of Ricardo Rico’s Saia Duval teammates Leonardo Pipi and Juan Jose Kobo back down the climb the yellow Jersey group suddenly no longer contained the yellow Jersey Kim kirkin had cracked there was going to be a new race leader it was a question of whether it would be frank schle or cadel Evans who was riding strongly in a group of six iders also containing Dennis menof and Carlos sastre we are looking at the legs here of cadell Evans and Denny menof in the center Carlos sash behind him yesterday’s winner Ricardo Rico the gaps are there to be seen now 158 to this group the new leader of the Tour of France he’s up in the lead as Frank schle cadell Evans is 1 second behind him in the overall kirkin is losing his overall lead but he is still going to live to fight again these groups when we see all the times tonight Paul may not be decisive Ste for Damiano Kuno and for valde well those guys are losing massive chunks almost two and a half minutes on the group of Evans and menof Damiana Kuno has lost an awful lot of time here this afternoon but I think the most interesting part of the race is at the front with the presence of Frank schle there and that means if Frank schle can get himself the overall lead at the end of the day they’ve still got a very good two pronged attack to play because Andy slei is losing chunks of time as well because he is actually behind that on the road which means that the white jersey could fall to Ricardo Rico now as the best young Rider in this race so all of a sudden he’s become a leader of a competition and he’s not far off the leader in the king of the mountains that might well be his as well tonight on the top of OT Camp double points here remember Evans is suffering there Phil don’t forget only 24 hours ago he was on the ground with a smashed bike and a ripped up elbow and a ripped up leg and now he’s trying to defend the possibility of staying at the top end of the overall CL classification currently he’s 9 seconds behind Frank schle in the overall classification but that could all change in the final Sprint up to the line and cadel knows that this is the Steep part of the climb here it kicks in at around about 10% well Denny menos now trying to drag a little bit more energy out of that body at 3 kilm to go kirken still losing ground here Frankle is now behind the Italian Tandem and he’s losing ground himself he cannot contain the lifting of the pace here now he’s gritting his teeth he’s got just got to start dreaming of yellow and see if it inspires him because he’s close well the two Riders from Sonia dval Scot have got the acceleration coming up to the front here juano zobo is a great climber from Spain and he’s pacing his teammate behind him there Leonardo pipy pipy has been around Phil for an awful long time you know he’s coming up to 31 36 years of age he’ll be 37 at the end of September but he’s a man who’s won stages at the top of mountains in nearly all of the major great grand Tours well so one Jose Kobo is 27 years of age and you know he’s only won one race that tore the pay Basque last year where he won a couple of stages and now here he is taking Leonardo Pia and I don’t know whether he’ll move over or whether people will say no you take it you’ve done all the work but we’ve seen this before in the tour of Italy Sony Deval I think have twice done a onew using exactly the same tactics with py well the Basque flags are out this afternoon the orange jerseys are here to support the men from the yatel team but the great thing about the fans here Phil is they will support and cheer every bike rider on the slopes of this mountain Frank Schleck is wondering whether or not he can hold on to the advantage he’s pulled back on cadell evans’s group this afternoon to possibly take the Jersey it is going to be very very close cuz Evans has lost a two 203 but only on the two Riders from Sonia Duval not necessarily on the man here in the red white and blue the champion of Luxembourg well the clocks are going to tell all in 2 kilometers time now Denny menof is giving cadel Evans a hand here they’re both on the defensive remember SRA hasn’t done much except follow is in third place there Christian vanela has been told by his team manager to use these Riders and attack them as they approach the finish and steal a few seconds we’ll see we’ll see if he can do that he was looking for for about 38 seconds on cadell Evans at the start of the day and we’re looking now at this man Kim kirkin he’s worn the yellow jersey with pride but now he’s completely and utterly on his own he’s on the defensive he’s trying to get himself to the top of this climb Damiano Kuno seems to be riding himself back into this race he’s gone past Alejandro Val I got to appreciate this man Phil the little Italian there because he will not give up well he might well get up to the yellow Jersey which he’d be surprised to see but he could do the two Sony Deval Scott Riders here are side by side now as they head up towards the summit they will take the decision as to which one will win we would expect P to be the elder man here to take it uh but as they cut through these boys will try to save seconds the two Riders In Front aren’t they concerned yet they want Frank Schleck that’s the man that they’re more concerned about and I can still see that sitting in in defense there in third position is Carlos sastra now look at Evansville he’s now getting out of the saddle he’s now going to ride a solid individual time trial over these last kilometer and a half because he realizes at the end of the day is a yellow Jersey he wants it he’s been dreaming about it and he will ride and not ask anybody else to help him well 133 is the gap he’s back here he’s oh that’s that’s Evans to Kirk and we haven’t got the gap of Frank schle to Evans which is what we really want now uh menof has helped him out again huge efforts by Evans he does tend to have this ability to lift the Pace in the closing couple of kilometers when he senses the Finish Well we think we I we think and it’s unofficial the Gap is 150 to SLE which means Evans is back in yellow well it means they’re in exactly the same time so it’s going to be a battle it’s really going to be who has got the energy to Sprint to the line at the start of the day Frank sleck was a minute and 56 seconds behind Kim kirkin but a minute and 50 seconds behind cadell Evans and while that’s all going on and those calculations are happening the two Riders from Sonia Duval Scott are going under the banner indicating one kilometer to go and I have to say Phil I really don’t know which one is going to win I the judges will never accept a dead heat the boys can hold hands but they’ll still split the front wheel on the line they’d never accept a dead heat so they will have to decide what they do but they’ve got that wonderful decision to make now here is Frank sleck riding to a third place finish but is he riding to a yellow Jersey as well he rides in the colors here of the champion of his country look Berg winning that race just before the store of France started a week in fact before further down the slope the clock is counting there but it’s on the lead a flick of the arm from menop saying to cadel Evans come on through and set the pace they’re trying to keep the Rhythm these are the only two Riders who have worked so far well Carlos sastra is on the defensive he’s the teammate of course at Frank sleck Ricardo Rico in fourth position he’s on the defensive too because he’s got two Riders In Front about to win the stage and I think just a little bit further back you can just see that Christian Vander vda he’s happy to be in a position like this because Christian vandala could very easily feel be sitting in second place in the overall standings tonight he’s been absolutely outstanding Christian I think in deep down in our hearts we did not expect vaner to survive the mountains today as he has done for nine days and yet he’s not only survived them he’s been absolutely superb well I think Kobo has cracked here so the answer to the question Phil is the winner of the stage is probably going to be Leonardo py but Kobo is fighting his way back and look at people he looking over his shoulder think Leonardo waits for him you know he is waiting for him I think he wants to drag him up here I think he may well know that we’re on the border of Spain here and at 500 M to go he may well assist the younger Rider to get the Victory and wouldn’t the Spanish crowd go absolutely ballistic here in France well this is what they want and I wonder certainly Cobo deserves it he’s done a lot of work today unselfish work he was preparing the road all the time for Leonardo P to win people he looking over can’t find him now he’s right alongside him as they start for the Finishing Line this is going to be a onew for son Deval Scott the question is what is the order the young right 140 is the gap it could be cadel Evans is looking good but as these two race for the line it is still which one is going to win look at people his face here he’s been here many many times before Juan Jose Kobo is just happy to be in the company of this little Italian clim where they’re making the final swing 100 me to go who’s it going to be well P wants it Cobo wants it are they going to have a free-for-all spin sometimes the management says you fight it out yourself and whoever wins wins but there we are he’s as happy as people eat Leonardo people wins a terrific stage of the Tour of France and the Juan Jose Kobo of Spain salutes his people in second place the clock will start though when this man hits the line who will be the yellow Jersey Frankle or cadel Evans well what’s important now is to watch the time when Frank schle stops the clock because it doesn’t matter how far behind those two guys who finished first and second half it’s whether or not he’s more than a minute and 50 seconds ahead of of cadell Evans and I got that at 25 or 26 seconds well now it’ll this is Bernard Co coming up he’s been threatening to do a great ride ever since he ran over the team leader schle rather uh I can’t think of his name anymore Schumaker no Schumaker down when he ran over him in the crash at super best we’re watching the clock now to see he’s got a finish 151 I ahead of cadel right I didn’t get the exact time that Frankle cross the line it was T 25 or 26 well we’re looking up 216 217 is the time that cadel Evans has to finish inside of if he wants to get himself the yellow Jersey at the end of the stage it’s a long climb up there you can see the clock telling is at around about a minute and 13 on the Finishing Line and you can see Vandal has come to the front he’s trying to lift the pace a fraction now as he gets towards the line the magic number and it’s I’ve only got it two seconds either way because we kind of missed the crossing of the line of Frank s it’s between 215 and 2117 but it’s going to be very very close at 400 m to go now can just on this last 350 M can Christian Velda even steal a couple of seconds for himself he could be second or third overall still cadell Evans is chasing him down we’re looking at 216 it be to outside that then Evans has lost the yellow to Frank SLE it is going to be close and I think it’s going to be very close and here comes Rico Rico finishing it off for Sony Deval Scott as well 203 there for eim on the line so he will be in fifth place on the day now what is happening it’s going to be I think sleck who will be the leader but I don’t know oh goodness it’s 216 we leave it to the timee keepers it’s close in fact short of a tie it couldn’t have been closer Frank Schleck had started the day a minute 50 behind cadel Evans and he’d beaten him by a minute 49 his heroic ride up to otam had come up 1 second short of taking the yellow Jersey one second just one ridiculous second uh should have done a Sprint but uh yeah I should have done this I should have done this and uh in the end it’s it’s just I’m just disappointed that having yellow Jersey is something big and uh getting it in the mountains even even better and guess that’s life cadel Evans was as moved as schle was demoralized the first Australian to stand on the podium in Paris in 2007 he was beginning to look like the first to make it to the top step oh I was close to tears lying in the curb yesterday with blood all over me yes as well um it’s a bit of a turnaround the form that’s for sure but um let’s see it’s a long way to go yet it have been a touching moment for Evans but he was still injured don’t forget and touching otherwise was discouraged tomorrow you have a rest day and then you play on your tactic well as the tour grinds on and everyone gets progressively more more and more tired sleeping Arrangements become crucially important and there’s a sliding scale of luxury from Christian prudom and his five-star hotels the riders in their three star hotels us in our two and occasionally onear hotels to no hotel at all that was my preferred option on Sunday night or rather the one the producers had chosen for me on the slopes of the OT Camp it was nearly dark when the crew dropped me off a former Olympic champion had scouted a good spot 3 km from The Summit you’re eating all my bread your Bread’s good yeah thanks where you found a flat bit this is it this wasn’t a good start thankfully look how much he’s at lookr then with a deaf flick of the wrist and an intricate Peg operation actually where are the pegs not aided much by Chris bman MBE the job was done all it needed now was a former world record holder to test it out other you got a bottle of wine here yeah I’m got a C scre I think they might be able to help you out then where’s the other one go oh hang on that just is it no it’s good good grinning like men who have a hotel reservation the crew then left me enjoy Liam cheers mate yeah wood it see you tomorrow proper holiday yeah see you boys perfect my neighbors came from LMO Louie was the main man you could tell he was in charge of the barbecue all over the mountain people were coming over all Ray M bushfires were breaking out and on the race route a stink of stressed out clutches there we go this is the start of the tall circus arriving the top of the mountain all night all night and they always go beep okay oh no that’s bad the noise worried me I’m a light sleeper will I sleep yeah yeah yeah you drink no you kind yeah I had it that’s the trick okay okay and what what’s going to happen tonight what you going to do we’re going to get Dr we’re going to get down there to the little bar I think I wasn’t sure about the bar down the road nor were the police the clouds had come in and it had started to rain my Bas neighbors knew how to keep warm there’s a a strict divide now between the people who are just zipping up their tents and getting their heads down and those that AR look at this look at this Rosado Ros Rosado that was that one more unnecessary glass of Rosado with Lou family and I turned in it’s quarter 7 in the morning on basti day I can’t believe I’ve slept that long that’s a right result oh wow the morning changed everything I went through my ablutions and wondered what the day would hold the tour was still 10 hours away then suddenly it wasn’t by now the hills were alive with the sound of bask more orange than a Terry’s chocolate the otam conquered and the French in Parts out numbered 50 to1 the opter told their tale and then the tour came through first the leaders then the others all pushing through an orange rabble which had appeared from nowhere and so the day came to an end although I wondered if the Riders also go to sleep still hearing the sound of cowbells 1,738 km of the 3,559 total raced coming into Stage 11 another 100 67 and a half from lar across TOA roughly parallel to the Spanish border today’s route through the Pyrenees two third category climbs on it and one big first category call the portel before a flat run into F just the kind of dat for a successful Breakaway and once today settled down it was the United Nations peacekeeping group 12 men nine nationalities and credit Agri Call’s Russian Rider Alexander boero the best placed of them 35th 20 minutes 47 off the race lead they built an advantage of around 15 minutes on the Lely non- chasing pack and on the big climb of the portel one man went off the front on his own the Frenchman Aman Wan he led over the summit on his own well Back Down The Climb Mark Cavendish was equally solitary hanging off the back well the Gap there is not much more than two or three seconds fill and still one won’t give up but somebody’s made a move across that looks as if that could be Martin El that’s him it’s a perfect day El he’s got to get away though former winner of Australia’s tour down under and he’s not any much since he has been a champion of Switzerland though and they’ve caught him at 4 kilomet from the Finish he’s got some legs this young man he’s after him again well he’s coming across there he’s really giving everything he’s got but watch out for alesandro Balan coming across the Gap there too because Balan feels that he can get the victory this afternoon well this is excellent now as they try to get away at 3.7 kilomet to go Kurt atel arson has joined Martin elong of Switzerland on the attack elinger he’s he’s complaining at elinger for not going through elinger has just opened the Gap with a huge effort and you see the cat Mouse tactics behind Paul this is anybody stays now the man that hits this group at the right time will win I get that feeling it’s not going to be a group Sprint well arson a former under 23 world champion and he’s been the national road race champion of his country four times and he knows exactly how to win from a situation like this now is not the time to do cat and mouse tactics in the group behind because these two Riders are strong Riders they are men who know how to survive there you can see the little flick of the arm coming from arberson to say to El come on mate do a turn at the front but I think he’s pushing at the end of oxygen debt they’ve got themselves about a 10-second Advantage now if that group behind field starts to mess around they’re going to lose this stage they’ve got to put their heads down here these two they’ got the Gap at 2.7 km Kurt atson the champion of Norway his only other Victory this year was the Grand Prix E3 which is a top semi-classic race in Belgium in March he’s also won two stages in his career of the tour of Italy but never a stage of the tour to France ban is coming across now you can just see the pink and blue jersey of the big man from Lampe a former winner of the Ronda van Vander in the tour of Flanders he wants to get himself a victory in the tour here this afternoon it’s his third tour the France he’s finished his pre previous two but he’s never smelled a stage finish Victory though and is he trying to reach them there he’s had good form all year alesandro Balan he sat near the back of that Breakaway watching how the chase went and once he’s seen that Rider caught this is his big effort now to reach them and he has the strength to ride away he’s coming over at 2 kilm to go he could feel that the group behind was losing its imp there zigzagging across the road that’s not a good sign that’s a sign that they don’t have any organization Balan has made the junction but somebody else is coming across now that is k murin out for team rabo Bank well we know that rabo bank has brought all the VIPs to the race today so maybe he wants to fly the for the Dutch bank as he tries to cross the Gap as well and now a Counterattack by Kurt ad arson eler tries to react balanon just got up here he is going to be feeling a little bit under pressure oh this is really hurting now as Kurt atler arberson has put in a storming turn at the front and it’s put the other two guys into a little bit of oxygen debt but elinger has slowly pulled himself clawed is way back to the wheel there of arson and Balan looks over his shoulder he must be wondering how he’s going to recuperate now to try and have something at least left for the Sprint well Kurt AEL Aon has been the road race champion of his country on four occasions won them when he won the Under 23 World Road Race Championship has now found two Riders are giving him a problem it’s a nice mixture of Nations here Norway Switzerland and Italy trying for the stage win little bit of oxygen debt though because of those accelerations that was a very vicious acceleration by Kur Adler arson just a few moments ago and this will be a sight for S eyes one kilometer to go under the last kilometer three riders marginally in front here Kus Mur how of Rabel bank is desperately trying to reach them we’ve got a quite a narrow approach into far now the road will split down the center it won’t be so bad for the Breakaway and there is Muran hoo and it will be a terrific victory for KUSI because could just catch them up here he looks over his shoulder there’s space now there’s daylight these boys aren’t really RAC ing away the skir of each other and that’s what balam wants he saw them he’s now going to make this in serious ID or is he going to shut down because they’ve marked him and offerson gets straight onto his back wheel what a brilliant finish to the day well I would have to think that nearly every one of these Riders Phil is on the edge of asphixiation because they’ve all hit it very hard to first of all get themselves into the Breakaway situation there’s the bend at 300 M to go as they come around that corner now now the start arve slightly uphill and it looks as though Kurt ad Aon is going to lead them out here Martin eler Balan is a very fast Sprinter as he goes on the left of our picture M how never got his legs after he came up to the break arson is going to hold this or is he he’s got eler coming through the legs are going on arson well it’s close enough I’ll take the photograph because it could have been eler this is botov coming up to get himself fifth place and pipo podz will not be too happy with that Phil as he leads the rest home just behind I have to save peric fedrigo well the photo showed that Kurt ASA arson got it ahead of Martin elinger and Alexandro Balan who had the perfect position on the Norwegian wheel but didn’t have the legs to capitalize on it C Mor and H was behind them and ahead of the sprinting group behind behind them the man who’d been out front alone for so long rolled home alone too for those of you spotting movie title references arel mu finished 12th Kurt asler arson though won it for CSC by that much life resumed after the rest day with bad news or good news I suppose depending on your perspective Bara world’s Moises dwas became the second Rider to be kicked off the race after testing positive for EPO like Manuel Beltran he was arrested by the je DS and taken away for questioning and like Bel Tran although he was bad news he wasn’t necessarily big news Ricardo Rico was though 24 second in the jro dellia and winner of two of the first 11 stages news of his positive test came through at the stage start in Lavan the self-proclaimed Cobra left the team bus and the race to an instant verdict from the fans and the rest of his s Duval team followed the next day s Duval sacked not only Rico but Leonardo py too who won the stage to otam citing nothing more specific than a breach of the team’s code of ethics how you viewed the positive tests depended on whether you saw the syringes half full or half empty the organizers chose to frame it all in terms of progress first we thought thought we were seeing a doping Purge that was just a leftover from a very specific era then we thought we were seeing the remnants of said era just working the way out now though with Rico positive I’m forced to admit just how naive we were probably being in fact it’s really a human issue there will always be cheats in all walks of life and the only way to combat them is to make sure that the risks are greater than the reward and I think that there’s two strategies that we can employ to achieve that firstly the penalties for the individual must be made so severe that it’s not worth taking even the smallest chance instant life ban for example and huge financial penalties both of these are within the gift of the sport secondly it must be made in everybody’s personal interest to make sure that these rules are enforced absolutely no possibility of business as usual if a rider is found positive simply by renouncing them and if the teams were to suffer say a two-month suspension or even a Year’s ban for a second infraction well you can be very very sure that they’re going to keep their house in order it’s clear to me that without a fundamental change in how cycling does business well we’re not likely to get a fundamental change in the outcome either and although it’s fantastic now the testing has become so incredibly effective what we really need to go with it that is a deterrent that makes sure there’s no one left to catch stage 12 was the first of two likely looking days a 168 km exit ramp from the Pyrenees to a flat finish in narbon as ever in this part of France the setting was beautifully staged and as things turned out the catch of the day’s Breakaway was beautifully timed the bunch was alt together heading towards the Finish George hppy now takes over the PAC mating at 2 kilometers to go margus burkart slips back in there he knows they’re a long way out from the Finish Line they’re waiting to see look at the outside there that Mark Cavendish has slipped back an awful long way and he’s going to get moved up on the right hand side by his teammate that is Gard cholik well just looking now they’ve got the train going going and it’s a Well organized train here Hunter’s trying to Hitch up to the back of it here Cavendish is over to the left of our picture in fact his teammates were looking now this is a move they don’t want to see a one and a half kilometers to go there is a counter move on the far side it’s milram milram in control now they’ll be looking after their man and their man is going to be Eric zabble here this afternoon I have a funny feeling I can see that’s Julian Dean in fourth position the Kiwi National Champion is looking for a victory here this afternoon for Garmin Chipotle but right behind him queuing up the big men from quickstep they’ve done this so many times before for Tom bonan today they’re going to try and do it for her sterman and right in the middle of the mix there is Robbie McAn but this is the right hand turn a wide wide sweep by some of the Riders there they’ve managed to correct it cadel EV lost a lot of places but he’s safe in the pelaton here now as the acceleration comes from the front and again it is a perfect lead out here for possibly to Hof and certainly Oscar frera he’s in the lighter green jersey GT Stegman is trying to make a move and they are making that run on the left hand side of the road it’s such a long way to go you dare not misjudge this now all of a sudden to Hush off has jumped ship he’s left his teammate and lead out man behind him he’s still got there mark renw but it’s team Quick Step In the front up to about third or fourth position is the young man from the aisle of Man Mark Cavendish but on his shoulder is Hof on his wheel is Oscar ferera and just behind him is Jimmy Casper here now now goes cavish goes from the center this is a perfect lead out and this is how he goes and beat that he is the fastest man in the world right now Mark kavenish there’s nobody even comparing Mark kavenish becomes the first British cyclist to ever win three stages in a tour to France he’s done it for the American Team Colombia and they wanted him to give up and go to the Olympic Games not chance no chance no chance at all there’s a lot of pressure on this young man from the United Kingdom to leave the tour to France be behind and go and concentrate on the Olympic Games but this man Phil is is on the top of his game at the tour to France three is what he’s trying to tell us three stage victories in a single tour to France ahead of Eric zaral and Oscar frera and to Hof this was a great performance the team did a great job for him but just have a look at it one more time you can see the acceleration there coming forward of Sebastian chavanel and then all of a sudden the man from the ISA man he feels the instinct to go he can feel the challenge over on the right hand side but once he sees the door opening right in front of him he kicks the turbo whistles and all of a sudden he can see the Finishing Line he looks under his shoulder any Shadows no Shadows I’ve got this one in the bag win number three Mark when’s it going to sink in you’ve created a real bit of cycling history in Britain there three wins on the tour no one has done that before yeah I knew I could do it I knew the team I had I could do it you know and uh for sure that was the hardest of my wins and but it still feels across the line so I’m very happy your team have told me today that you said over radio early on that you you knew you were going to win again today and you actually told them over radio is that true yeah I made another joke I said let’s play a little game today who’s got the predictions for the day and then yeah you know so I didn’t put money on myself this time but you know we still paid off and we still won so and so in the sunshine here at naron Mark cavanis has now achieved something no other Rider from the United Kingdom has ever done he has now won three stages of the tour to France in the same year and he did it with an incredible Sprint finish clearly is now the fastest cyclist in the world over that last 200 meters well his next Target I suppose is Barry hoben now because Barry won eight stages of the tour to France and there’s nobody in between three and eight so an historic three- stage wins for Mark Cavendish and two more chances left in the race to make it four the final day on the shaniz and the very next day in name what was obvious to anybody watching Mark cavendish’s record-breaking three stage wins was that there was simply no one in the race capable of stopping him winning four if it came to a bun Sprint well looking at the profiles it seemed there were two more chances for Mark the final day on the Shan should he ever get there and the very next day stage 13 the route took the Riders 182 km across the longer ruson Countryside from narbon to neem another stunning film set of roadside scenery for the pelaton to ignore as it sweated East on the long baking procession towards the Alps once again the day’s break was reeled in the pace was wound up and the new predictability fought with a sort of British incredulity surely he wasn’t going to do it again at 3 km to go the sprinters will have their day in the tour to France they’ve wiped out the attack by Silvan chavanel at the 3 kilm point this is the tail of the pelaton and do you know what Paul there are four teams organized up there today everybody wants a crack because they know this is quite possibly one of the last days for the sprinters I can’t believe that Mark CIS is so close to the front at this point but another team takes over the pacemaking this is mato tosato coming forward now for team quickstep not too far behind in the line there will be big gett stamans everyone looking over the shoulders Marcus burkard over on the right hand side Adam Hansen the big Australian from Queensland in second position he’s waiting for the moment for George hppy to say go on lift it let’s let’s stretch this peleton out into a long line what they’re trying to do now is just hold control at the front here get their Blue Line in order it’s being messed up a bit here by the charg of Robert Fosters giner team coming through now it’s cheeki Kiki rather liquid gas Riders who are coming through at 2 kilm to to go it really is anybody’s race this well moving up there the red jerseys Robbie Hunter right on his wheel is Julian Dean but now it’s team liy gas have got the control at the front end of the main field I saw one or two Riders from Colombia looking across to Mark Cav to say how are you feeling today mate do we need to make a second effort there now it’s Geral Steiner this is Fabian Wegman champion of Germany all over the front end of the main field the next Banner these Riders will be looking for Phil will be the banner that indicates 1 kilm left to go to the Finish Well not far away from that now the Grimace of the Riders from Ley gas here Francisco cheeki is in there there’s a run coming on the right and that’s surely to bring to Hof into the race now the one man we’re looking for and he’s there on Hof’s wheel is the lighter green jersey of Oscar frera as they head towards one kilometer to go well around the corner still liquigas very much in control of the front end of this pelop moving up the outside now it’s the Riders from quickstep 1,000 M left now as they look over the shoulder lead out man sits up that’s always very dangerous because he goes from 60 km an hour down to 40 and slips straight the way back down through the pack now it’s team Milam in control Eric zabble is right up there in third position Cavendish is not far away either he’s got the wheel of Julian Dean who’s up into sixth huge lead out by Brett Lancaster milram he swings off now the final lead out will come for Eric zaral he never get another chance better than this he’s right at the front as he challenged now Kiki is trying to come through from fifth wheel as they cross over Julian Dean is locked in there in third place he’s on form dodging and out of our sight because he’s so small it’s Mark cavish and he’s boxed in marks cavish he’s going to have to come with Oscar fera from the center of the P watch him move to the left now he comes he makes the space cavish goes the rocket has been launched Mar Cav is being challenged by Robin MCU but this is the new Robin mccuan and no one can match Mark Cavendish It’s a Long Way to the line make it number four he is totally untouchable congratulations to him from Jimmy Casper he just forced open the Gap pole and then he was through Phil at 200 M to go he was boxed in he was closed out I said this time my young man you have completely blown it but all of a sudden the door opened up in front of him and once he saw that door was wide open like a barn gate he went straight through the middle of it he has got an incredible turn of speed this young man over the last 50 to 100 m and you’re absolutely right Mark cavish gets his fourth stage win and that believe it or not is unprecedented in British cycling history another win and then the Finish Line scenes made so familiar over the previous 10 days that we might have been watching them for years the hux for his teammates the kisses for the podium girls the Ned bolting inter mark four I mean three was good four Four’s ridiculous and it was it was actually comfortable by oh sure it wasn’t comfortable for you but you look at the replay you beat them by a lot today you know I had to give it a final push you know I had to go full gas because when I did the initial kick I realized it was a headr at the finish and I thought you know I’m going to have to get my further I’m going to have to get further Advantage you know WR another kick so I put another kick in my Sprint with 100 to go so I could get a further advantage in case I died before the line but I didn’t quite die and I was able to hold off so good was there any debate today about going for the stage win amst your teammates are they doing it willingly working willingly for you again today absolutely you know you saw it they worked earlier you know there was a breakway so they had to use them earlier to to ride and it was a cross wi so they riding a lot to give me shelter and uh and they did that the final and I was dropped off by Marcus Bart on the on the train on the liquid train and then I was able to use that to my advantage and and go and win the stage it was very good I don’t know how much you sprinters talk to each other but have you have they acknowledged quite how much you’ve demoralized the rest of the pack on this tour because you’ve you’ve completely dominated it mate a little there’s a little bit of a joke going around you know they well I think it’s all in good nature but if you notice I win four sages I’m still no closer to the green jersey it just shows what the tour is about you have to be consistently good consistently good and uh I’m not experienced enough to be consistently good I can win but then I’m either winning or 10th guys at Oscar getting first second third first third first second and it’s you know that adds up together green jersey so that’s that’s what the tour is about there’s the route almost 2/3 of the tours 32,000 km behind them now and Stage 14 at another 194 starting out from sea level at NE it rises gradually at first then hits the fourth category cold alarm climbing up to 734 M for a short run down to 600 M at the finish in debat they get dismissed as nothing stages these moving days to get the race from one huge Battleground to the next but they’re only nothing stages until something happens those been the oh been another pile up here had a huge pile up they gone down like a pack of cards that is amazing it’s almost part if they queuing up to ride into each other the moment this is ridiculous somebody Clips somebody and this was the danger now we’re not willing a crash to happen to live and up the stage don’t get us wrong but yesterday Sven crra reminded everybody have quickly a routine day can turn into a road accident managing somehow to get off his bike before it went into orbit and came down in two pieces well after four in one tour three in a row would have been just greedy stage 14 was tailor made to give the other sprinters a bit of Cavendish relief there was a fourth category climb at just 9 km from the finish and that on a amazingly hot day was enough to drop Mark Cavendish off the back of the main field well chavanel is still pulling away from the Riders here he’s a r in his eighth tour Oscar fer is still in this group and the man who’s leading in the points he would be the obvious man to take it out if he got to a Sprint now I think but they’ll have to work hard the irony is when David Monier won here he too as he is now a CID this Rider so they know what it’s like to win in Dean lean he is flying through the chicanes here and he’s only 3 km to go that looks a bit awkward for the Breakaway but the oh my goodness me cadel evans’s just about made that well they’re all lined up now and it is team Columbia on the front end of the main field inside of that Banner now indicating 3 kilometers to go to the Finish I really don’t know Phil cuz we can’t get down and see exactly who is in the group who team Columbia working for this afternoon did Gard cholik get himself over that climb he is a man who’s able to survive on climbs like that but what they’ve got to do if they want to Duke it out for the Finish Line this afternoon is try and catch this man Silvan Chanel he will not give up he keeps looking over his shoulders race radio is crackling through to me to say he’s got himself 5 seconds but there is the main field they’ve got this man in their sight and they’ve got control of the front end of the pelaton well they’ve taken the advantage of rushing out through that roundabout that full of adrenaline now as they charge in George hppi is certainly in here for Team Colombia and he’s a man who can pack and Sprint in a bunch like this Oscar f is sitting about eight men back poised at 2 kilm to go now it’s always sad to see but they are coming so so quickly now it is Team Colombia Mark Caven Team Colombia who is coming up with we don’t think Mark is here they are under 1.8 km to go team Columbia responsible for wiping out the Breakaway they are massing at the front I think now forget our cholic well I tell you what there’s a lot of sprinters in this group Phil I’ve seen the man who leads the Sprint classification Oscar fera he is right up there so too on the left hand side there is Alejandro valde champion of Spain little bit of disorganization coming through now the milram jerseys are up there and they’re thinking about their man Eric zaral who is a rapid finisher in a situation like this a moment of slowing down could create a moment of confusion Marcus burkard now comes to the front for team Columbia there’s the banner they’ve been looking for 1,000 M to go there is Oscar fera up into fourth place and it looks to me as if there’s a black and white jersey there I can’t believe that Julian Dean Julian Dean is sitting there the champion of New Zealand as he goes under that kilometer kite of the field now will race down to what is a great spinter finish this is the last obstacle as they go around that roundabout A Team Colombia setting the pace but they haven’t got Mark Cavendish in their slipstream and Oscar fer and green is a huge danger now well Julian Dean is also pretty much of a huge danger there is Gard cholik he’s right up there he’s looking for which wheel to follow pipo pod zato’s up there into about fourth or fifth position now they’re slowing down this is dangerous because it can get confusing there are a few Frenchmen moving up there too well it’s down to zar on second wheel here is this going to be the day the 38-year-old gets another stage winning the Tour of France when he thought his days were done he’s 112 that’s a German record he’s in a perfect position in second wheel fera has chosen to take his wheel as a rush from Jimmy Casper on the right of the picture here this may still be a French Victory I I think it’s Jimmy Casper it might be ran Fu but I think it’s Casper who is clear of the field as he comes up to the line now a run here and it’s coming from sh maker right on the line and it’s going to be a battle of the Germans But Eric zarel has got himself there again and fra is through on the line the man in green takes it after two days of finishing fifth Oscar frera gets the victory in Dean lean Oscar F already wearing the green jersey of the tour’s most consistent day in day out Sprinter finally got the stage win that usually goes with the uniform of course his win and cavendish’s for that matter had really been a brilliant sides show as far as the race for the Yow Jersey was concerned going into the Alps the situation was exactly the same as it had been coming out of the Pyrenees cadell Evans was sitting on that uncomfortable sliver of a 1C lead over Frank schle and his immediate Ambitions heading into the most crucial phase of the tour were modest hope for a good night sleep tonight before it all starts now way back in breast at the start of the tour the organizers’s decision to do away with time bonuses was a bit of a footnote really what with everything else that was swirling around the race going into the decisive phase of the tour in the Alps though it was beginning to look like either a master stroke of planning or a massive slice of luck either way the race for the yellow Jersey was closer than it had ever been in fact as close as it could possibly be short of a dead heat Stage 15 took the race out of France for the first and only time in 2008 up to the ski resort of proso the tour had never been there before butell Evans had a winter wcky in conditions of limited visibility and minus the heat he could expect in July still the memory was stored in his legs and his job was simple Mark all his Rivals Frank schle most immediately but also Dennis menof and Sh CSC teammate Carlos sastre in fifth and sixth place respectively Damian iGo in 14th was on home territory and would know the climb better than any of the other contenders Andy schle nearly 9 minutes down was another CSC Rider available for tactical deployment to put Evans Under Pressure Stage 15 though wasn’t just about the final climb up to proso 183 km starting out from omun it took the Riders pretty much immediately into the Alps with a massive climb that began barely 30 km into the stage the 2,774 m c Dan yel or an yellow depending which side of the Border you were standing on would Mark the tours entry into Italy then there was a third category climb the K Del morte and the final climb up to Pratt noo at, 1440 M well the weather no better at the start of the stage than it was when cadel wrei it it made for a treacherous Descent of the co Danielle in fact interfered with the pictures from the camera bikes in the race so this was as close as anybody got to seeing the crash that put out the 2006 toour winner Oscar periro who apparently went over the guard rail at the top of this hairpin Bend and roll down to the rail at the bottom of it he went straight to hospital with a broken shoulder even on the flat there were problems oil perhaps at this roundabout where Riders went down on both sides of the split among them the third place man overall Christian vandala by the time the race hit the final clim three survivors of an original fourman break knew they were going to contest the stage win Spain’s egi Martinez ofel usari credit AG Go’s Australian Rider Simon garens and Danny Pate of the USA and Garmin Chipotle behind them was a select group of contenders fighting out for the yellow Jersey and the attacks were coming every couple of minutes as we head up to 5 kilomet to go three of the four remain together Martinez has tried twice to get away from these Riders twice they’ve hauled him back he may not have a third in him well I’m not sure that he does and I tell you what I take my hat off very sincerely to number 199 Danny Pate who doesn’t have the reputation of a climber like garens or aari Martinez but he’s responded and he’s present and correct all of the time this now is the yellow Jersey group these are pretty much the heads of state of the tourto France this year Samy Sanchez is slipping backwards he’s back in the group so we’re now 10 as he goes to back Cola saster doesn’t look so good anymore now Frankle is being set up by his brother at the front of the race to launch him perhaps for the finishing line remember the second is a blink of the eyelid that’s all it is to steal the yellow Jersey he’s trying to pick up the rider was from lias it’s Roman Kiger the rider who won the Tour of Switzerland earlier this year and he’s now moved himself up to the heads of state yes you’re right I think Carlos sastra has hit them very hard on a couple of occasions and now he’s been put into the red zone for a while he needs to get himself sorted out if he wants to think about trying to attack again just look at the acceleration there as we came to a halt with our picture of Alejandro valy he looks across at Bernard Cole who’s turning out to be something of a revelation in this year’s Tour of France in that blue Jers he and the SLE set in Tempo now trying to get Frank a little bit of a chance to recover so to his other teammate caros sastra so he’s got to set the pace Sanchez has found his legs again and he comes up alongside Christian vanela who is content at this moment to follow wheels and I do not believe that vanela is in any trouble at all he might well go near the end little bit further down the slope here this is the man that the majority of the Italian crowds will be shouting for Damiano Kuno I have absolutely no idea where he is currently but the fact that he’s alongside Sandy casari would indicate that he’s maybe not at the front end of the race they’ve been split on the climb they’re in the second big Pelon of the tour to France right now kirkin yes and he’s losing ground this is not good for Kim Kirk and he started the day seventh overall the former yellow Jersey is under pressure at the back he may be losing a few places today Danny P has decided he doesn’t want to be subjected to the paac making of the two climbers now so he’s f felt that the best thing for him to do is come up and set the PAC making himself and when you are not maybe the best climber in the group that’s Sometimes the best thing to do because you can set a pace which is comfortable for yourself one thing for sure Alejandro Val has sheded all of his problems with the Pyrenees he’s back in the race in the Alps here I’m not sure he can make up time lost but he can take stages look at the face of young Andy SLE this is for brother Frank he’s just riding till he drops well he’s setting a massive big tempo for team CSC they really are a phenomenal team I’m a bit concerned Phil about Carlos sastra sitting second from the back of that group because despite the two magical attacks he put in he now seems to be in a little bit of difficulty three Riders at 4 kilometers to go Martinez Danny pate and Simon garens and still you cannot really pick a winner the group Mayo have half the deficit 730 they won’t get them though at 4 km to go they won’t be that far behind them though because the inight is taking place still at the front is Andy he can’t go on much longer and at second wheel is valver then Bernard Cole and then Clinger Frank schle cadel Evans menof sastra they’re all still there and the one man you forgot to mention of course chrisan vandala looking very comfortable I think this is the kind of clim that suits Christian vandala here this afternoon Evans on his own but there’s only one team that’s got a multiple number of riders in there and that’s team CSC Velda 191 at the back still pedling very Supply and keeping himself in contact with the yellow Jersey I think when you’re a guy like Christian Vander you’ve got to pick a rider to try and follow I’m amazed at how well Velda is riding in the tour to France this year field he really has become the Revelation for the United States if he runs out of these Alps with with a very close uh time loss to the leader he can winning the time Tri he’s very very quick up front there the three Riders I think have tried their attacks and haven’t had an answer it might go down to the finishing Sprint which of course is very much uphill as we go back here the rider in the line green the only thing we’re certain about Paul in that group as we look at it one of them will win the Tour to France in Paris there’s nobody else in this race absolutely one of those riders in the yellow Jersey Group which has created this afternoon the first serious selection but let’s not forget after this stage today Phil there’s a rest day and then there’s two more vicious days in the Alps and this race can turn upside down on any one of those occasions the three leaders look at Danny P here well he he is extremely strong he’s riding well and he’s riding sensibly he’s waiting for the moves he’s waiting for the accelerations and he decided he looked at Simon garons and said well I’m going to have a go myself and see if I can get rid of the Aussie but he can’t he lifts the pace he’s forced Simon garens to get out of the saddle and close the gap and he’s just checked on him and sometimes when you’re if you’re feeling strong you let the rider think he’s getting on you kick again second and yes and he wasn’t looking either was he Danny Pate that wasn’t an expense that could have been an expensive move but Pate has a lot of strength in these legs he’s going after Martinez I don’t know why he keeps on checking on Garen Garen is a fighter this man knows how to suffer and he’s trying to go back meanwhile our other toour to France is on the lower slopes and Andy sleck is pushing on as he tries to go clear now well Andy SLE has taken off there because he’s seen a little move going clear there and I think Denny menop oh oh what did he hit there he just slipped on the road menv was making his big move of the day fill and he went down and his chain is off well he’s going to have to get himself back and just look at this he just goes around the corner and it’s so slippy there is no reason for that I think and in fact I can look out the window here the rain is just started can you believe and it’s becoming quite heavy in the last few kilometers and that was simply the grease on the surface of the road well the Riders saw that but there’ be no waiting now Phil that was a scary move by Denny men we knew this man was the silent Mover The Silent man in the main field waiting for the move just looking down to check and see if there’s any damage to his bike and he saids no it’s okay I’ve got to get myself back into this event but you can see now why Denny menof has been regarded as a dangerous bike rider well you don’t deserve bad luck like that but the rain has just started it’s just skimmed on the surface of the road here it’s caused a little bit of a regrouping of the boys here as Andy takes over the pacemaking brother Frank is down the in the center there valde to the right Cole to the left sasra to the back they are all here well they’re all here and they’re all waiting I’ll tell you one thing that Andy schle has got a fine pair of legs on him this afternoon because he was immediately off in Pursuit Of The Man From Russia who’s just getting back into contact there that’s an indication that Denny menop Phil has got great form but that was very sad for him to go down like that well we’re still spread by exactly the same time gaps as when he started this race today there is nothing in it 57 seconds covers the top five men in the toyot of France and if they finish like this there would be no time differences again tonight Andy SLE wants brother Frank to come out and grab a second well there’s crer in second position there another young Rider as St of the future but Andy SLE too I think Phil will come back to the Tour of France one year and quite possibly be a winner there is Damiano Kuno trying to pull himself back into this bike race but in fact he’s losing place he was with that group there I think that is the group of Kim kirkin and the Little Prince from Italy is not going to win the stage this afternoon and he’s just suffing he’s at 2 and A2 kilomet behind the yellow Jersey group right now it wouldn’t surprise me if he stays in Italy quite frankly because he’s not firing like we expected these are the leaders locked in combat for the win as they head up towards the summit of the climb still Martinez doing the work and just who is the strongman of this grou well Alejandro Val looks concentrated looks good that’s the secret weapon kinger y he’s going to be such a great cyclist he’s going to be a great bike rider he’s lost himself a lot of time in the Tour of France this year Phil but it’s only his first serious attempt he started the day in 19th Place overall now another acceleration coming from Andy schle saying to them take this one if you can because I’m going to hurt you men and we’re going to hit you again before the summit this is a rider who was dropped by the group of 4 way back and went straight to the front and stretched them again and he’s put Sanchez in a little bit of trouble with acceleration still hanging slightly off his caros sastra he’s not riding smoothly number 11 but Christian vanela he is still following he’s not under pressure vanela 191 in the white jersey there of Garmin Chipotle looking very comfortable he’s alongside cadell Evans and right in front of cadell Evans Evans is keeping his eye very firmly on the red white and blue jersey there of Andy Schleck well yeah the people on the side here the toos of Italy are watching a yellow Jersey really defend himself well on this climb it’s normally a pink jersey as leader of the Jalia but not this time the tours making its first to climb up here the face of Andy sleck he’s been superb kisinger just licking his lips behind and is in no pressure at all he’s only 23 as well well at 2 kilm to go Phil there are still three men in for the victory this afternoon Danny Pate is trying to get the win for the United States of America he looks across at aoy Martinez to say how are your legs my mate can I beat you to the summit in the yellow Jersey group though they’ve got rid I think finally of Samy Sanchez and there’s another acceleration at the front and look at the back here because cadel Evans has got a grit his teeth right now that is a very serious Push by menof that has hurt cadel Evans but he he struggles on fights he’s looked over his shoulder mench off he’s seen the yellow in trouble but he knows it’s all coming back together again well that was a serious acceleration by menv and I’m not so a little bit surprised as to why he sat up but it’s allowed celan to get himself back into this race Bernard Cole there comes to the front and he’s now going to look for the acceleration and that is a move that they need to respond to well we’re looking at the real race to lead the tour to France here that is why our cameras are staying away from the men who are out to win the stage will cut back by the time those Riders get up the top and right now cadell Evans and Frank schle the two men likely to succeed are both in a little bit of trouble the man who nailed back Bernard Cole there in fact was Alejandro valde now that goes to show that valde is recovering as this race goes further forward sitting on the wheel of the yellow Jersey now is Frank schlick and again the acceleration coming out the front and this time again it’s Denny menof and I think this time it’s curtains for Andy schle so they’ve lost the pacemaker cadell is on the whip end here he’s being flicked around at the back of this line menof is advertising to everybody he’s got the legs now but Alexander valdi is simply superb and on the outside now a little move to just go to the head of the race did you say that Andy sck was G excuse me he’s just come back and he’s thinking about brother Frank he’s thinking about Carlos sastra this is an unbelievable team trying to get back up into on into competition here he’s around about a minute in AAR off the back end of the yellow Jersey group there is fkin he’s been Lodge serial Dell is in this group as well Sandy kasap just getting on to the back there as well that looks like fof it is a Dimitri fof they are fighting though a little way down here this is a a doo battle we’d like to see what’s happening with the leaders we’re of course in the hands of our French Direction here we don’t know of anything is going on up front at the moment but we will see them cross the line I’m sure about that we’re looking here at the Battle for the next wear of the yellow Jersey nodding like the dog in the proverbial car window Bernard Cole is trying again to answer where does Andy SLE get this from well he gets it from the fact field that he was a he was a white jersey winner of the jro Italia last year second overall he’s got the ability to climb he’s hit them and hit them again and he’s trying to set something up and look at this Frank Schleck has seen the move now and as soon as Frankle gets to the wheel of his brother he accelerates but cadell Evans is pinned to the back wheel of the man who is 1 second ahead of behind him in the overall classification this is the group that’s RAC approximately 6 minutes behind the leaders let us not forget that we’re coming up to 1 km to go there they are these are the three leaders of the day today n will pull on the yellow Jersey tonight there is the kite for them and Danny Pate is going to take them to the kite the man who has looked completely fried for 100 kilm seems to be extremely strong indeed we are looking now further down the slopes and this is another attack by sastra Carlos sastra is looking looking for the climb this afternoon he’s just about to get joined there Phil by Denny menv covered as well by Bernard Cole this man wants to win the Tour to France this year he’s put everything into the bank to try and win if he can finally Andy schle goes to the back of the group and they’re having to put cadell Evans onto the front Evans is now that’s it and he won’t Chase valie because Val’s lost time now cadel is looking the wheels he’s seen Frank sleck go he got to chase flank 1 second splits them cadel Evans gets in the wheeler of Christian Velda what a race this has been Phil and this is only the first of the Alpine stages look at the face here on Denny menof he’s trying to ride himself back in to a top three position at the end of the day Carlos sastra is the man that set it up but I tell you what CSC are all over this race Roman kuder is the man Now setting the pace ahead of Frank slick and cadell Evans is just pulling himself back into this they everything at him this afternoon this has been a very tough time there’s a one second Gap there right now my opinion is cadel should lose this yellow Jersey and give it to Frank schlick and live to fight another day we’ve now seen menof is right into the red zone as well as he gets up behind sastra SRA he’s the odman out of the favorites he needs some time gain now to start the long journey back he can’t ride the last time trial well cadel Evans now is pretty much on the defensive and again Christian Vandal says I’m going to go now the a lot of you can follow me if you can well there’s some of the crowd up here on the Finishing Line as the three leaders is head up towards the Finish no decision Danny Pate of Garmin Chipotle zigzagging across the road here comes the chase behind G menof coold sastra watch out valie is creeping up we’ve split it four and four here at the moment and Christian Vela might be the savior of cell Evans today he may well be I think if you remember back to where they climb up to otam he was the savior of Cel Evans on that occasion too Bernard Cole now comes out nodding that head of his in that strange gangly style to lift the pace once more he’s looking to improve on his fourth place overall at the start of the day and he’s not really looking for very much on Christian vanela they come up they’re about a kilometer and a half behind the leaders of the race on the road today that’s how much they’ve closed up on what has become a totally personal battle between six or seven men the face of sasra here every one of these riders today have dug into depths I doubt they ever knew they had well I tell you what Phil this is announcing that next two days in the Alps are going to be very scary for the top 10 riders in the overall classification Carlos sastra has given his everything this afternoon but we are not surprised to see the man in Orange there Denny menop the Russian Rider wearing 131 cadel Evans finding some help here and assistance finish Danny P broken but look at the speed of Simon garens the Australian has left them all they should have dropped him because this is going to give Australia a terrific stage winners a chased home by Martinez a win for Simon Garen after four tours to France he snatches the first ever Victory and that is absolutely delightful from the man from Mansfield in the state of Victoria and a terrific result for Danny Pate an all day Breakaway and the USA Rider gets third well that was a brilliant performance by Simon garens after all pH he was dropped at the start of the day climbed his way back into the leading group of three and came up with a Sprint now it looks to me as if cadel Evans has been on the ground here this afternoon because you can see a little bit of dirt on his elbows there is Christian Vander just trying and fighting to stay in contact they’re getting some assistance here finally from a pacemaking that’s been done by Samy Sanchez well they’ve thrown everything out one another and they’re almost neutralized here Samy Sanchez is trying to get up to them and help them out Bernard Cole Denny menof sastra and Val none of them will affect the date the race destination tonight but they’re closing the gaps on Evans he will note that well cabernard Cole in the blue jersey there Phil is looking for 46 seconds that’s all he requires at the end of today and he’s got with him the man who is just behind him in the overall classification Denny menof I’m not surprised to see now a little bit of backing off there by Andy Schleck he’s done a great job Christian vandervell still in contact here first second and third in the overall classification at the start of the day but now it’s Roman kuder who’s setting the pacemaking there for cadell Evans still in the yellow J Jersey five Riders at 1 kilomet to go now the race is on to see who will be the next wearer of the Mayo caros Sasa has to take time in the p in the Alps he has to and valver has to take lots of time but he wanted to do well he want to prove a point today he’s the Spanish Champion Alejandro Val will ride himself possibly back into the top 10 at the end of the tour to France stage this afternoon and he’s got with him Denny menof Phil this is a great battle here and there is the yellow Jersey trying to keep it on his shoulders and I’m looking at my clock here he’s already lost himself under the red kite for 33 seconds so he’s only just holding on to the yellow Jersey ahead of Bernard Cole well my opinion it’ be better if Cole took it away from him and took off a little bit of the pressure here because the men that he really fears I think are around him with the exception of menof who is gaining time and there goes Cole again and this could be for the yellow Jersey well Cole knows this Phil he knows he is so close to the yellow Jersey here this afternoon he’s looking for 46 seconds that’s all he wants he doesn’t care about finishing fifth or sixth or seventh on a stage like this and look at Carlos sastra he too is pulling himself back up there and Alejandro Val is riding like the true Spanish Champion that he is this afternoon well caros sastra is 1 minute 28 behind cadel Evans he needs time and he started to get it by the look of it 500 M to go Cole surely must realize now he could be a yellow Jersey wearing the toour of the France that has never happened to him before don’t don’t worry about the time count because that is the time on Simon garens who’s been home for three minutes Cole SRA Val’s tracking a little bit well Cole gets out of the Saddle Again Phil over this final steep part of the climb he doesn’t have to worry about what position he’s going to be this afternoon he has to worry about the clock and what the clock is going to tell him and once he’s crossed the line start your clock and try and count for 46 seconds because that’s what it’s all going to be about at the end of the day has cadel Evans and the goup behind got any power left to try and pull back the Gap that he had menof has been placed in serious trouble here and might go back to the cadel Evans Group because Bernard Cole who’s threatened to do something he is most certainly now the new leader of the king of the mountains and the clock may also make him the new leader of the Tour of France he’s going all the way to the line it is a case of every second C and saster also gaining time this race today has not opened up it is completely closed down we are still talking about a matter of seconds and now 44 will do 49 it’s going to have to be there is aleandro Val going in look at the clock at the bottom there it’s 4 minutes and 13 seconds cadel Evans has to cross the line fill inside of 4 minutes and 49 seconds if he’s going to keep the yellow Jersey here is menof he’s been tailed off as well on the run up towards the Finish cadel Evans now in the yellow Jersey is battling to keep that yellow Jersey on his shoulders he has he has gone and he only needs a second over the yellow Jersey and that is a second at least there cadel Evans knows he’s fighting now to keep yellow and it’s a desperate moment sleck crosses the line well the second’s gone now so there’s certainly a new leader in the Toler France and you know cadell Evans could well be sitting tonight in third place behind Bernard Cole as well he was and let’s prove it here are the Finish times that mattered On Stage 15 Berard Co was first home among the big names having started the day 46 seconds behind Evans and 45 behind schle Frank schle though lost only 38 seconds to Cole and he of course needed only one second over cadel Evans Evans finished 9 seconds behind schle 47 behind Cole program the maths and this is the result Frank schle the new leader of the Tour by 7 seconds from Bernard Cole with cadel Evans now third another second behind and two fast full stop as it turned out for cadel Evans big changes at the top at the end of the first day in the Alps Schleck Cole Evans the new one 123 as we’ve said and more significant changes behind them Dennis menof gaining time and up to Fourth despite his crash Christian vaner valda down from third to fifth although only a second further off the lead than he was at the start of the day and Frank schle teammate Carlos s Ray also moving into contention the top six in fact separated by just 49 seconds further back Alejandra vde a ninth had gained a little time but lost a valuable teammate Damiano Kuno was 15th but too far back to pose a real threat Andy schlake up to 17th but a few more seconds down after his efforts on behalf of his brother and two British Riders left in the race now David Miller 51st at 52 minutes 37 and Chris room 95th at 1 hour 37 minutes in the other competition burnhard Cole as well as being second overall had taken over at the top of the king of the mountains classification Oscar FR was looking the hot favorite to take the green jersey in Paris and the leading young rider was Italy’s vinchenzo NE stage 16 took the race back into France and over the highest paved Road in Europe C lab Bonet just over 2,800 M leading over it was the youngest rider in the race 21-year-old John le Augustin a bow world as they struggle up the climb here now look how narrow this road is the snow markers on the right of the track here augustin’s made the move what he has done is completely shatter that leading group he’s got four Riders trying to bring him back here and he’s got one3 of a kilometer to be the first man over this mountain well that’s what he’s thinking about look at the way he’s bouncing on those pedals he still looks quite fresh he’s still fairly Supple as well he’s looking over his shoulder now to see what kind of damage he’s done he is now Phil about 200 M away from the highest Road in Europe and that is quite phenomenal he’s a young Rider just 21 years of age at the start of the tour and he is the youngest bik rider in the tour to France this year celebrate his 22nd birthday on the 10th of August this year and this would be and away his greatest ever performance B World gave him a chance in a big team they was on the list to ride the tour last year but he never made the Final Cut he made it this year and now he’s about to top the highest point of this year’s to of France there is a reaction but it’s going to take these boys are so tired now it’s unbelievable this is really Phil at this point just a question of survival you get another chance there to see how steep this clim is he’s looking he’s T tilting his head to side as if to look around the corner and see where is the summit of this climb please let it finish and please let the 20 minute or so descent down to the Finish Line come to me very quickly indeed he turned professional last year for B World he’s never won a race as a pro but he’s offered an awful lot he finished second in the tour of Japan that more or less got him his Pro contract in 2006 he’s been well up in the national championships as a youngster but he’s over the top now and he’s heading towards the valley below and it is a long way to the valley below we really are on top of the world here this is the highest through Road in Europe that was good for a 5,000 prize and this was good for the top spot on YouTube for the next 24 hours missing a corner on The Descent and heading over the side his bike became Bounty for anyone brave enough to go looking for it one fan was brave enough to go down to help him up although cleats make pretty B crampons Dennis menof was racing perhaps to save his tour 5 kilomet to go to the finish and just look at this Sandy Cur lying off the back here I’m not sure he’s too happy here at all 4.9 km we’ve just passed under 5 km to go these are the four leading Riders popovic aroyo desel and casar kasar is the rider at the back he’s still not happy with this descent and he lays off so he can see every corner well he wants I think to pick his own line around these Corners there in front you’ve got Ted valc who’s chasing like a madman to get himself back into the race with the man in blue there is George hppy just sitting on the back of the group is David aroyo and uh they’re still looking for 30 seconds it’s going to be very difficult Phil on a downhill section of this course to actually get yourself back into contact that that’s Portal by the way aroyo is in the leading group of four that’s right and they’re still waiting for news is to know if John le Augustin has started riding his bike again I would hope so by now but we’re now looking to see who’s going to win the stage here 3.9 km to go as these Riders continue to descend towards the Finish now one of these for surely will win looking at the four leading Riders just gone in 4 kilometers from the finish I can’t see them being caught now Paul well they shouldn’t they’ve got 30 seconds over a three-man Chase group portal hppi and Val and it’s a long way back to the yellow Jersey group around about a minute and 45 seconds the question is have they studied the race handbook this morning because you might as well lead over the last kilometer because I reckon the first man around the corner is going to get himself the stage Victory but they struggling yeah he doesn’t like going down at all and this could cost him the race this because we race right into the Finish downhill well it’s straight downhill into the outskirts of town here and then straight across the river and a right hand Bend 3 kilometers to go Sandy casar must be dreaming of the victory that he got in the Tour of France last year and wondering he chased a victory in the Tour of France for many many years and here he’s facing up to the possibility of a second one well just look at the way these Riders are lining up for the bend here we’re like he like watching a motor race here as they break hard and then they try to go up on the inside of one another 2.7 km to go there’s the spread for you a minute 42 across the board well I tell you what these Riders also know Phil that if they mess about in a situation like this and start to play the cat and mouse tactics and slow down then George hpp’s group will come back into contact and they would wouldn’t want that because hin cppy would then be the strongest Sprinter in the front of the race currently I would have to say my money would go to Yaris laav popovic but you can never discount the man sitting on the back and although he looks like he’s been struggling I’m absolutely certain that Sandy casar is itching to win this bike race this afternoon he is and that’s why he’s trying to hang on and he might change his attitude if he can just get to see the finishing line here but uh the way they are going around another tight Bend casar taking a little bit closer order there as he tries to hold on to the s desel is the worker at the front another one is a French sandwich at the moment and they’ve got the other riders in between the rider from Ukraine and the rider from Spain yeah David Royo this is a little bit further back now George picking up Samuel Sanchez isn’t it or is it Kirin this is Samy Sanchez and I would expect that to be Kirk and or maybe it’s in fact cof who’s been picked up by Samy Sanchez cuz cof was in the group with hppy and he got dropped well they still well spread out soester smid here also try to put matters to right without his team lead and now Damiano Kun make a tight Bend here well it’s still Denny menop and KFI trying to keep themselves in contact with the yellow Jersey group so they’re losing a little bit of time here this afternoon and strangely enough as cadel Evans almost predicted It On The Descent which is becoming much more tactical than the uphill part of the course there might be some losses amongst the leaders Christian Velda and menof I haven’t seen cestra either but as we’re starting the move at 1.3 that’s opened it up with the leaders here now and that is popovic who’s gone early and kasar was straight onto him here and that one’s not going to work popovic I think at one kilometer to go is easing up again to tempt somebody else in front it was a good move it didn’t work it was a good move but Sandy casar as we said was very observant he was waiting for that move at 1 one and a half kilometers to go and now he’s in first position it’s not the best position to be I don’t think because I’ll tell you what it’s a very nasty right-hander here’s the move coming from David aroo on the left well that would be a surprise but he’s gone for the inside desel is now going after him popovic still lively at the back holding on thinking casar will close the gap for him and casar takes it up a Royo has made a real Run for the finish here but serial desel and this is the heading up toward the breaking hard serel desel has got the lead and this could be a victory for France and it wasn’t to be expected today but seral desel breaks hard sees the Finish now as he goes into the straight and now he’s got to kick out of this there’s still a chance for popovic no seral deel has run away with this and he deserves it that is a huge result for him he’s not there yet oh yes he is cross the line you know what I didn’t see the line there was so much around that bottom B A Cel carried on sprinting like it wasn’t over well it was a very tricky finish on the run in there here’s George hppy Phil lining himself up for fifth place oh how much he wished he’d stayed in contact over the top of that climb because that could have been a victory for big George and here he looks lines up for fifth place ahead foral andic fic he knows it he’s a rise sh shaken the head there by uh George hppy as we swing here to the melee around a French winner on the toughest day of the store of France they will not believe this seral Dell doing well and there’s the hero of the day Stephan schumacker well at least he’d be voted today’s most aggressive rouer there can’t be anybody in the half for that well that was it’s good to see that he managed to survive because bear in mind there has been a massive battle behind as Schumaker lines himself up now to get himself across the line and I think that will be eighth place for him eigh to ninth yes but either way the hero of the day and only losing at just on a minute now the Battle of all the men that matter here and this is another lead out it looks like burar Cole the second overall is going to hang on to the lead out he’s not going to lose any seconds neither is cadel Evans who’s right up the back you’ve got to finish alongside each other so there’s no time difference so they’re all going to do that there will be some of the Riders who a little bit of time today but Andy schle finishing it off there with Cole Evans schle the other schle Frank and cast was there as well now by watch is winning Paul and to see how much time this man has lost well I’m so surprised in Denny menof here this afternoon because he was dropped on The Descent of the C La Bonet resta and now he’s fighting to keep himself in the bike race here this afternoon he’s got Kim Kirk there for company and he’s lost himself already fil 10 or 15 seconds more than that Paul half a minute has gone by and that is a huge time loss for this man as he races up to the line 33 seconds I make it on my watch since Cole crossed the line at the line menof had lost another 35 needless seconds in a race he could have been leading if only he’ been paying more attention he was down a place to fifth behind Carlos sastre and his deficit was up from 38 seconds to a minute 13 Christian vandala had been dropped on the climb and he now Trails by over 3 minutes Al Duz is always a great day on the tour even if it’s one that half the crowd are unable to remember the day after the last time the race had come here in 2006 the stage winner had been luxembourg’s Frank Schleck but climbing the out for the glory of a stage win while the real race goes on behind you and climbing it in the yellow jersey in the thick of the real race are completely different propositions for Frank schle and the rest of the contenders the stage win was irrelevant What mattered was getting some distance on cadel Evans in advance of the final time trial and stage 17 was the perfect platform from which to launch attacks 210 km and featuring three super category climbs first the Riders had to tackle the civier over 2,600 M High then the caair just over 2,000 M before the final climb up through the craze crowds to the top of alp Duz CSC set the pace pretty much from the start of the stage an impressive show of strength in depth that achieved nothing over the first two climbs except to toe cadel Evans along at a high Tempo the leaders were all together as they hit the foot of the Alp there’s no little ease into the Alp it bites you straight away it’s steep it’s hard and there is no pardoning either because the Alp never gets easy there’s no flat part to the Alp as we can see now the face here of Vladimir Gusto he’s going to give everything he can finally to try and set his men up I have to say that Andy schle looks very comfortable there Carlos SRA know has to go and sra’s got menof on his back wheel here comes the kicks from the stars now this is the Moment of Truth as the others drop away Lawrence tendam drops off but his team leader is there menof is marking sastra sastra needs big time he’s gone from the bottom well he knew he had to do this that was the only thing that Carlos sastra could do but look Phil how calm Denny menop looks here this afternoon and behind it’s a little bit of tactical work going on for team CSC cuz they’re saying if you want to move you’ve got to chase him down and cadell Evans knows that moving upside the outside Yan van Sufi all of a sudden has found something special to go up there and help his leader well sastra needs time he’s got to go he’s gone early Denny menof had him marked well he’s gone with him but cadell Evans held by a team teammates who canot stay with him very long damiano’s had enough he’s gone off the back Cal desel the winner yesterday he’s just been blown away George hppy Kim kirkin rather is struggling under the pressure they must have known the pace would go as immediately this climb started they’ve caught SRA back first attack has failed well again he goes Carlos sra’s got something in his legs here this afternoon he wants to go alone Phil he does not want anyone on his back wheel and menop is looking with a much bigger gear to try and pull Carlos sastra back in well menof read the first one but when you are a pure pure climber you can do what others can’t do you can relax and accelerate for a second time you can go and you can go again and that’s exactly what Carlos sastra has done this is Roman cig he’s getting left out of the back end of the main field but he’s a young star too and now alone at the front going over and past Gerome Pino is Carlos SRA who is climbing fil like a real pure climber this afternoon well he is the man with the stamina he’s had a third place finish in the tour to France the year that Floyd Lis was disqualified he’s had a fourth place finish sastra now needs 49 seconds to pull on the Jersey of his teammate Frank Schleck there’s no reaction from schle now Mario SS is the rider on the front doing what he can for Evans as long as he can well Carlos sastra knows Phil that if he wants to get his one chance at a shot at winning the Tour of France here this afternoon he’s got to get time but he doesn’t have to get seconds he has to get minutes and Mario s there is doing the greatest job I’ve seen him doing the tour to France for some time as he sets the tempo on the front but they’re all now leaving it up to the man who they’re a bit concerned about the man who was scary on Pratt nooo the man who leads the king of the mountains classification Bernard Cole but he doesn’t have it here this afternoon he swings off and says to Frank schlick you do it schlick says I’m not chasing that my man in front well this is around the point where Lance arong said goodbye to Yan U and then continue to the top but look at this now is this David Monier is number 188 at the back to the front here as the Riders cracked your own Pino is now been dropped here saster knows he’s made his move now can he hold it it’s an awful Long Way to the Top and it never ever levels out well a lot of riders getting help here from moves like this move by David Monier he’s on his last warning with his team if he doesn’t do something in this T France his contract will not be renewed now he’s trying to ride himself into the bike race here’s Young Chris room going backwards but I tell you what he’s learned an awful lot today Phil about himself as Mario SS disappears from the front of the race menof this no it’s not it is menof yes I thought it was a two well that’s caught any menof the man we thought might be holding something back is holding nothing back he has blown on the Alp now the battle is streng Christian Velda is still in that group there while sasra makes his bid yes he is only 49 seconds off yellow but he needs much more than that for cadell Evans not to win the Tour because cadell will annihilate him in the time Tri by anything up to 90 seconds well you can see now Bernard Cole looking over his shoulder come on come and help me but on his shoulders he’s got the two shle brothers they’re just sitting Phil in the wings and waiting they are hoping that their man Carlos SRA has got the ability today to pull out minutes not seconds over cadel Evans and the other favorites David mon cuch is back in the group but this now is a group of the heads of state still Christian vanera is there still cadell Evans is there and Evansville I think now is looking to make the move well Evans looks across here now because Bernard Cole his head always nodding in this straight side motion has got to the front here f s looks as always he’s back in this race at the moment and cadel Evans looking to climb now locked in he’s marking the yellow Jersey of Frank schle he better watch out where Bernard Cole goes as well well Bernard Cole is being put into a position today that if he wants to win this bike race fill he’s going to have to do something special he dreamed about getting himself the yellow Jersey on PR noo now he’s got the polka dot Jersey on his shoulders setting a false Tempo now and it looks yeah that’s ag2 going off the front of the group well ag2 is this Des eim I can never recognize these two as they start the attack here for ag2r they’ll have to be a reaction but not quite so Sinister as they must Chase back the race leader well I tell you one thing the Schleck brothers are all over the front end of this group field and they are controlling it somewhat dangerously and I have a feeling if anyone was to come back to Carlo sastra the Schleck brothers are going to whack this group very hard indeed and look at Christian vanela the American who came here really as leader of his team but nobody really thought he would challenge for a Podium finish he’s been challenging ever since the race started it’s Vladimir eim yes who’s in that group the group consists of cadell Evans Andy Schleck Frank Schleck valde eim Bernard Cole Christian Velda the heads of this year’s Tour of France are now fighting it out on the Alp and it could be the winner tonight will be the winner in Paris and the yellow’s gone and cadel Evans immediately reacts well cadel Evans he knows he has to keep a very close ey on Frank sleck here this afternoon look at this Evans has finally taken the race by the horns here Philly’s decided right guys I’m going to show you why I am the number one favorite before the start of the Tour of France cuz I will dominate the Pacer but immediately it’s Bernard Cole comes to the front again for me the danger is Cole I think schle is in difficulty that should have worked for Frank and he didn’t do so I’d be very worried now and Andy schle is also at the back is he planning to launch an attack as well a great move by Aster he had no choice he had to go at the bottom he needs a win by 2 minutes if he’s got a chance of winning the tour that’s what we think that’s what we think and I’m sure that’s what cadell Evans thinks as well the great thing about Carlos sril is he is a magical climber sitting at the back here though is the coming back up here he’s coming back with Denny menof he’s pulling himself back into the bike race here this afternoon well just looking here at caros sastra the clock is saying he’s nudged out 22 seconds he’s 49 seconds so he’s 27 seconds off yellow make that 25 seconds off yellow this is Bernard Cole they’ve never had an Austrian Rider like this and he’s going Andy’s turn cadela spotted him and he’s on him straight away but anley just wanted the back wheel of goal he’s just watching making sure that nobody goes they’re trying to protect the position of Carlos sastra here this afternoon look there at Alejandro Val looking pretty comfortable in this group team CSC have laid the foundations here this afternoon what they need to know is how much energy have the other guys got the group and effen kin is about to make a move a 1 minute 13 span of the top five in the tour to France as Vladimir epim goes he may not be quite so heavily marked by cadell but Andy has decided to shoot across that Gap and join em on the attack now andley schle himself is 9 minutes behind there’s no reason for cadel Evans to chase him down down yeah but I tell you one thing one man who was responding to that was a certain Rider from the United States Christian vanela has gone right across that Gap and I think vanela decided to go straight over the top of them vanela said this morning if he arrives at the Al and feels good he will attack he needs a little bit of time and then in the time T he knows he will have the advantage along with Evans and Andy sleck is up there with him right now I think Frankle is in trouble well Frankle is sitting there back on the wheel of cadel Evans as he was on the climb a couple of days ago to Pratt Noosa when he gave the advantage to his brother and he gave his advantage to Carlos sastra trying to keep himself in the bike R though number 131 Denny menop Phil he looked so strong at the bottom of the climb but that’s the amazing thing about Al Duz It is an unforgiving climb you made one effort too many and then you have to pay for it Frank his face never ever looks as though he’s in trouble I’ve never seen him appear to suffer and yet I’m not so sure he can lift his Pace here Evans is marking valde at the moment and he’s come back and had a chat with brother Frank and probably said what do you feel like because they need to know the answers here cadel has his hands full they’re hitting him at every side this is the rider I would worry about Paul Bernard Cole cadel knows he can beat him in the time but he won’t want to give him much he doesn’t want to give him too much at all and the amazing thing about Bernard Cole is he’ll keep going and going and as as soon as he saw the impetus going out of that group he decided to accelerate but look at the way this man is pedling here Carlos sastra is now inside of 10 km to go 6 miles of climbing again he’s riding a long solo effort he needs more than 28 seconds thr I’ve got to tell you that he needs an awful lot more maybe two minutes and to get two minutes on the final climb is not an easy call never ever ever seen Carlo saster race as well as this let me quickly tell you his finishes in the tour of fr in 2001 20th 2002 10th 2003 9th 20048 he dropped out a little bit in ‘ 05 21st 2006 he was third last year he finished fourth there’s only one place he wants it is the win and this is his last chance he needs two minutes to win the Tour he’s got to get that but it’s awfully difficult on the final climb of the day to do that only time the only chance he’ll get that is if the other guys F start to crack or start to watch each other and still Bernard Cole knows that he’s not letting anybody get off the front end because if he loses time today on somebody like Carlos sanche he could be losing a Podium position there’s so many riders now being hit from all sides but I have to say what a wonderful tour to France Frank schle here has gone to the front I do not believe he’s got it he’s lassu Christian Velda and put him back Evans has climbed through now he’s got burnard Cole at the moment things are good for the Australian I think because s’s only got 34 seconds but by the same token Paul he and an attack by Schleck was Schleck K kidding us all here there’s a reaction from Cole this is a huge effort by Schleck he looks back you know I’m not sure he can Ram this one home cadell Evans doesn’t look like a man in trouble neither does Bernard Cole who keeps dragging himself back but I think the sleck brothers Phil are playing with this group a little bit they were launching these attacks to take the impetus out of the organization of any Chase behind Carlos sastra and when they slow down it’s going to give advantage to sastra and look at that 40 seconds Val now says okay he’s looking for 3 minutes and 23 seconds and we thought he’d written himself out in the Pyrenees the champion of Spain has got the slex on his wheel and he split him away from cadell Evans and Bernard Cole well that was a big move and now they’re going to put to cadell Evans on the defensive cadell Evans is on the wheel of Bernard Coen he knows got to move this is the effort look at the face of Andy Andy sleck looks over and says bro let’s go well this is it now they’ve got the Gap they’ve broken the elastic Evans is on his own he’s got to get him up there he’s followed by Christian vanera he’s followed by Bernard Cole and this is a huge effort now one thing about cadel Evans is he’s an absolute fighter he will fight he’ll try and stay in the bike race here this afternoon Alejandro Val set that up knocks down and there it’s all down though fil by Cel Evans sitting on the wheel of vanera Velda is riding a superb alz here this afternoon and Bernard Cole is the man now put into difficulty I have to say that’s his own fault it is every man for himself here I’m not sure and you can never prove it but I reckon Val’s got a little deal going with the boys from uh Luxembourg now they’re still talking and that’s not allow but of course who cares this is the to to France we’re talking about the race win today 9.1 k to go SLE is trying Andy that is trying to get the spectators out the middle of the Breakaway here now valver carries on Andy SLE has not got it I’ll tell you right now and cadel is a little bit slow to respond but still looks good well cadell doesn’t have that acceleration on the slopes of a climb like this field what he does is he allows somebody to accelerate like a climber then he slowly drags himself back up to make the contact because it’s like the other guys have got petrol engines and he’s got a massive great big diesel engine but once he gets it up to speed it’s very difficult to slow him down we’re about 17 minutes away from the end of the stage how much time can you lose and that’s what cadel Evans will be Reckoning now Carlos Sasa they stopped giving us a time check there he must be close to his race lead though of 49 seconds he’s got 23 of them just now those counterattacks by his own teammates is damaging sra’s lead yes but it may well pay into his Advantage down towards the end because what these accelerations and decelerations will do will take the will of the other guys in this group away from chasing down look at Bernard Cole he was the man who was doing most of the pacemaking on the front before to try and pull back the breakaways now he’s been put onto the defensive well there is the select group and Stephan guar has somehow got himself in there the oldest man in the race at 38 Riding with the elite of the toy to France well now there’s a move and talking about Stephan gub just immediately he must have heard that cuz he goes straight over the top but he’s immediately covered by Andy schle Andy schle says sorry mate nobody’s going anywhere here this afternoon Bernard Cole is in second position Frank schle in the yellow Jersey vanela looks phenomenal there in the white jersey with the blue with the blue sleeves and again it’s in a movement here by goar the oldest man in the bike rest he comes up to the front and thinks well they don’t really know who I am so they may well give me a chance to move off the front end of this group well this is a great acceleration and as you can see they’re going around the corners on the outside where the corners are not quite as Steep and it allows you to keep the tempo going Samy Sanchez dragging himself back onto the tail of this group well we still see here the man who’s the oldest rider in the race here Stephan this is valet on the on the back so he’s now lost ground Denny menuk just trying to hold those yellow cars up ahead inside but he’s losing losing yet to again more time as Andy schle tries to again put a nail in the coffin of cadell Evans and Bernard Cole well I’m not really sure why Cole keeps chasing across after these groups pH but he’s got himself the Gap this afternoon Andy schle looks the most comfortable to me of all of the riders in this group because he is doing the work he’s marking all of the moves again vander’s got the legs to come across this Gap and he knows Frank sleck very well let’s not forget they used to be teammates on CSC together well they text each other after Frank got the yellow Jersey but they both want the yellow Jersey they’re not friends now Cole has struggled up behind Andy these boys are all on the limit of their ability and they’re almost eal it’s all a question as to who can put the attack in when the others are just feeling a bit rough team manager of CSC charging across the Gap have a quick look at that time Gap there Phil 55 seconds the fact that these guys keep attacking and slowing down attacking and slowing down means they’re actually playing into the hands of Carlos sasra who’s riding at his own sensible Pace all of the time every time they attack in this group they each into his lead but then they slow down too much and they give the advantage to Carlos sastra Carlos sastra is now the race leader of the tour the France on the low on the road if he gets the top he’d be the seventh leader of this extraordinary event the record by the way is eight different leaders and there he is now being cheered all the way to the Mayo Zone but even if he pulls it on tonight he won’t have enough time to keep it if he stays at 57 seconds no it’s going to be a little bit too short for him he’s looking for at least another 1 and a half minutes on today’s stage fil because let’s not forget he starts the day 49 seconds behind his teammate but he’s also 41 seconds behind cadell Evans in the overall classification so he needs to start the time trial with at least 2 minutes lead and again there’s another move coming from ag2r well this is incredible the way these guys push it home I really don’t know I think this is valet who’s gone now and again he just create a Ricochet reaction from these boys but Andy schle every time Phil is the policeman and I tell you what Denny menv is slowly but surely pulling himself back into this group and that’s an indication that with these accelerations and decelerations their average speed is not as great as that of Carlos sastra there you can just spot Christ vandel is going to give it a go he’s going to go he needs a little bit of time to have fight back into a Podium position here he lost time yesterday when he crashed on the way off the Bonnet and that’s why Andy schle has marked Christian Velda and taken brother Frank back to the front well cadel Evans on the wheel there of Alejandro Val theck Brothers I have to say for I don’t think they’re in difficulty today they’re chasing all of the moves giving the advantage to their man Carlos sastra dragging his way back into this race is Bernard Cole he spent a lot of energy in the early part of the climb I think I think wasting energy chasing down these little accelerations and now he’s seriously been put on the defensive Samy Sanchez comes back Stephen guar comes back and I think very shortly Denny menv will come back well he’ll do a Dar good ride if he gets back here the way they’re hitting each other look at the face of vanderelli is almost licking his lips on Al Duz as he drags Frank I don’t agree with you Paul I think Frank Sheek sels on the limit of his ability today and you’re right Denny menof is going to get in amongst it here they’ll have to make room for him the Russian Rider is still a threat one gets the feeling this tour to France by the time he get to Paris will’ll still be talking seconds I think you’re absolutely right there but Carlos sastra is doing a phenomenal ride you know he sat in the wings he’s waited and breathed this particular stage here this afternoon he’s he’s known that this was important slack slack is going again well they’re going to have to keep on answering it as best they can because Frank schle has got no acceleration there he really hasn’t and cadel Evans is just marking them he’s not putting in any attacks I tell you what Phil these little accelerations and decelerations by the schle brothers are taking the impetus away from the group they’re disorganizing it in a very clever manner because everyone has to chase them that you can’t let schle go cuz he’s the yellow Jersey you D let Andy schle go because he’s got incredible legs on the slopes of this climb Evans Now is slowing down and that’s going to give you the next time we get a time check possibly 1 and a half minutes the car s 77 seconds 1 minute 17 seconds Advantage sastra I take my hat off to him he had to attack at the bottom and he didn’t waste any time in doing it he hit him hard and he’s got clear he took mench off M went back then went alone menop rejoins these 10 boys that tells me that there’s no chase organized in this group for these guys are all over the road and if they should have done the S stop that business of attacking let them lead to go that is why they attacked to break down the Rhythm to break the will of the riders in this group and that’s why nobody wants to chase cadel Evans really now should think about getting to the front and taking the strangle hold it’s tadek valc there on the front who’s doing the pacemaking but I’m not sure he’s got the big engine to take down Carlos sastra well Cole has got to remember too he can’t time trial either so well and he needs time on cadel Evans and he’s still in this group he’s also seeing a man Leap Frog him in the overall classification there’s 11 Riders here now at the chase as we go to the front the Gap is shot up 1 minute 27 now if he gets 2 minutes he could win the Tour to France and that’s what he’s looking for he won’t win it today of course he’s got to go to the time trial 6.4 kilometers to the Finish 6.3 saster could be pulling off the ride of the tour here well I’m surprised that there’s no organized chase behind but I’m pretty certain that it’s the fact that the two select Brothers Phi have been going left and right after all of these moves has discourage the riders in this group it’s taken the will to chase away from them let’s not forget team CSC assassinated all of these Riders this afternoon menv will be happy with the fact that the pace has come down a fraction because he’s pulled himself back into the fold well Sanchez has got him back himself back in here as well as menof they’ve clawed the way back an indication that the pace has slowed a little bit as we’re heading towards 6 km to go now they’re saying it’s 1 and 1/2 minutes the lead of Carlos srus and there will have to be a reaction here probably in the last 2 or 3 kilometers Evans has got to try and go so too is Cole well it’s interesting to know that the man who’s doing the pacemaking on the front is the oldest man in the bike race it’s stepan goar from ag2r and he’s brought it down to a minute and 25 seconds ag2r are riding a phenomenal race here this afternoon but I wonder if the pace is not going to be high enough we’re inside now of 6 km to go to the front and the main heads of Stateville are not doing the chasing it’s one of the Lesser teams in the tour who are doing the chasing it’s ag2r they’re trying to pull their man TK valc back but he’s only in 10th place in the overall classification well that’s the strange thing about the tour to France now because the leaders are so close here this man is’s shortly going to see The Summit it’ll still be a long way away but at least he’ll see it as he comes around the village ofz around the corner we always call the Dutch Corner there so many Dutchmen have ridden to Victory on the Tour of France but sasra today really has shown us he deserves to win the Tour of France well he wants to Phil he’s dreamed about it he’s one of the most consistent Tour of France performers over the last few years in fact he’s one of the most consistent Grand Tour performers but he’s never got the big win that he’s looked for he’s never got the big win that he’s promised and he stretched it out once again to a minute and 35 seconds you know if they don’t organize the chase they’re going to lose a huge chunks of time and if he goes to the summit with 2 and 1/2 minutes Advantage he could be leading cadell Evans by 2 minutes well these boys those attacks have not the absolutely not the stuffing out them just now they need time to recover because there’s no wrestling place on this climb it is a vicious climb the top Riders will climb it in 36 37 minutes the rest will take an hour to an hour and a quarter today there’s plenty of Australian flags here there’s even a British flag here well the British have had their moment four stage wins by Mark Cavendish mark would be the first to tell you he wouldn’t win up here this is now a battle for final honors well cadel Evans at the back pretty much on the defensive it’s ag2r is on the front end Stephan gubar 38 years of old is setting the pace ahead of Bernard Cole rocking his head a bit but I tell you what valve looks pretty dangerous as well there moving up valve is having a quick chat with the team management there deciding what he needs to do the two select brothers are waiting in the the fold to see what they can do a minute 47 it’s going up all of the time he’s going to hit the two minutes he’s got 5 km to do it well I think he will hit the two minutes and the fact is Phil that none of the big heads of state are chasing him Evans isn’t chasing menop isn’t chasing and they’re not going to get any help at all from the two schle brothers who are just sitting there waiting three miles from the summit and sastra is heading for gold yes he is and what he’s heading for is as much time as he can grasp as possible it’s going up all of the time almost with every pedal stroke a minute and 51 seconds I can’t believe that cadell Evans is not coming to the front to keep this in check it’s Stephan gubar still moving up into second place on the defensive playing the role of Defender the policeman in the white jersey Andy Schleck says I’m not going to set the pace I’m just going to sit here and see if we can swing the advantage over to my men now looks like goard has lost a little bit of his impetus too as the control on this group is being left up to team CSC and they ain’t going to chase because it’s their man in front it’s now a minute and 53 seconds well as sastra plows on 153 is the gap and the crowd is now enormous I tell you what Phil I’ve got a funny feeling that there’s nobody in that group behind has got the Le the level of energy left to chase this man he’s every pedal stroke extending his lead a minute and 55 seconds he’s going going through a wall of crowd there’s orange supporters there for the Dutch the Spaniards are here for him and they’re cheering him chapping him on the back they know this man they’ve seen him for many years in the Tour of France cuz he’s always been a steady performer well now he’s shown us shown us to be a very exciting bike rider 2 minutes is hit and S is only everyone one stage of the tour to France and it was in Bonas in the Pyrenees he’s now having the moment of his life here on the Alp itself and this group behind they’ve got to attack they’ve all got to go for it shortly they cannot they’ve got nothing left and every time they move on their wheel is a Schleck brother whether it be Andy or whether it be frank they cover every move they’re not going to get any assistance there from Denny menof because he’s just happy to be in this group cadell Evans is just sitting at the back there on the shoulder of Frank Schleck 204 the still 4 kilm to go I have a funny feeling today Carlos sastra could be laying down the foundation of victory in the Tour of France this year he’s banged everything on this one month of the year history has shown us that the man that pulls the yellow Jersey on at alz wins in Paris he’s building that sort of time Gap to maintain the tradition of the tour to France at 5 kilometers to go this is the first attack it looks to me as though it’s valet going now FM kin is the one who’s moving this time I think fell there cadel Evans and said right enough is enough I’m going to chase you guys down you can see also Andy schle coming across here he’ll come to the wheel of this young man and he’ll just sit there and say if you want to Chase my mate you go for it because we’re looking for the overall lead here this afternoon well if they’ve got the energy now they’ve got to counter this move and they’ve got to uh up the anti a bit and go again there because the flurry of action we’ve had has gone from the impetus of this Breakaway and that little acceleration you see took off a second or so 158 and the return is there but that’s on these two not on the group cadel well you see Andy SLE just sitting there he’s covering all of the moves he’s playing an incredible defensive role this afternoon the yellow Jersey group are playing the tactics here this afternoon they’re saying cadel Evans you want to win the Tour to France you assume the responsibility and you set the pacemaking on the front end of this group it’s the only answer right now Vladimir epim looks over his shoulder and he’s realized he’s got the Gap and to the younger of the slex and he’s going to be the future star of the family by the look at it f is the man lifting the pace on the front here now he wants to pull it all back together as well I have to say Alejandro Val has found his legs here in the afternoon and he’s pulling himself right up to effin and Andy Schleck well this is as big a crowd I think as we’ve ever seen I didn’t see where they’re all hiding last night when we came up but they’re all there now enjoying the arrival of the to of France at the mecca of this cycling event and still 153 this counter move is shutting it down but these two Riders really don’t affect the yellow Jersey it’s still on the shoulders of sastra yeah but what’s going to happen now Phil they’ve caught them up cadell Evans has seen this he wants to keep the end lifting the pace he wants to lift the pace he really just needs to ride a Time TR now Phil he’s seen that he’s got 3 and A2 kilometers to go to the finish and he has to ride this final time TR he has to now ride the time trial like the one he’s going to ride on Saturday he’s got to use everything he’s got in his body now to reduce that time Gap this this is the ride we’re looking for cadell Evans the Australian has taken control he knows if he’s to win the Tour to France he must not allow sastra to get two minutes he knows that in his mind I think he fixed before the start of today’s stage how much time he could lose on this mountain and the time Gap is stretching out again to over the two-minute mark But for Evans he’s got to ride his heart out here at 4 kmet to go Phil to get himself back into a shot at winning the race in the individual time trial at the end cuz Carlos sasra is going to win the stage but the question will be how much time as he been able to put between himself and cadell Evans and the answer is we’re not going to know this answer till Saturday at least right now because cadel Evans is reacting to the situation 2 minutes 8 might just be enough saster pushes on absolutely terrific cycling by caros sastra this is a phenomenal performance by this man and it was a for performance that was set up by his team as soon as they came away from the town of umbran this morning the front of the mainfield was covered by team CSC set up by Stuart ogrady set up by Nikki senson by Fabian celara this man has come out on the slopes of alz this afternoon to repay the work that was done by his teammates they laid the foundations SP for this move Phil they assassinated everybody in the race here this afternoon and they left it up to their man to go out and finish it off on Al look at that clock though Evans now is losing a bit of impetus again he got the courage a few moments ago and now it’s hurting him 215 is the gap Fidel Evans now knows it’s got no friends here now they know you want to win the Tour to France you get up front and do the pacemaking CSC after a day of working for their man have played all of the cards and the ace is now up the road as we approach Al Duz itself where the crowd are now behind the barriers here Carlo saster will short toly flick around that far Bend he’s riding through a noise of people here 213 the Gap it is Carla sastra versus cadel Evans and the way it’s looking one will win the Tour to France well cadel Evans wears number one and he has to take complete control when you are the favorite Phil and cadell Evans was before the start of this tour to France the number one favorite to win this bike race he now has to take responsibility and you’re right there are no more friends in this group but the two two Riders from CSC Andy schlick and Frank schlick are a psychological anchor on the back wheel of cadell Evans here this afternoon cuz he knows he’s dragging the schle brothers up look at the flags of Luxembourg it’s an absolute tunnel of flags of Luxembourg valy is gone now and cadel won’t have an answer to that because he’s been making all of the pace Frank sleck has marked valver I have a feeling these two have had a bit of a discussion Alber now opens up the attack and Evans is going across the Gap because Frank doesn’t have it I tell you what Christian vanela is putting in a great performance here this afternoon because he is chasing down all of these Evans has got to keep the tempo going he dare not slow down at all because if he does that will be reflected in the time advantage of Carlos sastra at the end of the day look at the face of Denny menof Andy schl looking over his shoulder here this young kid in the white jersey fileld one year is going to win the Tour to France he is such a phenomenal climber give him a couple of years to improve his time traling ability and the way he rides these climbs he’s going to walk away with the to France in the next 5 years and maybe even next year so cadell better win it this year as he puts in another bid here to become Australia Sportsman of the year because he’s ridden a race all by himself and he’s taken everything thrown at him 217 is the gap cadel knows he’ll have it in his ear his manager will have told him you’ve got a limit that escape cadel because if you don’t you won’t take take that time back in the time trial Carlos sastra it says on his helmet and it says in his heart here this afternoon as he digs deep he’s looking for the flam ruse he’s looking for the 2 kilm to go Banner he’s got to ride this time trial of his life and at 2.15 kilm to go he’s got two5 seconds advantage over the group containing all of the main contenders Evans is pulling himself Phil inside out at this time he knows he’s got to do it 2 km to go two things we’ve shown today as the Riders here come up the barriers of the last 2 kilomet of the Tour of France today saster is heading for the stage win and the yellow Jersey 2 minutes 19 the spread to the mayos yawn s’s proved that he will win the stage that he will take the overall lead he has not yet proved he will win the Tour to France but it’ll be jolly close by the end of this day it will be very close I tell you valve looks so good he looks like he’s on the edge of his seat waiting to pounce and I wonder if he’s not pouncing today because he’s thinking about national pride he’s thinking about Spain and he’s thinking about Carlos sasra here at the back Christian vanal has done a great job on the slopes of Al this afternoon Carlos sasil is in this part of the route where it’s absolutely crazy you can hear the noise they’re absolutely shouting like crazy for this man because they know he’s doing a great performance 222 is it advantage and it still continues to go up well we’re looking at number 11 here the number Steven roach wore when he won the Tour to France for Ireland in 1987 now caros sastra is trying to win it for Spain I would reckon that Christian vanera might be on for second place today and take the best of the rest here we’re getting up into the plateau of outdo as it rises right to the Finishing Line cadel Evans has got to drag these boys up he’s got to keep thinking time and not position he must not think about finishing second or third on a stage like this for as we now looking at almost two and a half minute looks over his shoulder to say am I getting any help at all here this afternoon the answer is no when you are the champion when you are the man who’s the number one favorite you have to assume the responsibility yourself the two SLE Brothers just sitting there the man who I think made a few mistakes in the early slopes of this climb is 115 there Bernard Cole he made so many attacks that he lost all of his power that he could have used to the end of this climb as cadel Evans now is trying to find that last little bit to survive menof comes forward now he’s got his big engine finally warmed up it’s looking a bit worrying for the Australian at 224 take off 40 yard seconds of course because that was his Advantage behind cadel menof is there as well haunting on the right hand side valverdi is waiting to dash for the line for the Sprint as well cadel Evans is fighting to win the Tour to France the his C he can well he’s just got to ride now as Carlos sastra finally sees what he’s been dreaming of the flam Rouge 1,000 M to go and he he dare not Phil even think about celebrating the victory at the end of this stage he’s got to ride right to the line to try and get as much time as possible Sam Sanchez goes he sat at the back he had to rejoin with an acceleration like that because it refreshes anybody that second place just left the pack there and the sers shot out after him now if cadel could just grab a wheel around the Schleck cadel’s looking for a reaction meno’s launch an attack as well and now vanderbeld is going they’re all leaving cadell Evans well cadel Evans has got to just calm himself down here filling right to the Finish he me it’s all about time at this point Samy Sanchez now has got himself off the front and he’s looking to try and get himself a second place but he could be actually doing damage to the lead of Carlos sastra his compatriot but a man who rides on a different team well I think is he provide a carrot now for the others to chase it might just reduce the lead of of sastra by a little bit cadel Evans still driving here and there’s sastra dodging the barriers now as he heads for the Finish Well Velda has gone behind as well in a very fast reaction now inside of the last four or 500 meters Carlos s looking around those Corners where’s the finish line but what’s important Phil is the time on the Finish Line he’s got to get himself around this corner he’s straightening up for the Finish Line one of the most famous Finish Lines in the sport of professional cycling the summit of ALU 150 M car Sasa isn’t the first Spanish winner here but he might be the most significant as he’s now laid his plan he’s waited for a week for the climb of Al Duz to prove this was his tour to France now it is time that will give us that answer but for the moment meet the man who wins an Al do is and becomes the seventh leader of the to yes the seventh leader of the tour to France car saster gets the win the clock has started well that’s the clock starting there 6 seconds already have gone by he started the day 49 seconds behind his own teammate Phil at the last time check we had about 2 and a half minutes this is Samy Sanchez now riding to try and get himself second place but this could and he’s still got a kilometer to go to the Finish that’s amazing he took he out climb them by a kilometer and about 300 M and they all were level at the start of the climb it’s all about time now Evans must reduce it he is leaving himself just about enough time to take this race in the time trial but you know once you ride in yellow you ride like 10 men Andy schle deserves to ride away right now he’s chasing car is chasing Samy Sanchez well he’s ridden so defensively throughout the whole of the afternoon here he comes up to the wheel of Samy Sanchez he wants to just sit there he won’t help him at all 57 it’s well it’s a minute has gone by already so there’s a change in the the overall standing Carlos sastra will be the new leader tonight but Phil the important thing is how much time will he have over cadel Evans when we leave the AL behind tomorrow well sastra as of Samy Sanchez has eased a little bit schle has got on at 500 M schle needs a few deep breaths if he’s going to get something out of this his brother won here last year schle can finish second here this year and CSC would take first and second after a day in which they have work their hearts out that would be a result it would be a phenomenal result here look at he’s just waiting look at that face of concentration as he swings around here he knows that 12 two years ago it was brother Frank who got the victory here and he’s trying to make it a onew and look at the time Gap it’s going to be more than two minutes by the time they 11 they’re all around the bottom corner though as Andy Select races for the line Christian vandela looking for the fourth place finish but Samy Sanchez goes this time takes on sleck I can’t see with the line is now but I would suspect that SLE lost that to Sanchez and here comes cadell Evans fighting the ti they pull back a little bit and the clock will stop on Evans we looking at the back of the line there I would say at 215 so the yellow Jersey had changed hands without changing teams from Frank Schleck to Carlos cestr it had been a slick CSC operation to isolate cadel Evans still it had taken a great solo ride to win the stage maybe one second just I think that this moment is once in the in the life and I want to enjoy also with that moment I think he did what he could so uh it’s okay to be happy for winning today because to win today that was something exceptional so it’s okay if you lose one second we can live with that I think most team managers could probably live with a one-w in the general classification standings now showed Carlos sastre in the race lead by a minute 24 from his teammate Frank SCH burnhard Cole was third at 1 minute 33 a second ahead of cadel Evans 135 I take it that you have to make up on sastra in the time trial what’s that going to take ah good time trial 196 and2 km from borison to santen Stage 18 takes the race away from the foot of Al and then out of the Alps alt together via third second and fourth category climbs the last of them just 8 km from the finish in stien there was a crash early in the stage in it were Philip jilber of fres deer and the man in 14th Place overall Lam pra Damiano kigo he was the worst off of the two and from the looks of things had slid face first along the tarmac once he’d been patched up he had a lpre escort back into the race but obviously was in quite poor shape because in the end his teammates were reduced to keeping him company at the back of the race now a slightly untidy Breakaway today uh Marcus bergart of Team Columbia and colos bedo a quick step a German and a Spaniard Got Away there are three men behind them Mikel asosa Kristoff LEL and Roman Fu at about 4 minutes with the pelaton another 5 minutes behind them well this is one of burkart’s greatest moments on the single stage of the tour to France a chance of a stage win and uh that would be a terrific result for him anyway great for the team who’ve done nothing and they being criticized for it in the Belgian newspapers oh and he’s gone again the minute we put away but this time it is burkart who has gone and beredo is going to have to be put on the defensive here and now that is how you launch an attack he’s making B beredo work so hard here well he’s probably got a little bit Fed Up by the fact that the Spanish Rider had hit him hard three times in succession and now his legs are really pinging he’s looked over his shoulder he’s got a little bit of a gap but beredo is clawing his way back to the wheel I think beredo has got this one covered Phil he’s got this one covered I think yes we around that roundabout but if beredo thinks he’s got it covered then he might lose the Gap but I think this time he’ll nail him back now there’s no friends left up here now they’re not going to trust each other so he can watch behind the time will start to drop down that was how happened a good move there and a perfect way to attack Bera was calling it through to do the work at the front and Burkhart decided to try one we’re looking at the three chases here as they try to have their own private battle over that little climb meanwhile up front goodness knows what bero is saying let’s have a look at their faces they’re just trying to reach an agreement to help and work to the finish and then Sprint it out would be my guess now where are we now we’re back in the bunch here this is an attack by the coffee rer Samy Dulan the little man in the race who’s trying to launch on this last climb of the race today further up the road these two still locked in their own personal battle 10 minutes ahead of the main field 2 kilometers to go in around about a kilometer fi they will come to the Andre Kev roundabout and then they will face three or four nasty little bends while a little bit further back it is ciga who’s got away and I’m pretty C who’s coming it is he’s got the reaction because he’s only 13 seconds ahead of kinger and so he did get an attack for a few seconds well that’s a very good move by Andy schle and Andy schle is going to uh not really ruffle too many feathers in the group field because he’s 10 and A4 minutes in AAR but here he’s trying to make sure he keeps himself in contact for the race for the best young Rider meanwhile back in the race for the Sprint here these two are just giving No Quarter now it’s getting a bit nasty now when you start zigzagging like that if you get it wrong you can cause the other rider in the group with you to come off and I wouldn’t like to see that after they’ve been great friends they’ve worked together to build up this lead they’ve got over the Chasers Phil and over the other riders in the main field so now they need need to just have a safe straight brag strip Sprint to the line this group now though is actually going to move away from the front end of the main field and just getting on the back there there was a quick of Le host now he’s thinking about just marking the Andy schle K he’s the cadel policeman been sent up there to watch what’s going on in the Stalls one kilomet to go and they haven’t rid each other so it’s going to be a Sprint or somebody has got to hit the surprise button just shaking the lactic out of the big legs of Marcus burkot this is the left hand turn where they took all the traffic furniture out just on the right there they’re riding through it now and they won’t see the Finishing Line until the very last moment there’s a left turn a left turn and a left turn or they really basically sweepers after a long breakway like this you’ve got a back off the Sprint and I think berghard has got to wait a fraction he’s got to lead the Sprint out he’s got the power I think but when he get once he gets the jump I don’t think beredo will be able to come out of his wheel and that’s what beredo is banking on beredo will try and be the right to jump first and get the surprise but probably not until 2 or 300 me to go well the American Team Colombia taking on the Belgian team of Quick Step as they now go towards the line here anybody can make the move it is in fact Marcus Burkhart a German against the Spanish rder beredo they are so tense here they’re going to make this a very late dash for the line 500 M they’re looking around the corner they haven’t yet fil quite seen the finishing barrier over the line now burkot decides to wind it up he’s challenging ing the spania to come over the top come on mate you start the Sprint first and I’ll respond beredo has to wait until the very last minute 400 m to go well this is the slowest Sprint we’ve had since the tour to France began they both want this stage for different reasons bero slightly the advantage of surprise here he just keeps looking at his man we could be on the Vel Drome in a world championship track Sprint now as these two Riders are so Twitchy but they know they’ll get one shot and only one shot bero is trying to nudge him to make the attack now they’ve gone for the line Mano oh Mano side by side but I think Marcus perard is going to be a little bit too quick here the man who’s helped Cavendish to all of his wins now gets one for himself I’m not surprised beredo is so upset but really against burkart Paul he had no hope well he tried he tried every trick in the book there and he could do nothing to outwit the German burkart getting another great win for team Columbia yeah yes five now for the sports newest sponsors four courtesy of Mark Cavendish of course and an easy win in the end for Marcus bergart after all the false starts ahead of a furious but well-beaten Kos bedo behind them ran Fu beat Christoph LEL and mikol aosa in the Sprint for third there you go burkart beredo Foo LEL aosa the result Germany Spain France France Spain and in the next mini group behind them Andy schle and the only man close to him in the Young Rider competition Roman CER so Andy SLE comes but watch out Roman kinger Dulan forcing it through a little bit of a kick the man the W at n in the first week of the tour to France is sweeping up for the French today and he gets home in sixth place and there’s the main field and after all of that chase over the last few kilometers it didn’t really feel give very many people a great advantage and across the road it’s the sprinters zabble Hof and Oscar ferera ferera got the Sprint from zal and Hof on the line so more points in the bag against his main rivals in the green jersey competition that is going to be Oscars in Paris for sure Andy schle less sure of the white jersey though that’ll go down to the final time trial he finished 10th all the names you’d expect finished in the main field to 6 minutes 50 behind the winner Chris FR was on the other side of a small split in a group at 7 Minutes 07 20 minutes after the winner across the line the day fresh victim Damiano came over with four teammates for moral support now few things Mark out the world of cycling more than the garish flora and FAA of the sponsor yet back in the days of the sensible Woolen Jersey and the challenging shorts a simple stripe across the chest would have been considered fish but with the Advent of the trade teams in the 50s and 60s the advertisers moved in to exploit the space between the Riders pectorals Jack anel rode a French lure into prominence through the 70s and 80s and into the ’90s then the big boys moved in whatever you wanted to shift this is a way to do it cars Hi-Fi and Tellies stamps or grout and on the 2008 tour we’ve got another load of bunkers products aluminum laminates agricultural tubing and one industrial brand management company that achieves durability in business through long-term value creation it’s not all useless nonsense though Dave Miller’s got a half decent freebie attached to his bike you’re the only team riding with these sort of bits of Kon I think there’s one other the team M but we’ve got the latest the engineers have actually been working on working with us the last month or so to kind of give us even more stuff on there I mean for example we’ve got on here okay you have the time speed the distance you’ve been riding this this is the total ense the amount of meters you’ve been climbing during the ride kilog but the kilog comes from here where the power now the power is a big thing in cycling these days we don’t just use our heart rate to measure the kind of the effort that we’re doing we measure the actual power and whats but here we have an actual M so it’s actually like a car GPS cuz Garmin obviously do car GPS’s as their main business and they kind of transfer it onto bik takes the first exit in about 300 M turn left then you have arrived at your destination there we are just 362 km left on this race 165 a half of them today from Roa to Monon and it’s tailor made for a breakaway that stays away just a couple of climbs worth an official designation early on in the stage otherwise roll terrain through the massive sentral and keep an eye out for a town called commentary at about 20 km from the Finish there’s the roll out in Rowan and here’s the first attack of the day a good 300s of a second after the flag was dropped that didn’t last long but as we pick up the action two Riders have managed to establish a lead on the pelor and they’re both French one kilom to go they got away after the other group of four had tried tried and try for 880 km never to get out of sight of the field these two had to go at 85 km from the finish and they will decide the day chaanel getting it into the right gear he’s got it now into the gear that he wants to start the sprinting but he’s going to start the Sprint from first position looking over his shoulder it’s almost a repeat of yesterday when two Riders are trying to Duke it out this is the cat and mouse tactics chavanel is the more powerful Rider but you never know if you get caught out by a quick jump and a quick surprise it could be everything for Jeremy roir but I feel that chavanel today Phil he’s got the strength to take this Victory he’s looking confident waiting to see if there’s any move he’s making it a long slow Sprint but once he kicks I think he’s got the advantage well I’m not so sure with the jerem miir here he starting to grip those handle bars tighter the pace is being lifted he’s being invited to make his move by chaanel chaanel wants to see the move and then he’ll try the kick well he’s still playing with Jeremy W but watch out because that man has a little bit of a kick in the legs he now he’s going for it he waited until the head came the other way of chabanel look at the face of Jeremy War but I’m not sure he’s got the speed there and chabanel the stronger of the two he gets the first stage win in the tour to France Jeremy W gets his reward for being aggressive but that was his seventh win of the season and without doubt his best of his career in the main field now the organization is milram and they’re looking out for the air man Eric zaral over on the right hand side there’s a big train coming from Cy agrio and that is to Hof Hof wants to try and get himself a lot of points here f is calculating he doesn’t need points he’s trying to get out of a mess here Leonardo duk has got out there as he comes to line now duk may come and finish this off the man in red but I don’t know whether he can take on the God of Thunder the Team Colombia Riders and cholik have gone to the right and it looks like a final kick here Colombia can’t do much wrong in this race as they going to sweep up the board here and he zal a game will have to play second I think I think that’s Gerald cholik who takes the prize he said either things were right this morning he’d have a go it’ll be third there this time and had it all come together I wonder if frera would have made a serious move all the time gaps at the top are exactly as they were coming into the stage Carlos sastre leads by a minute 24 from Frank schle Berard Cole is third 1 minute 33 cadel Evans fourth another second behind him the final time trial and the race for overall victory in this year’s tour is really between two men and usefully for narrative purposes two different men caros sastre took the yellow Jersey three days ago with a thrilling attack on Al Duz meet the man who wins an Al Duz and becomes the seventh leader of the toy of France caros saster gets the win Evans had led the race for 4 days without a stage win through limiting the amount by which others won them the Spaniard has about him the calm of a man savoring his time at the top and content of whatever the outcome he’s given his best this moment is once in the in the life and I want to enjoy also with that moment Evans seems to be feeling the full weight of Australian expectations on his injured shoulder and then you plan on your tactic to Evans though remains what he was when he arrived at the start in breast three weeks ago the favorite to win the Tour he’s the time trial specialist although no Public Relations Specialist busy day tomorrow see you sastre has all the Time in the World to tour although his history and long time trials suggests that he’ll need his best ride to hold on to the Jersey well that’s what Carlos sastre will be fighting to defend a lead of a minute 34 over cadel Evans in fourth place the men in second and third Frank schle and Bernhard Cole will be fighting to hold on to their Podium places and the man most likely to overtake them other than Evans is Russia’s Dennis menof lying fifth at 2 minutes 39 there’s the Battleground 53 kilm to split the top riders in this race after nearly 3 and a half thousand s is the stage 20 start close to yesterday’s finish in Monon and once the Riders are down the start ramp it’s a looping rolling course to s am Monon with three time checks along the way well Chris room turned in one of the best Early times he finished in 10650 which was second best then David Miller came in with a really impressive time 10527 Best by over half a minute unfortunately for him it lasted less than a minute because next to finish was world time trial Champion Fabian killara this man has come out of the tour the France as strong as ever and everybody thought he’d given all his strength to his team best timeing up might be the winning time for1 so cadel Evans set off down the start ramp knowing exactly what he needed to do to take back the race lead for good Carlos sastre rolled away 9 Minutes afterwards with the advantage of having Evans pass through the time checks ahead of him information which would be instantly relayed back through his Radio Air piece and the first check was at 18 km the pressure that cadel Evans is going through at the moment is really really very difficult he’s got a great battle that he’s got against Bernard Cole Bernard Cole is actually doing rather an impressive ride cadel Evans has gone through there with sixth best time at 38 seconds down on the fastest men schuma and kelara but that’s not important no but it wasn’t a good sign all that mattered of course was the time it took Carlos Sr to reach the same point well Paul it’s not the gains we expected to see is it by cadell Evans over that is nothing at the first check quite honestly well Phil at the first time check Carlos sastra has only conceded 12 seconds to cadell Evans now if you work that out it should be 36 seconds at this point Carlos sastra is riding the time trial of his career Evans was fast running out of road to make up the time he needed the next check at 36 km would tell him this is the crucial check again here now Evans at the 36 km check shanton Shir Lang here is in Seventh Place Evans comes in in seven with 4408 well 4408 that’s roughly exactly the same position he was Philip the first time check on the road it’s a Pity we can’t get those dark sunglasses away from him to see what his eyes are looking like to see what his the expression is on his face he’s really struggling with this look at him trying to battle that gear he is fighting his gear here Phil he does not look fluid at all he’s got his gears upper fraction because he knows how important this is he’s looking at the start of the day for a minute and 34 seconds so far he’s hardly pulled back any of that here’s Stephen schum marker in the finishing straight well this is going to be a great time he’s taken 27 seconds out of the world champion on the last two checks but has he converted that to be the surprise yet again in a Time TR he can see the clock and surely he’s going to be the new leader here it is still a long way up but this is another incredible ride by Stephan schumacker I think think this will be the best time of the day oh celala will not believe that 1350 and that is the best time sastra is coming up here and he’s challenging the time of cadell Evans at the 36 kilm Mark well as he starts to slip away still a fair way to go don’t forget cadell Evans at the moment has gone over the top of uh Cole he’ll go over the top of sleck so he’s in second place in the tour to France if we get down to the Finish quickly this man is still still holding on to that Leader’s yellow Jersey there’s the 13th Place of canelar the winner leader he goes through 14th time 4431 I think it was ripped away rather quickly there yes in fact he’s only lost 23 seconds to cadell Evans at the 36 km Point fil and I worked out before the start of the day Evans needed to pull back approximately 2 seconds per kilometer if he was going to beat Carlos sastra so far he hasn’t even done that sastra is running at an expense of only a loss of 26 seconds at the moment to gadel Evans on the day and you know he’s never ever been that close to cadell Evans remotely close to that of cadell Evans in his life 61 seconds I think he’s made and lost to cadell Evans in the past that’s the closest he ever got but right now cadell Evans has not been able to drag that time 1 minute 34 he wanted once he hits the line the clock will count it down it’s an awful long way through the chicane this is a very tricky Bend here once he straightens up off that barrier he’s Racing for the line cadel Evans his tour to France has been all about a yellow Jersey he’s worn the yellow Jersey uh but today I think he is not going to win the Tour to France but with a bit of luck he is going to finish second for a second year and that itself is a tremendous thing for anybody to do Evans Bobs up to the line there’s the time of menof has gone by he’s behind menof he’s been going through the checks in seventh place that’s the way it will be he is coming in at the moment with the seventh best time of 1556 and look at this the yellow Jersey is about to catch his own teammate Frank sleck started 3 minutes behind Carlos sastra Carlos sastra this afternoon has ridden fi the time trial of his life of his career and he’s looking now at the end of this road at a yellow Jersey and he goes straight by him no time to say hello right now because a yellow Jersey is at but Bernard kield has done a phenomenal ride he’s not going to arrive all the time of cadel Evans that’s one just as well one second is all the difference he must not finish one second better than Evans if he does he will be up there and now cadel Evans has gone above him by that 1 second so cadel Evans will be in second place in the tour to France and this Rider looks like confirming a fine finish in third place in the tour to France all that tomorrow of course but today the time will tell and that is a great ride 1611 for Cole the leader of the tour to France he’s under 1 kilm to go about 1 minute and 2 seconds to the Finish Phil he’s been in the saddle for 1 hour 5 minutes and 22 seconds and he’s inside of the final kilometer now he’s certainly going to keep his yellow Jersey here this afternoon he probably didn’t believe it but he said yesterday Phil at the end of the stage when somebody said to what about the time TR he says I feel happy I feel calm I’m confident I’ll see what I do on the the day well I think it’s the experience that this man has got that he brings to the sport that’s allowed him to go into this and give his finest ever Time tral Performance he always told his team I want to win the Tour to France I want you guys to help me win the Tour to France now it looks like he has won the Tour to France Carlo sastra lines up for home 1729 is not even going to be close I’m sorry to say for cadel because he he can amble up the home straight now because tomorrow he rides the Paris in yellow and by tradition they won’t attack him in fact they haven’t got enough time even near him to attack him so Carlo saster comes home his time in the time trial best ever he thanks everybody weighs to the crowd he knows now he’s won the Tour to France and he’s won it by around a minute time enough to celebrate for Carlos sastre a nice echo of Al Duz for those of us who thought he perhaps wasted valuable seconds then and a welcoming party of CSC teammates waiting at the Finish line it was comfortable in the end gel Evans made up less than a third of the time he needed on sastre Bernhard Cole rode surprisingly well to hold on to third place on the podium and hold off Dennis menof the day’s big loser was Frank schle who lost 5 and a half minutes on the stage and slid from second to sixth he was part of the team victory for CSC of course s for facing Carlos sastre had finally established himself as the Undisputed leader of his team and the race every year the tour to France finishes on the shanis and thank God for that frankly these days it’s about the one thing you can be sure of when the race sets off that 22 days later in some shape size and state of health it’ll arrive in Paris everything else is subject to change without notice the 2008 edition of the race had incident accident Scandal uncertainty about the outcome until the penultimate stage but finally all the madness boiled down into one winner and he’s not happy with the je D I would watch that cel like a a stupid stupid question and then you plan on your tactic don’t a n I totally picture this perfectly in front of my you know mind like we riding along the scene you know it’s like beautiful sunshine all eight of us in the front colors in yellow behind you know everybody Got a Brand New Jersey on everybody brand new helmet brand new bike we just all riding together in the yellow Jersey to Paris and crossing the shs El you know as a team together in a first position it’s definitely going to be something I’m going to tell my grandchildren about stage 21 as visualized in advance by Yen Voit just for the play of getting Yen’s void in the show really and he was pretty accurate too CSC out front in their final Sunday best for the cameras Before the Race got serious on the tour may have been decided but there was still the glory of the final stage win to race for racing across now to the right turn into the home straight the field look at the back of the field absolutely flying here as they wake their way onto the Chan CIS the field is into the Shan CIS just at one un loone figure in white of Arno Gerard he will be the first to hear the bell and then he’ll be the first to hear the bicycle wheels all around him there’s Christian Vandal at the front end of the main field he’s going to finish fifth overall in the tour to France moving a bit further up there with a bandage on his knee Philip jilber 4 seconds Advantage for zir and there is the Bell one lap to go 6.5 km of the 3 and a half thousand we’ve covered in three weeks the tour to France is going home this lap and there he is in the yellow Jersey caros sastra he was supposed to lose it yesterday in the time trial but he lived up to the magic of the Mayo this man here gerar of fro eer has got himself about three seconds advantage over the front end of the main field I don’t think he’s got the power to stay away from them because there they are masked all across the front of the main field starting to take up the pace baking now is rabo bank and in the first four positions there is Oscar ferera of Spain but all of the other sprinters now feel must certainly be Massy must certainly be looking to be at the front end of the main field well I guess that answers the question the Sprinter from Spain wants to win the last stage and go out in style in the green points Jersey becomes the first Spanish Rider to win that don’t forget and there is the catch they all swept up under the carpet and into the back of the bus now we’re heading up towards the last turn at the top in the shadow of the arct of Triumph and this is now as always anybody’s race but this is another attack Philip jilber has gone well Philip gilber has got the big bandage on his knee from an accident a couple of days ago and this is a hard time to hit them when everybody’s right on the rivet they’ve just chased down his teammate this is the toughest part of the circuit now and he’s got himself right over to that smooth part of the road there right up against the curbstone he’s taking all kinds of risks as he jumps over that little road that goes off into the the Latin area of Paris here and the area not too far away from the Sha looks over his shoulders if anybody can pull this one off Phil it’s Philip jilber he’s done it before no they’re right on him but he’s done it before I think it’s Joan Van Su who’s got around the corner first Robbie Hunter is right there Robbie mccuan is right there yes which team is chasing silence Lotto has come to the front to chase for Robbie mccuan well it looks to me as though Philip jber had a shave for the start of the race there we couldn’t get much closer could we as he drives past our television camera now and the pet on massing behind the only chance he’s got is that they make a mistake they hesit to reform and place their sprinters Oscar f is the rider in all the green strip on the far right he packs a terrific Sprint finish on certain days they’re not going to make that mistake Phil look at that all of a sudden there they are right on the wheel of Philip jilber we’re looking now at 4 kilomet to go and at this speed 4 kilm to go it’s around about 4 minutes Jil bear now back in the fold well the boys in lime green are still trying to stay in this there’s five of them down there but they’re not quite organized enough yet because now they’ve got to contain all of these attacks which will keep on coming there’s always somebody who will try to break away and it’s cofes has gone again it is the most aggressive Rider of the tour to France who launches the attack at 3.2 km to go and they’ve got to chase him down straight away isn’t this funny team quickstep are the team chasing him down and where is savel going to ride next year team quickstep but this is Phil not about friendship this is about trying to win a stage of the tour to France quick have not won anything out of the Tour of France this year and they will give everything to try and get chaanel he hasn’t got much of an advantage but if they break now he will go away to get the victory but look at all the sprinters queuing up behind everybody wants the glory on this final day caros shastra just won the Tour to France we are inside 3 kilometers to go if he falls now or gets a flat tire he will be given the same time as all of those cyclists he can’t be beaten now as he races the last 2 and A2 kmet for home All That Remains to find out is will this man win the stage can he hold off the pelaton they’re working hard he’s scrambling this is at the back end of the main field this is a problem here for yens Voit he snapped his seat his seat has disappeared but it doesn’t matter for Yen Voit right now at least he’ll also get the same time same rule applies across the board so Yen void is not all bad luck but he can’t take part in the finish here comes the drive up to Silvan chaanel who finally this year got his stage win in the toil of France but it won’t be today right on the front now is Garmin Chipotle fifth position is the black and white jersey of the keywe national champion Julian Dean David Miller is up there into second place Dean goes around there right on the shoulders of Oscar ferera and in the other darker green shorts there of course Big T hoft is looking for the win and of course Phil let’s not forget he’s won right here before who are we going to see come out of the tunnel first as they race for the last time under that feris wheel Garin Chipotle it is at on stage in the opening week for the wild they were the best team in this race in the black there is Julian Dean he’s about eight men down he is going to try and finish this off for gin chapley who are bringing all except one of their Riders home and this is a brilliant Lead Out by David Miller now Miller’s got one two three Riders from quickstep right onto his wheel there the third quickstep Rider is her sterman he’s better known as the lead out man for Tom boner but queuing up befi all of the other sprinters are there Le lonardo duk is in there in the red shorts for team coffees Stephan Schumaker is not far away there is the lead out line for to Hof as well in the green well they’re into the last 800 meters this is for big ger Stegman the lead out the man of winning gent last year when he beat Tom bone and his teammate as they Race Across the Shan into the shanisa for the final time it’s the right flick but as we’ve told you all along if you go to soon you will not win at the tour to France stage because it’s a long way up to the line it’s an awful long way still Stegman is in second position he’s got Julian D moving up alongside him now’s the moment to wait if you’ve got it you’ve got a kick now and he’s done it well look at this is this going to be the perfect end for quickstep it’s the best chance for Stegman but look at getar CH look at getar CH is coming and on the outside is Oscar FR of the Green Point Chik is closing so fast oh and he’s lost it on the line but a great great victory for her Stegman he has just redeemed The credibility of quick step and let’s watch for the man in the middle is he going to give us away because caros sastra has won the Tour to France he searches for steuart o Grady because he owes an awful lot to that Australian a brilliant ride over those last few laps there and you can see him puffing and blowing a bit celebration from all of Team CSC and also I have to say for a little bit of celebration in Belgium too because they wanted K sterman to get the victory here this afternoon and Spain wanted this man to win as as well Carlos sastra has got the victory let’s have a look at that Sprint Victory one more time we’ve said that this was a Hardman Sprint finish he was led out admirably there Julian Dean right in his wheel the big acceleration did come from Gerard cholik but I tell you what the man who normally leads out Tom boan there has got the incredible Gap he’s got time to look back over his shoulder there to say right guys you want to get the victory here this afternoon sorry you’ll have to try again next year Oscar ferera up there in third Robbie mccuan I think was up there for fourth there is the family of Carlo sastra he’s just telling his children your dad just won the Tour to France and soon Carlos sr’s son had the miniature yellow Jersey to prove it SRE senior the winner of the 2008 tour ahead of cadel Evans second for the second year and Bernhard Cole not just third but King of the mountains too a great performance from The Young Austrian there are the final standings slightly changed timings thanks to a fast final stage sastra gave away 7 Seconds of his lead on the shaniz for all that it mattered to him bringing his winning margin in the end over cadel Evans down to 58 seconds Bernhard Cole 2 closed into a minute 13 in third place Dennis menof who’d lost time on stage one finished by losing time on stage 21 He Slipped 10 seconds further back in fourth place CSC took the best young Rider title to thanks to Andy Schleck who finished 12th overall one place ahead of his closest Challenger Roman Kiger Silvan chaanel was the most aggressive Rider of the tour for his various Breakaway exploits David Miller was 68th riding in service of Christian velder Chris F finished his debut tour 84th and Vim van seant held off all challenges for the title of Lon Rouge last man out of the 145 finishes so Spain’s great sporting summer continues Oscar F back the green jersey of the tours best Sprinter to join Cole Schleck and Carlos SRE on the podium and after 3 weeks and 3,559 kilm the 2008 tour was in the record books Viv Lor absolutely