Tour de France - report stage 10

The massive Tourmalet and the mountain-top finish at Hautacam dominated stage 14 held on Bastille Day.

Menchov, Evans, Sastre, Ricco and Vandevelde - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Evans in yellow - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Piepoli and Cobo - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Saunier Duval/Scott team mates Leonardo Piepoli and Juan Jose Cobo took first and second ahead of Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) at the summit finish of the Hautacam climb.

A group had gone free prior to the Tourmalet including Fabian Cancellera (CSC/Saxo Bank) and from it Remy Di Gregorio (FD Jeux) attacked, dropping the other escapees, and topping the ascent pursued by a 20-man group with most contenders for the final victory, including Cadel Evans.

Di Gregorio might have made it to the top of the Hautacam in first spot, but Team CSC/Saxo Bank were after blood and drove hard on the front of the Tourmalet sweeping all before them and dropping Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre), almost certainly ending their Tour win hopes.

Into the valley and Jens Voigt was still driving hard and when CSC/Saxo Bank caught Cancellera he too joined the chase, going to the front working to put Carlos Sastre and Frank Schleck.

On the Hautacam the main contenders were bunched together behind what was left of the CSC/Saxo Bank train. Saunier Duvall/Scott had Riccardo Ricco, Leonardo Piepoli and Juan Jose Cobo well placed and they began to attack further stretching the race and distancing race leader Kim Kirchen.. Piepoli, Cobo and Frank Schleck were able to go away and ultimately go for the stage win. Di Gregorio was caught and others went away from the real race of the day, that for the yellow jersey.

The race contenders, each in turn seemed to falter only for each to raise the game by attacking - they were; Carlos Sastre (CSC/Saxo Bank), Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto), Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval/Scott) and Dennis Menchov (Rabobank) plus Christian Vandevelde (Garmin Chipotle).

Up at the front the Saunier Duval/Scott duo dropped Frank Schleck and at times Piepol seemed to be waiting for Cobo. The two crossed the line both with arms aloft. Behind them Schelck was third and had ridden into second place on the GC. Further back were Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) and Vladimir Efimkin (Ag2r).

Ricco jumped away from Evans, Menchov, Sastre and Vandevelde to grab enough points to takeover the King of the Mountains lead.

Evans now leads the race by one second from Frank Schleck (CSC/Saxo Bank), whilst Oscar Freire (Rabobank) is top in the Points Competition.

1 Leonardo Piepoli 179 Saunier Duval - Scott 4h 19' 27"
2 Jose Cobo 173 Saunier Duval - Scott 4h 19' 27" @ 00'
3 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 19' 55" @ 00'
4 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 4h 20' 33" @ 01' 06"
5 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 21' 32" @ 02' 05"
6 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 4h 21' 44" @ 02'
7 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 21' 44" @ 02'
8 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 4h 21' 44" @ 02' 17"
9 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 4h 21' 44" @ 02' 17"
10 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 4h 21' 44" @ 02' 17"
11 Moises Duenas 56 Barloworld 4h 21' 54" @ 02' 27"
12 Stephane Goubert 107 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 22' 16" @ 02' 49"
13 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 4h 23' 07" @ 03' 40"
14 Mikel Astarloza 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 23' 25" @ 03' 58"
15 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 4h 23' 46" @ 04' 19"
16 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 24' 49" @ 05' 22"
17 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 24' 54" @ 05' 27"
18 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 4h 25' 18" @ 05' 51"
19 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d’Epargne 4h 25' 19" @ 05' 52"
20 Laurens Ten Dam 138 Rabobank 4h 25' 21" @ 05' 54"
25 Konstantsin Siutsou 49 Team Columbia 4h 27' 01" @ 07' 34"
26 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 4h 27' 05" @ 07' 38"
28 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 28' 26" @ 08'
45 Stijn Devolder 91 Quick Step 4h 34' 05" @ 14' 38"
49 Fabian Cancellara 13 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 35' 50" @ 16'
50 Christian Knees 153 Team Milram 4h 35' 58" @ 16' 31"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 42h 29' 09"
2 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 42h 29' 10" @ 00' 01"
3 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 42h 29' 47" @ 00' 38"
4 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 42h 29' 55" @ 00' 46"
5 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 42h 30' 06" @ 00' 57"
6 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 42h 30' 37" @ 01' 28"
7 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 42h 31' 05" @ 01' 56"
8 Jose Cobo 173 Saunier Duval - Scott 42h 31' 19" @ 02' 10"
9 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 42h 31' 38" @ 02' 29"
10 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 42h 31' 41" @ 02' 32"
11 Mikel Astarloza 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 42h 33' 00" @ 03' 51"
12 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 42h 33' 27" @ 04' 18"
13 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 42h 33' 35" @ 04' 26"
14 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 42h 33' 50" @ 04' 41"
15 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 42h 34' 32" @ 05' 23"
16 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 42h 34' 46" @ 05' 37"
17 Oscar Pereiro 37 Caisse d'Epargne 42h 35' 10" @ 06' 01"
18 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 42h 35' 20" @ 06' 11"
19 Moises Duenas 56 Barloworld 42h 35' 52" @ 06' 43"
20 Maxime Monfort 189 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 42h 35' 56" @ 06' 47"
22 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 42h 37' 43" @ 08' 34"
24 Leonardo Piepoli 179 Saunier Duval - Scott 42h 40' 36" @ 11' 27"
28 Stijn Devolder 91 Quick Step 42h 42' 45" @ 13' 36"
30 Christian Knees 153 Team Milram 42h 45' 48" @ 16' 39"

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 131 Pts
2 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 124 Pts
3 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 105 Pts
4 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 96 Pts
5 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 92 Pts
6 Mark Cavendish 43 Team Columbia 86 Pts
7 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 85 pts
8 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 82 Pts
9 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 70 pts
10 Romain Feillu 124 Agritubel 68 Pts

Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 77 pts
2 David De La Fuente 174 Saunier Duval - Scott 65 pts
3 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 57 Pts
4 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 56 Pts
5 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 46 pts
6 Leonardo Piepoli 179 Saunier Duval - Scott 41 pts
7 Jose Cobo 173 Saunier Duval - Scott 36 pts
8 Luis-Leon Sanchez 39 Caisse d'Epargne 31 Pts
9 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 30 pts
10 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 30 Pt