watching it now  


Over 4000 hrs of the race are televised every day.

The country side of France..... its like a continuous picture post card.
I love the mountains and the chateau's.  

Tonight they race  down-hill in the Pyrenees ...going faster than the motor bikes can keep up with.

Contador grabs yellow in controversial style
20 July 2010 | 01:30


Spain's Alberto Contador took the Tour de France yellow jersey from Andy Schleck in controversial circumstances after the Luxembourger suffered a mechanical problem on the final climb of the 15th stage.

French champion Thomas Voeckler handed the hosts their fifth success of the race after soloing to victory on the 15th stage, finishing nearly three minutes ahead of the race favourites.

However, as he raced away to victory on the 21.5km descent from the Port de Bales climb, all the race drama was going on behind him.

Contador was caught by surprise by a Schleck attack inside the final two kilometres of the 19.3km ascent of the Bales summit.

Although he had moved to counter, the Spaniard did not stop for the Saxo Bank leader after his gear mechanism broke seconds later, leaving Schleck stranded on the hill and having to fix the problem himself.

Contador raced ahead with Russian Denis Menchov and Spaniard Samuel Sanchez to crest the summit just over 20 seconds ahead of Schleck.

And together the trio completed the descent, later catching up with several breakaway riders who had been dropped by Voeckler, to finish 39 seconds ahead of the Luxemburger.

Schleck, the runner-up to two-time champion Contador last year, is now eight seconds behind in second place, with Sanchez and Menchov still in third and fourth respectively.

Although mechanical problems are considered part and parcel of bike racing, Schleck hit out immediately at Contador for not demonstrating "fair play".

"In the same situation I would not have taken advantage," said Schleck, who had held the yellow jersey since taking it from Australia's Cadel Evans on Stage 9.

"I'm not the jury, but for sure those guys wouldn't get the fair play award from me today."

Schleck had to hold his anger back as he swapped the yellow jersey for the white jersey for the race's best-placed rider aged 25 or under.

And he has promised to take his revenge on Contador swiftly.

"I'm really disappointed. My stomach is full of anger, and I want to take my revenge," he said.

"I will take my revenge in the coming days."

Contador pulled on the yellow jersey for the first time in this year's race, but said he was unaware that Schleck's chain had come off.

"I set out with the intention to attack on the climb, but when I countered Andy I didn't know he actually had a problem," the Spaniard said.

"When I knew he had the problem, it was already too late. We had taken a significant lead on him."

Saxo Bank team manager Bjarne Riis, meanwhile, appeared to side with Contador.

"I didn't see it but it's all part of racing circumstances," said the Dane.

"I think he (Contador) waited at the start, and then he went. That's just part of racing."

Voeckler kept the hosts' winning streak alive in the race just a day after Christophe Riblon superb solo victory on the summit of Ax-3-Domaines.

The 31-year-old Bbox-Bouygues Telecom rider is perhaps best known for the 10 days he spent in the yellow jersey in 2004.

But he showed style and determination after attacking his breakaway group late in the climb to Bales to go on and claim his third stage win in the race.

"I worked hard for this stage win," said Voeckler, who admitted he almost abandoned the race last week.

"It has been a really difficult race for me and, if there had been crosswinds on (the stage during) July 14 instead of a headwind, I would almost certainly have pulled out.

"In the past three days I've been feeling much better."

http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2010/news/article/31902/Contador-grabs-yellow-in-controversial-style-

I don't see what all the controversy is about, It is a race not a sunday afternoon bicycle ride.  It was unfortunate for Andy Schleck he slipped his chain but there is no way Contadour, Sanchez and Menchov could(or should) have waited.................

Of course they shouldn't wait.

Thats what the support team is for.

Its not like they were in the back of beyond, for heavens sake  

Fedrigo makes it six for France
21 July 2010 | 00:00

Perrick Fedrigo crosses the finish line in Pau (AAP)


Pierrick Fedrigo of the Bbox-Bouygues team won the 16th stage of the Tour de France  to hand the host its sixth stage win of the race.

Astana's race leader Alberto Contador, who took the yellow jersey from Luxembourg rival Andy Schleck, came over the finish line just less than seven minutes later.

Schleck, who lost the yellow jersey to Contador after suffering a mechanical problem on the 15th stage, was expected to take his revenge on what was the third and penultimate day of racing in the Pyrenees.

But their anticipated battle over the Tourmalet and Aubisque mountain passes came to nothing after Armstrong and other riders well out of contention joined an early breakaway.

The Luxemburger, who rides for Saxo Bank, is still eight seconds behind Spain's two-time champion ahead of the race's second and final rest day and two days before the final day of climbing to the summit of the Tourmalet on stage 17.

A day after they fell out because Contador attacked as Schleck tried to fix his mechanical setback, the pair had shaken hands and made up.

But Schleck warned: "It's the last week of the Tour and I'm sure that we'll be battling a lot on the (Col du) Tourmalet," he said. "The Tour is not over."

Fedrigo had to chase hard to join Armstrong's early breakaway group as the peloton started the hilly 199.5km ride from Bagneres-de-Luchon with the brutal 11km climb to the Col de Peyresourde.

And he was rewarded for his persistence on another punishing day in the Pyrenees by beating an eight-man bunch, including Armstrong, in a sprint at the finish.

"I knew it was going to be my day," said Fedrigo, who handed his team their second win of the race after Thomas Voeckler's impressive victory on stage 15.

"It's just little details, like seeing fans of the team and some family, but I knew I just had to go for it."

Armstrong had been among the first riders to attack early on the stage and although their group was larger it was eventually reduced to nine riders as the climbs took their toll.

They went on to build a lead of almost 10 minutes on the yellow jersey peloton, but with 45km remaining Spaniard Carlos Barredo launched an audacious solo bid for victory moments after Frenchman Sandy Casar had closed his deficit in impressive fashion.

FDJ rider Casar, who had shown his finishing skills on a similar profile to win Stage 9, had lost ground with the frontrunners on the race's fourth categorised climb, the Col de l'Aubisque.

But after he made up his gap of 1min 35sec on the descent, Barredo, perhaps sensing the danger, went off on his own only to be caught, agonisingly, with one kilometre to race.

Armstrong, who had been resting his legs for most of the last few kilometres, made a brief bid for the stage win in the final 500 metres.

However, Fedrigo dropped down a cog or two and maintained his power to surge up the inside of the barriers to beat Casar into second place at the finish line.

Casar said: "I spent a lot of energy just trying to catch the breakaway, but in the sprint I knew Pierrick would be very fast."

Armstrong's team manager at RadioShack, Johan Bruyneel, said Armstrong had told him he was tired with around 15km to race.

But the American did not rule out trying for a 26th and final Tour de France stage win on Thursday when the yellow jersey battle moves up a gear.

"I'm not the best guy in the race but I have the spirit of a fighter," said Armstrong, who will turn 39 on September 18.

"Fedrigo was one of the fastest guys out there today and he was just too fast at the finish. Chapeau."

http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2010/news/article/32887/Fedrigo-makes-it-six-for-France

ahhhhh a rest day........I should have gone to bed early  

I am looking forward to more racing tonight.

Schleck, Contador battle to Tourmalet draw
23 July 2010 | 00:00


Spaniard Alberto Contador took a huge step towards his third yellow jersey triumph after matching a series of attacks from Andy Schleck on the Tour de France's 17th stage overnight.

Schleck began the final climbing stage of this year's race, a 174km ride from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet, with an eight-second deficit to Spain's two-time winner in the race for the yellow jersey.

Schleck warned on the rest day that he was confident of attacking Contador throughout the climb to the legendary summit and taking the yellow back from the Spaniard, who took the race lead after Schleck suffered a mechanical setback.

But despite repeated attacks in a bid to shake Contador off his wheel during the final 10km of the 18.6km slog to the fog-shrouded summit, Schleck finished with Contador sitting comfortably on his wheel at the finish line.

"I gave it everything today, I tried to attack, I changed rhythm several times to try and drop him and I just couldn't," said Schleck, who applauded Contador's gentlemanly conduct at the end.

"In the end I have to say respect to Alberto because he didn't sprint (for the finish) at the end."

It means Astana team leader Contador will retain his eight-second lead over the Saxo Bank climbing specialist ahead of tonight's 18th stage, which is likely to finish in a bunch sprint.

Schleck's last chance to overhaul Contador would be in Saturday's penultimate stage, a time trial over a 52km-long flat course, a discipline in which the Spaniard has a far better record.

On Wednesday's rest day, Schleck said he would need to go into the time trial with a lead of at least one minute on Contador, "but preferably more".

Barring catastrophe for Contador between over the next two stages, he will claim his third yellow jersey after victories in 2007 and 2009.

"There's still some stages left but let's say today it was an important stepping stone (towards the yellow jersey)," said Contador, who played down the fact he has not won any stages this year.

"I haven't won any stages but my objective was to win the Tour. Some years you win stages, others you don't."

Although Schleck attacked Contador first, at the 10km to go mark, then several times after that the Spaniard made his own bid to drop the Luxemburger with 3.9km remaining.

When Schleck pulled level, he gave Contador an icy stare, which the Spaniard did not react to.

"I tried to attack him but Andy's reaction showed me he was strong," Contador said.

"But the whole time I was really concentrated, and felt pretty confident. Today I had great legs."

In 2008 Contador did not compete as he turned his attention to the Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain - both of which he won.

It is the second stage win of the race for Schleck, who also won the stage to Morzine-Avoriaz in the Alps.

Another Spaniard, Joaquin Rodriguez of Team Katusha, came over the finish line in third place at 1min 18sec, with Canadian Ryder Hesjedal fourth at 1min 27sec, Spaniard Samuel Sanchez fifth at 1min 32sec and Denis Menchov sixth at 1min 40sec.

Sanchez began the stage with a 13-second lead on Menchov, the Russian he is fighting for third place on the podium, but extended his lead by eight seconds.

Euskaltel rider Sanchez is still third but now further off the pace at 3min 32sec. Menchov is fourth at 3min 53sec but will be favoured to close his gap to Sanchez in the final time trial.

Completing the top five overall is Belgian Jurgen van den Broeck, who finished ninth on the stage at 1min 48sec to sit fifth at 5min 27sec behind, with a 1min 14sec lead on sixth-placed Dutchman Robert Gesink.

One of the big losers of the day was American Levi Leipheimer, who finished outside the stage's top 15 and out of the top 10 in the general classification.

Meanwhile it was another tough day for Australia's world champion Cadel Evans, who slipped to 26th in the general classification, 45min 13sec off the lead.

He remains the top Australian in the field.

http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2010/news/article/33742/Schleck,-Contador-battle-to-Tourmalet-draw

Yes a very close finish.....I don't know where they got the energy from.
Did you see that sprint burst while going up the steep mountain. Some people would have trouble standing on such a steep incline...net alone riding a bike or racing.

Oh so thats were Cadel Evans ended up!
26 is a good place.