Tour de France - report stage 14

Green jersey leader Oscar Friere (Rabobank) overtakes Erik Zabel (Milram) to win in Digne-les-Bains.

Oscar Friere wins at last - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

It might have been a day when a break could have made it and when four respected rouleurs in the form of Bram Tankink (Rabobank), William Bonnet (Credit Agricole), Sandy Casar (FD Jeux) and José Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) went away, it did look like a winning move. Maybe it was too good and the pack, especially Team Columbia and Liquigas worked hard with others to peg them and then recover the lost time.

All but Gutierrez were subsequently absorbed by the race and he followed soon after. When the race went over the final climb of the day, the Col de l’Orme, Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) jumped and being fourth overall on GC this forced Silence Lotto to act to protect Cadel Evans' race lead.

Next to feature were Phillipe Gilbert (FD Jeux) and then Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) the later holding out until 1.8 kilometres to go.

The mass sprint finish saw Team Columbia at the front until Romain Feillu (Agritibel) went for a long one only to be caught and passed by Erik Zabel (Milram). He in turn was to be surpassed by green jersey leader Oscar Friere (Rabobank).

On the final climb both Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) and Robbie McEwen (Silence Lotto) went out the back and they rode in after the race had been settled.

1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 4h 13' 08"
2 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
3 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
4 Julian Dean 193 Garmin Chipotle 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
5 Steven De Jongh 94 Quick Step 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
6 Alessandro Ballan 72 Lampre 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
7 Ruben Perez 26 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
8 Jérôme Pineau 145 Bouygues Telecom 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
9 Matteo Tosatto 98 Quick Step 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
10 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
11 Xavier Florencio 143 Bouygues Telecom 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
12 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
13 Martin Elmiger 105 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
14 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
15 Filippo Pozzato 61 Liquigas 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
16 Geoffroy Lequatre 128 Agritubel 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
17 John-Lee Augustyn 52 Barloworld 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
18 Christopher Froome 57 Barloworld 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
19 Inaki Isasi 23 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
20 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
21 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
23 Oscar Pereiro 37 Caisse d'Epargne 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
25 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
28 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
52 Thomas Lövkvist 48 Team Columbia 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
53 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
63 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
64 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"
82 David Millar 198 Garmin Chipotle 4h 13' 08" @ 00' 00"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 59h 01' 55"
2 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 59h 01' 56" @ 00' 01"
3 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 59h 02' 33" @ 00' 38"
4 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 59h 02' 41" @ 00' 46"
5 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 59h 02' 52" @ 00' 57"
6 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 59h 03' 23" @ 01' 28"
7 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 59h 03' 51" @ 01' 56"
8 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 59h 04' 27" @ 02' 32"
9 Mikel Astarloza 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 59h 05' 46" @ 03' 51"
10 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 59h 06' 13" @ 04' 18"
11 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 59h 06' 21" @ 04' 26"
12 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 59h 06' 36" @ 04' 41"
13 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 59h 07' 18" @ 05' 23"
14 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 59h 07' 32" @ 05' 37"
15 Oscar Pereiro 37 Caisse d'Epargne 59h 07' 56" @ 06' 01"
16 Alexandre Botcharov 83 Credit Agricole 59h 08' 02" @ 06' 07"
17 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 59h 08' 21" @ 06' 26"
18 Maxime Monfort 189 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 59h 09' 02" @ 07' 07"
19 Roman Kreuziger 65 Liquigas 59h 09' 06" @ 07' 11"
20 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 59h 10' 40" @ 08' 45"

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 219 Pts
2 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 172 Pts
3 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 167 Pts
4 Mark Cavendish 43 Team Columbia 156 Pts
5 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 144 Pts
6 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 137 pts
7 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 110 Pts
8 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 105 pts
9 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 98 Pts
10 Romain Feillu 124 Agritubel 94 Pts

Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 60 Pts
2 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 59 Pts
3 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 46 pts
4 Luis-Leon Sanchez 39 Caisse d'Epargne 31 Pts
5 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 30 pts
6 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 30 Pts
7 Sylvain Chavanel 181 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 27 pts
8 Thomas Voeckler 149 Bouygues Telecom 27 Pts
9 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 24 Pts
10 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 24 Pts