The Tour de France

(Reuters) – France’s Pierrick Fedrigo won the 199.5-km 16th stage of the Tour de France from Bagneres de Luchon on Tuesday.
Frenchman Sandy Casar was second and Spain’s Ruben Plaza came third.
Spain’s Alberto Contador retained the overall lead.
Stage 16 Results
1 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom - 5:31:43
2 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
3 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
5 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
6 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack
7 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
8 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
9 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step - 0:00:28
10 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team - 0:06:45
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(Reuters) – A chain malfunction in the last climb of the 187.5-kms 15th stage derailed Andy Schleck’s Tour de France chances and allowed rival Alberto Contador to grab the yellow jersey on Monday.
Overnight Tour leader Schleck had just started to attack defending champion Contador on the grueling Port de Bales climb, 25 kms from the finish line in Bagneres de Luchon, when he was stopped short as his chain came off.
Stage 15 Results
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom - 4:44:51
2 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team - 0:01:20
3 Aitor Perez Arrieta (Spa) Footon-Servetto
4 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:02:50
5 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram
6 Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
8 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
9 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
10 Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas-Doimo
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(Reuters) – France’s Christophe Riblon captured Stage 14 of the 2010 Tour de France, but Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck was able to stay with defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain as cycling’s most prestigious event reached the Pyrenees.
Riblon finished the 184.5-kilometer trek from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines in a time of four hours, 52 minutes and 42 seconds to claim his first career stage win.
Stage 14 Results
1 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 4:52:42
2 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank - 0:00:54
3 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank - 0:01:08
5 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
8 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
9 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini - 0:01:49
10 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
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(Reuters) – Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov won the 13th stage of the Tour de France, a 196-km ride from Rodez on Saturday.
Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
Stage 13 Results
1 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana – 4:26:26
2 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC – Columbia - 0:00:13
3 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
4 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team
5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
6 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin – Transitions
7 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux
8 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
9 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini
10 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
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(Reuters) – Defending champion Alberto Contador warned Tour de France race leader Andy Schleck what to expect in the Pyrenees stages with a blistering attack on one of his favourite climbs in Mende on Friday.
Contador was beaten on the finish line of the 12th stage by fellow Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez but his move in the last two kilometres allowed him to take 10 seconds off Schleck, whom he now trails by 31 seconds in the overall standings.
Stage 12 Results
1 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha - 4:58:26
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
3 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana – 0:00:04
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto – 0:00:10
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
6 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
7 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack
8 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
9 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0:00:15
10 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo
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(Reuters) – Sprinter Mark Cavendish’s 13th Tour de France victory of his career on Thursday was not his luckiest as close aide Mark Renshaw was disqualified over a head-butting incident.
HTC-Columbia rider Renshaw led in the final stretch when New Zealand’s Julian Dean, working for sprinter Tyler Farrar, tried to block his way.
Stage 11 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC – Columbia - 4:42:29
2 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
3 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Transitions
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
6 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
8 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
9 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
10 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
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(Reuters) – Sergio Paulinho gave Lance Armstrong’s team RadioShack their first victory in the Tour de France when he won the 179-km 10th stage in Gap on Wednesday.
The 2004 Olympic silver medalist was also the first Portuguese to win an individual Tour stage in 21 years and only the fourth rider from his country to do so.
Stage 10 Results
1 Sergio Paulinho (Por) Team Radioshack - 5:10:56
2 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d’Epargne
3 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step - 0:01:29
4 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
5 Mario Aerts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto - 0:01:33
6 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:03:20
7 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:12:58
8 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne - 0:13:57
9 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC – Columbia - 0:14:19
10 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
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Sandy Casar won stage nine of the Tour de France Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne but Andy Schleck is the new race leader.
Andy Schleck seized the Tour de France reins after joining forces with defending champion Alberto Contador in a hard, 204.5-km Alpine stage in which most of the other favorites dropped out of contention.
Australian Cadel Evans, the race leader at the start of Tuesday, was unable to stay in contact because of a fractured elbow suffered in a crash in the previous stage on Sunday.
Stage 9 Results
1 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux - 5:38:10
2 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
3 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
4 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne - 0:00:02
5 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
6 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
7 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
8 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi - 0:00:52
9 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha - 0:02:07
10 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
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(Reuters) – While an ageing Lance Armstrong was losing ground in the Tour de France on Sunday, Andy Schleck was coming of age with his first stage win.
The 25-year-old climber from Luxembourg, runner-up to Alberto Contador last year, won the 189-km eighth stage in the ski resort of Avoriaz, his first win in the world’s greatest cycling race.
Stage 8 Results
1 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank - 4:54:11
2 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
3 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0:00:10
4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
7 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
8 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
9 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
10 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
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(Reuters) – For the second time in a week, Sylvain Chavanel capitalized on his rivals’ missteps to seize the overall lead of the Tour de France on Saturday.
While the leading contenders spent much of the 165.5-kms seventh stage watching one another, Chavanel negotiated the Tour’s first real climbs and attacked at the right time to secure his second stage victory and the third of his career.
Stage 7 Results
1. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step - 4:22:52
2. Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Footon-Servetto - 0:00:57
3. Juan Manuel Gárate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank - 0:01:27
4. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom - 0:01:40
5. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
6. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto
7. Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom - 0:01:47
8. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions
9. Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
10. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Footon-Servetto
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(Reuters) – Mark Cavendish left his tears behind and was all smiles as he powered to his second sprint victory in succession in the longest stage of the Tour de France in Gueugnon on Friday.
The Briton, in tears in Montargis after his first stage victory on this Tour, made the best of the Team Columbia train to win ahead of American Tyler Farrar and Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi.
Stage 6 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC – Columbia - 5:37:42
2 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Transitions
3 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
5 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
6 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
7 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
8 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team
9 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin – Transitions
10 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
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(Reuters) – Mark Cavendish burst into tears and broke down on the podium as weeks and months of tension were finally released by victory in the fifth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday.
The Briton, winner of six stages last year, has endured a difficult start to both the Tour and the season, tarnished by self-doubt, controversies, crashes and two-finger salutes.
Stage 5 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC – Columbia - 4:30:50
2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
6 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
7 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
8 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
9 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Transitions
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(AP) REIMS, France — Alessandro Petacchi has won the fourth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint with Lance Armstrong and other contenders finishing in the pack.
The Italian collected his second stage win this year in the mostly flat 95.4-mile ride from Cambrai to the champagne capital Reims on Wednesday.
Stage 4 Results
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini - 3:34:55
2 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin – Transitions
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
5 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin – Transitions
6 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
7 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
8 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
9 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
10 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
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(Reuters) – Norway’s Thor Hushovd set the record straight by winning the 213-km third stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday as defending champion Alberto Contador and seven-times winner Lance Armstrong lost ground.
Stage 3 Results
1 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team - 4:49:38
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
7 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Transitions - 0:00:53
8 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
9 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
10 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
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(Reuters) – France’s Sylvain Chavanel broke almost from the starting gun to win a rain-soaked second stage of the Tour de France in which most of the favorites crashed.
Chavanel, 31, attacked after 11 kilometers in the 201-kms ride, was joined by seven other riders and finally broke on his own to snatch his second Tour stage victory after a previous one in 2008 in Montlucon.
Stage 2 Results
1 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step - 4:40:48
2 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:03:56
3 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
5 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
6 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
8 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram
9 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux
10 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC – Columbia
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(Reuters) – Alessandro Petacchi used patience and experience to get through a crash-filled first stage of the Tour de France and snatch his first sprint victory on the race for seven years.
The last 2.5 kilometers of the 223.5-km ride to Brussels descended into mayhem with many of the favorites involved in crashes.
Stage 1 Results
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini - 5:09:38
2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team HTC – Columbia
3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
5 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux
6 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
7 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
8 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
9 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
10 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
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(Reuters) – The Tour de France began on Saturday in a near carbon copy of last year’s edition, with the victory of Fabian Cancellara in the prologue and the promise of a showdown between Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong.
Switzerland’s Cancellara is the time-trial world and Olympic champion — the best active prologue specialist in the peloton — and he made a point of clocking a perfect time of 10 minutes on the 8.9-km of slippery roads in Rotterdam. – Read more from Reuters….
Prologue Results
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank - 0:10:00
2 Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC – Columbia - 0:00:10
3 David Millar (GBr) Garmin – Transitions - 0:00:20
4 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack - 0:00:22
5 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team - 0:00:23
6 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 0:00:27
7 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Transitions - 0:00:28
8 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
9 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team - 0:00:32
10 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram - 0:00:35
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