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Dessel drills it to win stage 16; Schleck defends yellow

by VeloNews.com

• July 22, 2008
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• Results

Cyril Dessel (Ag2r) won stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday as Frank Schleck, backed by an indomitable CSC-Saxo Bank team, kept his grip on the maillot jaune. Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), meanwhile, gained time on Rabobank’s Denis Menchov while American Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Chipotle) slid to sixth overall, more than three minutes back of the race leader.

“I really wanted to win a stage in this Tour,” said Dessel, who set a thunderous pace in a breakaway for teammate Tadej Valjavec, who briefly became the race leader on the road. “I didn’t have such great legs in the Pyrenees, but today was the best chance in the Alps. The tactics today were to go into a breakaway because we had a feeling that the GC riders would let us go.

“In the end, [David] Arroyo went and I was able to counter his attack and drive it to the line. It’s a double pleasure because we moved Valjevec into the top 10, so we’re very happy.”

Schleck was equally pleased with the result.

“The team was great again today,” he said. “We had Jens [Voigt] there taking some pulls. Andy [Schleck] set another brutal pace. There were only six of us from the GC there. It was very hard today. I didn’t attack today because I couldn’t. I was in the red, but so was everyone else.”

The route:
The 157km race from Cuneo to Jauciers included a thousand feet of climbing in 82km, over two of the toughest hors categorie passes in Europe — the Col de Lombarde (7 percent over 21km) and the Cime de la Bonette (6.2km over 26.7km).

The early break:
Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) got the ball rolling early, attacking at kilometer zero only to be retrieved at the 2km mark. Vladimir Efimkin (Ag2r), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) had digs, as did David Miller (Garmin-Chipotle), George Hincapie (Columbia), Stuart O’Grady (CSC) and the pesky Chavanel, who just kept popping out of the bunch like a jack-in-the-box.

Despite the relentless attacks and counters, nothing stuck until 39km when a quintet of riders snapped the elastic — Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), Sebastien Rosseler (Quick Step), Christophe Le Mevel (Crédit Agricole), Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) and Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom).

The break quickly took time, leaving the peloton 90 seconds in arrears in just 4km. A chase group of some two dozen men, among them green jersey Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Hincapie and Danny Pate (Garmin-Chipotle) formed up in between.

Dumoulin fell out of the break, leaving a foursome out front on the narrow, winding Lombarde. Rosseler was next to fade, then Le Mevel, and it was just Schumacher and Voeckler in the lead.

Schumacher’s solo
And then Schumacher went it alone, racing up and over the summit and down the other side toward Isola, the first rider in the 95th Tour to return to France after the peloton’s sojourn in Italy.

More than nine minutes behind, CSC-Saxo Bank was setting the pace in what remained of the peloton containing race leader Frank Schleck and the remainder of the contenders. Midway between the hare and the hounds was a group of some 30 riders. Ahead lay the Col de la Bonette, at 2802 meters the tallest climb ever seen in the Tour.

Valjavec was best placed in the first chase in 13th overall at 6:27, and briefly became the race leader on the road as it tipped upward once again. Pate, meanwhile, slipped out of the pursuit, clearly feeling the effects of his labors on stage 15.

Schumacher led the yellow-jersey group by more than 10 minutes going onto the lower slopes of the Bonette, but held just three minutes on the first chase.

The final climb: the Bonette
The final 9km of the Bonette average 9 percent, with the maximum grade of 10.2 percent continuing for a whole kilometer. From the 9193-foot summit (the highest in France), it was a rapid 22km downhill on a recently resurfaced road to Jausiers, with 1.5km of valley roads before the finish line.

In the peloton, former yellow jersey Evans found himself without teammates once again as CSC set tempo. Fabian Cancellara ground out the revs as long as he could and then clocked out, leaving Andy and Frank Schleck, Carlos Sastre and Volodomir Gustov in charge.

Gerolsteiner’s Markus Fothen and Sebastian Lang lent CSC a hand, on behalf of their teammate Bernhard Kohl, further thinning the herd and helping nip Schumacher’s lead down to eight minutes with 35km to race. Menchov remained in the yellow-jersey group, as did Evans and Vande Velde.

Of more concern to the German’s stage hopes was that chase group, which had closed to within two minutes within 15km of the summit. Valjavec, eager to wear that yellow jersey for real, attacked the group, quickly marked by Evans’ Silence-Lotto teammate Yaroslav Popovych, Kanstantin Sivtsov (Columbia) and John-Lee Augustyn (Barloworld), and the chase began to fragment, with Lampre’s Damiano Cunego and Sylvester Szmyd among those unable to follow.

As Dessel began setting a frenetic pace for teammate Valjavec, CSC’s Kurt-Asle Arvesen dropped out of the chase and back to the peloton to help Andy Schleck run the pursuit for his brother, whose overall lead seemed in jeopardy despite CSC’s strength in numbers. The pace soon began claiming victims. Kim Kirchen (Columbia) hung grimly on, but Efimkin and Vande Velde both fell back.

With 30km to race Arvesen finally popped, having brought the peloton to within 30 seconds of the Valjavec group and 4:30 behind Schumacher. The Schlecks and Sastre were still there, with Menchov, Kohl, Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi).

Just short of the summit Dessel overhauled Schumacher, who tacked onto the chase group. CSC’s Jens Voigt, meanwhile, dropped back to assist his race leader as the contenders tested one another with short feints — Sastre, Valverde and Kohl all tapped the gas briefly, with Kirchen showing some signs of weakness.

Five kilometers from the top, Schumacher finally cracked, drifting away from the lead group, as Voigt drilled it in the yellow-jersey group.

The leaders clung to a lead of more than two minutes with 1km to climb — and then Barloworld’s Augustyn shot away to clear the summit alone, hoping to find some small redemption for his troubled team, which will lose its title sponsor after the Tour reaches Paris. Dessel was second over the top, followed by Popovych. Valjevec, Hincapie and Sitsov were all distanced. Behind, Voigt finally blew and Andy Schleck took over the pacemaking for his brother.

And then Augustyn came to grief on the descent, rocketing off the highest paved road in Europe on a right-hand turn and into the gravel, losing his bike down the side of the mountain in the process; he clambered back up, on hands and knees, to watch the lead chase rocket by.

Kohl led the yellow-jersey group over the top. Menchov lost contact as Evans opened it up on the descent, trying to take time from the big Russian — and narrowly missing a motorbike that had stopped to assist Augustyn. But ahead it was Popovych, Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux), Dessel and David Arroyo (Caisse d’Epargne) leading the way into Jauciers, battling it out for the stage win.

Popo’ jumped first with 1km to go, followed by Casar. Arroyo went left, and Dessel fought back, catching his wheel and shooting past for the stage win. Casar hung on for second, with Popo’ third.

“It’s a special pleasure to win today, with such a difficult stage that tackled such mythic climbs as La Bonette,” said Dessel. “It was a very hard finish, very dangerous. Popo’ was the most dangerous on the descent. I tried to stay with him and not lose the wheel. The most important was the positioning in the final kilometers. Popo’ attacked but he went too early. I countered at the right time.”

Hincapie, who had hoped to be in the fight for the stage win, lost his shot on the final steeps of the Bonette and had to settle for fifth, 24 seconds back.

“I’m really disappointed,” he said. “I thought I could win the stage today, but I just couldn’t hold on for the last 500 meters over the top of that climb. Even then, I thought I could catch back on the descent, but it was just too technical. I would have to have risked my life to catch back on.”

Andy Schleck led in the yellow-jersey group containing Evans and Kohl some 90 seconds later, regaining the white jersey of best young rider for his trouble.

“It’s good to get it back,” he said. “I had a bad day at Hautacam and I lost my chances in GC. Now I am going to work for the team. That’s all I can do. It’s nice to have the white jersey — I’d like to trade it for the yellow jersey some day.”

Menchov, meanwhile, conceded some 30 seconds to Evans, with Vande Velde dropping two-plus minutes. When the GC was calculated, Frank Schleck led Kohl by seven seconds, with Evans third at eight seconds. Sastre sat fourth at 49 seconds, with Menchov fifth at 1:13.

As for Vande Velde, who apparently crashed on the descent, he slipped to sixth at 3:15. European correspondent Andrew Hood and senior writer Neal Rogers contributed to this report.

Stage 16: Top 10
1. Cyril Dessel (F) AG2R La Mondiale), 157kkm in 4:31:27 (34.70 km/h)
2. Sandy Casar (F), Française des Jeux, same time
3. David Arroyo Duran (Sp), Caisse d’Epargne, s.t.
4. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Silence-Lotto, at 0:03
5. George Hincapie (USA), Team Columbia, at 0:24
6. Nicolas Portal (F), Caisse d’Epargne, s.t.
7. Tadej Valjavec (Slo), AG2R La Mondiale, s.t.
8. Stefan Schumacher (G), Gerolsteiner, at 1:03
9. Andy Schleck (Lux), CSC-Saxo Bank, at 1:28
10. Bernhard Kohl (A), Gerolsteiner, s.t.

Overall
1. Frank Schleck (Lux, CSC-Saxo Bank, 68:30:16
2. Bernhard Kohl (A), Gerolsteiner, at 0:07
3. Cadel Evans (Aus), Silence-Lotto, at 0:08
4. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC-Saxo Bank, at 0:49
5. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, at 1:13
6. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle, at 3:15
7. Kim Kirchen (Lux), Columbia, at 3:23
8. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), Caisse d’Epargne, at 4:11
9. Samuel Sanchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 4:38
10. Tadej Valjavec (Slo), Ag2r, at 5:23

Photo Gallery

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Results

Results, Stage 16
1. Cyril Dessel (FRA), Ag2r 4:31:27 (34.703kph),
2. Sandy Casar (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 0:00.
3. David Arroyo (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 0:00.
4. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Silence-Lotto at 0:03.
5. George Hincapie (USA), Team Columbia at 0:24.
6. Nicolas Portal (FRA), Caisse d’Epargne at 0:24.
7. Tadej Valjavec (SLO), Ag2r at 0:24.
8. Stefan Schumacher (GER), Gerolsteiner at 1:03.
9. Andy Schleck (LUX), CSC at 1:28.
10. Bernhard Kohl (AUT), Gerolsteiner at 1:28.
11. Cadel Evans (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 1:28.
12. Frank Schleck (LUX), CSC at 1:28.
13. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 1:28.
14. Damiano Cunego (ITA), Lampre at 1:28.
15. Carlos Sastre (ESP), CSC at 1:28.
16. Johann Tschopp (SUI), Bouygues Telecom at 1:28.
17. Samuel Sanchez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 1:32.
18. Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR), Team Columbia at 1:32.
19. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Team Columbia at 2:03.
20. Sylvester Szmyd (POL), Lampre at 2:03.
21. Denis Menchov (RUS), Rabobank at 2:03.
22. Christian Knees (GER), Milram at 2:36.
23. Remi Pauriol (FRA), Credit Agricole at 2:36.
24. Jens Voigt (GER), CSC at 3:21.
25. Roman Kreuziger (CZE), Liquigas at 4:04.
26. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 4:04.
27. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA), Cofidis at 4:13.
28. Mikel Astarloza (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 4:13.
29. Maxime Monfort (BEL), Cofidis at 4:13.
30. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN), Garmin-Chipotle at 4:27.
31. Vladimir Efimkin (RUS), Ag2r at 4:30.
32. Stephane Goubert (FRA), Ag2r at 4:49.
33. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas at 5:13.
34. Giampaolo Cheula (ITA), Barloworld at 5:27.
35. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA), Barloworld at 5:27.
36. Ama‘l Moinard (FRA), Cofidis at 5:43.
37. Dmitriy Fofonov (KAZ), Credit Agricole at 6:39.
38. Laurens ten Dam (NED), Rabobank at 6:39.
39. Mario Aerts (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 6:39.
40. Nicolas Vogondy (FRA), Agritubel at 6:50.
41. Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 6:50.
42. Murilo Fischer (BRA), Liquigas at 6:50.
43. Thomas Voeckler (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 7:50.
44. Alexander Botcharov (RUS), Credit Agricole at 8:25.
45. Geoffroy Lequatre (FRA), Agritubel at 10:18.
46. Matteo Carrara (ITA), Quick Step at 10:18.
47. Ivan Gutierrez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 10:31.
48. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA), Credit Agricole at 10:57.
49. Marzio Bruseghin (ITA), Lampre at 10:57.
50. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP), Rabobank at 10:57.
51. David Moncoutie (FRA), Cofidis at 11:49.
52. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA), Lampre at 11:58.
53. Amets Txurruka (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 13:18.
54. Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR), CSC at 13:18.
55. Jer™me Pineau (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 13:49.
56. Martin Elmiger (SUI), Ag2r at 13:49.
57. Markus Fothen (GER), Gerolsteiner at 13:57.
58. Fabio-Leonardo Duque (COL), Cofidis at 14:11.
59. Stef Clement (NED), Bouygues Telecom at 14:41.
60. Eduardo Gonzalo (ESP), Agritubel at 14:41.
61. Remy Di Gregorio (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 14:41.
62. Yoann Le Boulanger (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 14:41.
63. Peter Velits (SVK), Milram at 15:29.
64. David Le Lay (FRA), Agritubel at 17:24.
65. Gorka Verdugo (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 19:05.
66. David Lopez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 19:36.
67. Volodomir Gustov (UKR), CSC at 20:57.
68. Erik Zabel (GER), Milram at 21:53.
69. Thomas Lovkvist (SWE), Team Columbia at 21:53.
70. Hubert Dupont (FRA), Ag2r at 21:53.
71. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL), Quick Step at 21:53.
72. Jurgen Vandewalle (BEL), Quick Step at 21:53.
73. Ruben Perez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 21:53.
74. Egoi Martinez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 21:53.
75. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 21:53.
76. Jose Luis Arrieta (ESP), Ag2r at 21:53.
77. Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Francaise des Jeux at 21:53.
78. Koos Moerenhout (NED), Rabobank at 21:53.
79. Bram Tankink (NED), Rabobank at 21:53.
80. Marco Marzano (ITA), Lampre at 21:53.
81. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA), Cofidis at 21:53.
82. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 21:53.
83. Filippo Pozzato (ITA), Liquigas at 24:19.
84. Fabian Cancellara (SUI), CSC at 24:19.
85. Marco Velo (ITA), Milram at 24:19.
86. Sebastian Lang (GER), Gerolsteiner at 24:19.
87. Trent Lowe (AUS), Garmin-Chipotle at 24:19.
88. Freddy Bichot (FRA), Agritubel at 24:19.
89. Beno”t Vaugrenard (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 24:19.
90. Ronny Scholz (GER), Gerolsteiner at 24:19.
91. Pieter Weening (NED), Rabobank at 24:19.
92. Fabian Wegmann (GER), Gerolsteiner at 24:19.
93. Danny Pate (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 28:32.
94. Stuart O’Grady (AUS), CSC at 31:56.
95. Jeremy Roy (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 31:56.
96. Martin Mueller (GER), Milram at 31:56.
97. Bjoern Schroeder (GER), Milram at 31:56.
98. Alessandro Ballan (ITA), Lampre at 31:56.
99. Juan Jose Oroz (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 31:56.
100. Johan Van Summeren (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 31:56.
101. Matteo Tosatto (ITA), Quick Step at 31:56.
102. Arnaud Gerard (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 31:56.
103. Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Liquigas at 31:56.
104. Bernhard Eisel (AUT), Team Columbia at 31:56.
105. Steven De Jongh (NED), Quick Step at 31:56.
106. Massimiliano Mori (ITA), Lampre at 31:56.
107. Ralf Grabsch (GER), Milram at 31:56.
108. Martijn Maaskant (NED), Garmin-Chipotle at 31:56.
109. Niki Terpstra (NED), Milram at 31:56.
110. Robert Forster (GER), Gerolsteiner at 31:56.
111. Oscar Freire (ESP), Rabobank at 31:56.
112. Robbie McEwen (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 31:56.
113. Sebastian Langeveld (NED), Rabobank at 31:56.
114. Julian Dean (NZL), Garmin-Chipotle at 31:56.
115. Joost Posthuma (NED), Rabobank at 31:56.
116. Gert Steegmans (BEL), Quick Step at 31:56.
117. Aliaksandr Kuschynski (BLR), Liquigas at 31:56.
118. Frederik Willems (BEL), Liquigas at 31:56.
119. Arnaud Coyot (FRA), Caisse d’Epargne at 31:56.
120. Will Frischkorn (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 31:56.
121. Jimmy Engoulvent (FRA), Credit Agricole at 31:56.
122. Matteo Bono (ITA), Lampre at 31:56.
123. Nicki Sšrensen (DEN), CSC at 31:56.
124. Stephane Auge (FRA), Cofidis at 31:56.
125. Carlos Barredo (ESP), Quick Step at 31:56.
126. Xavier Florencio (ESP), Bouygues Telecom at 31:56.
127. Sven Krauss (GER), Gerolsteiner at 31:56.
128. Robert Hunter (RSA), Barloworld at 31:56.
129. William Bonnet (FRA), Credit Agricole at 31:56.
130. Inaki Isasi (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 31:56.
131. Daniele Righi (ITA), Lampre at 31:56.
132. Dario Cioni (ITA), Silence-Lotto at 31:56.
133. Christophe Brandt (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 31:56.
134. Simon Gerrans (AUS), Credit Agricole at 31:56.
135. Brett Lancaster (AUS), Milram at 31:56.
136. Wim Vansevenant (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 31:56.
137. Florent Brard (FRA), Cofidis at 31:56.
138. Chris Froome (GBR), Barloworld at 31:56.
139. Romain Feillu (FRA), Agritubel at 31:56.
140. Mathieu Sprick (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 31:56.
141. Leif Hoste (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 31:56.
142. Vicente Garcia Acosta (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 31:56.
143. Christophe Riblon (FRA), Ag2r at 31:56.
144. David Millar (GBR), Garmin-Chipotle at 31:56.
145. Thor Hushovd (NOR), Credit Agricole at 31:56.
146. Jimmy Casper (FRA), Agritubel at 31:56.
147. Adam Hansen (AUS), Team Columbia at 31:56.
148. Laurent Lefevre (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 31:56.
149. Gerald Ciolek (GER), Team Columbia at 31:56.
150. Marcus Burghardt (GER), Team Columbia at 31:56.
151. Heinrich Haussler (GER), Gerolsteiner at 31:56.
Retired
Sebastien Chavanel (FRA), Francaise des Jeux

1. Frank Schleck (LUX), CSC at 68:30min16sec
2. Bernhard Kohl (AUT), Gerolsteiner at 0:07.
3. Cadel Evans (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 0:08.
4. Carlos Sastre (ESP), CSC at 0:49.
5. Denis Menchov (RUS), Rabobank at 1:13.
6. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 3:15.
7. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Team Columbia at 3:23.
8. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 4:11.
9. Samuel Sanchez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 4:38.
10. Tadej Valjavec (SLO), Ag2r at 5:23.
11. Vladimir Efimkin (RUS), Ag2r at 6:58.
12. Damiano Cunego (ITA), Lampre at 7:43.
13. Mikel Astarloza (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 8:03.
14. Andy Schleck (LUX), CSC at 9:01.
15. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas at 9:07.
16. Roman Kreuziger (CZE), Liquigas at 9:51.
17. Maxime Monfort (BEL), Cofidis at 11:19.
18. Sandy Casar (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 12:32.
19. Alexander Botcharov (RUS), Credit Agricole at 16:49.
20. Laurens ten Dam (NED), Rabobank at 17:44.
21. Ama‘l Moinard (FRA), Cofidis at 18:10.
22. Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR), Team Columbia at 19:10.
23. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Silence-Lotto at 19:48.
24. Christian Knees (GER), Milram at 20:19.
25. Dmitriy Fofonov (KAZ), Credit Agricole at 21:10.
26. Stefan Schumacher (GER), Gerolsteiner at 22:05.
27. Marzio Bruseghin (ITA), Lampre at 24:59.
28. Stephane Goubert (FRA), Ag2r at 25:04.
29. Matteo Carrara (ITA), Quick Step at 25:18.
30. Sylvester Szmyd (POL), Lampre at 32:39.
31. Cyril Dessel (FRA), Ag2r at 32:49.
32. Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 33:50.
33. David Arroyo (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 34:00.
34. Markus Fothen (GER), Gerolsteiner at 35:15.
35. Eduardo Gonzalo (ESP), Agritubel at 37:40.
36. Mario Aerts (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 38:42.
37. Jens Voigt (GER), CSC at 44:18.
38. George Hincapie (USA), Team Columbia at 44:59.
39. Koos Moerenhout (NED), Rabobank at 53:50.
40. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA), Credit Agricole at 55:25.
41. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP), Rabobank at 55:50.
42. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA), Lampre at 56:14.
43. Jer™me Pineau (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 58:19.
44. Marco Velo (ITA), Milram at 1:00:20.
45. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 1:00:29.
46. Johann Tschopp (SUI), Bouygues Telecom at 1:01:26.
47. Thomas Lovkvist (SWE), Team Columbia at 1:02:03.
48. Erik Zabel (GER), Milram at 1:04:47.
49. Volodomir Gustov (UKR), CSC at 1:05:54.
50. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA), Barloworld at 1:06:44.
51. Remy Di Gregorio (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 1:07:20.
52. Ivan Gutierrez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 1:07:39.
53. Egoi Martinez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 1:09:02.
54. Fabio-Leonardo Duque (COL), Cofidis at 1:12:10.
55. Amets Txurruka (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 1:13:38.
56. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN), Garmin-Chipotle at 1:15:40.
57. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 1:16:22.
58. Nicolas Portal (FRA), Caisse d’Epargne at 1:17:07.
59. Filippo Pozzato (ITA), Liquigas at 1:17:37.
60. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA), Cofidis at 1:17:41.
61. David Moncoutie (FRA), Cofidis at 1:18:49.
62. David Lopez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 1:19:36.
63. Hubert Dupont (FRA), Ag2r at 1:21:36.
64. Dario Cioni (ITA), Silence-Lotto at 1:21:56.
65. David Millar (GBR), Garmin-Chipotle at 1:23:05.
66. Bram Tankink (NED), Rabobank at 1:24:07.
67. Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR), CSC at 1:25:03.
68. Peter Velits (SVK), Milram at 1:31:00.
69. Murilo Fischer (BRA), Liquigas at 1:31:26.
70. Sebastian Lang (GER), Gerolsteiner at 1:32:27.
71. Simon Gerrans (AUS), Credit Agricole at 1:32:39.
72. Oscar Freire (ESP), Rabobank at 1:33:41.
73. Nicolas Vogondy (FRA), Agritubel at 1:33:45.
74. Remi Pauriol (FRA), Credit Agricole at 1:33:45.
75. Marco Marzano (ITA), Lampre at 1:34:06.
76. Fabian Cancellara (SUI), CSC at 1:34:56.
77. David Le Lay (FRA), Agritubel at 1:35:50.
78. Trent Lowe (AUS), Garmin-Chipotle at 1:36:08.
79. Beno”t Vaugrenard (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 1:38:25.
80. Jose Luis Arrieta (ESP), Ag2r at 1:38:46.
81. Joost Posthuma (NED), Rabobank at 1:40:45.
82. Geoffroy Lequatre (FRA), Agritubel at 1:41:13.
83. Martin Elmiger (SUI), Ag2r at 1:41:14.
84. Pieter Weening (NED), Rabobank at 1:41:45.
85. Yoann Le Boulanger (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 1:42:17.
86. Fabian Wegmann (GER), Gerolsteiner at 1:45:14.
87. Jurgen Vandewalle (BEL), Quick Step at 1:47:40.
88. Thomas Voeckler (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 1:50:46.
89. Ronny Scholz (GER), Gerolsteiner at 1:51:47.
90. Stef Clement (NED), Bouygues Telecom at 1:52:26.
91. Ruben Perez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 1:52:51.
92. Matteo Tosatto (ITA), Quick Step at 1:54:35.
93. Gorka Verdugo (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 1:56:18.
94. Danny Pate (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 1:57:01.
95. Alessandro Ballan (ITA), Lampre at 1:58:31.
96. Giampaolo Cheula (ITA), Barloworld at 2:00:27.
97. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL), Quick Step at 2:01:47.
98. Thor Hushovd (NOR), Credit Agricole at 2:01:51.
99. Johan Van Summeren (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 2:07:09.
100. Chris Froome (GBR), Barloworld at 2:07:40.
101. Carlos Barredo (ESP), Quick Step at 2:08:39.
102. Laurent Lefevre (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 2:11:28.
103. Xavier Florencio (ESP), Bouygues Telecom at 2:12:27.
104. Juan Jose Oroz (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 2:14:45.
105. William Bonnet (FRA), Credit Agricole at 2:15:01.
106. Inaki Isasi (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 2:15:12.
107. Martin Mueller (GER), Milram at 2:15:13.
108. Gerald Ciolek (GER), Team Columbia at 2:16:25.
109. Bjoern Schroeder (GER), Milram at 2:18:01.
110. Robert Hunter (RSA), Barloworld at 2:22:05.
111. Julian Dean (NZL), Garmin-Chipotle at 2:24:00.
112. Adam Hansen (AUS), Team Columbia at 2:24:30.
113. Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Francaise des Jeux at 2:25:40.
114. Frederik Willems (BEL), Liquigas at 2:27:31.
115. Stuart O’Grady (AUS), CSC at 2:28:57.
116. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA), Cofidis at 2:30:53.
117. Aliaksandr Kuschynski (BLR), Liquigas at 2:31:21.
118. Matteo Bono (ITA), Lampre at 2:31:44.
119. Robert Forster (GER), Gerolsteiner at 2:32:40.
120. Daniele Righi (ITA), Lampre at 2:32:48.
121. Arnaud Coyot (FRA), Caisse d’Epargne at 2:32:52.
122. Freddy Bichot (FRA), Agritubel at 2:33:19.
123. Nicki Sšrensen (DEN), CSC at 2:34:20.
124. Niki Terpstra (NED), Milram at 2:35:22.
125. Robbie McEwen (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 2:38:11.
126. Romain Feillu (FRA), Agritubel at 2:38:51.
127. Massimiliano Mori (ITA), Lampre at 2:38:53.
128. Jeremy Roy (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 2:39:41.
129. Steven De Jongh (NED), Quick Step at 2:40:31.
130. Ralf Grabsch (GER), Milram at 2:40:37.
131. Heinrich Haussler (GER), Gerolsteiner at 2:40:50.
132. Gert Steegmans (BEL), Quick Step at 2:40:52.
133. Marcus Burghardt (GER), Team Columbia at 2:43:52.
134. Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Liquigas at 2:44:06.
135. Sebastian Langeveld (NED), Rabobank at 2:44:56.
136. Christophe Brandt (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 2:45:00.
137. Leif Hoste (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 2:45:27.
138. Martijn Maaskant (NED), Garmin-Chipotle at 2:45:30.
139. Will Frischkorn (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 2:47:33.
140. Arnaud Gerard (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 2:47:52.
141. Brett Lancaster (AUS), Milram at 2:48:39.
142. Florent Brard (FRA), Cofidis at 2:49:32.
143. Jimmy Engoulvent (FRA), Credit Agricole at 2:49:49.
144. Jimmy Casper (FRA), Agritubel at 2:51:44.
145. Vicente Garcia Acosta (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 2:53:53.
146. Stephane Auge (FRA), Cofidis at 2:54:22.
147. Sven Krauss (GER), Gerolsteiner at 2:54:34.
148. Bernhard Eisel (AUT), Team Columbia at 2:56:11.
149. Christophe Riblon (FRA), Ag2r at 2:56:27.
150. Mathieu Sprick (FRA), Bouygues Telecom at 3:02:12.
151. Wim Vansevenant (BEL), Silence-Lotto at 3:08:10.

Points:
Overall
1. Oscar Freire (ESP), Rabobank 219pts
2. Thor Hushovd (NOR), Credit Agricole 172
3. Erik Zabel (GER), Milram 167
4. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Team Columbia 145
5. Fabio-Leonardo Duque (COL), Cofidis 137
6. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne 110
7. Robert Hunter (RSA), Barloworld 110
8. Robbie McEwen (AUS), Silence-Lotto 105
9. Romain Feillu (FRA), Agritubel 94
10. Julian Dean (NZL), Garmin-Chipotle 88

King of Mountains:
1. Bernhard Kohl (AUT), Gerolsteiner 85pts
2. Sebastian Lang (GER), Gerolsteiner 60
3. Thomas Voeckler (FRA), Bouygues Telecom 55
4. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA), Barloworld 53
5. Egoi Martinez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi 50
6. Simon Gerrans (AUS), Credit Agricole 50
7. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Silence-Lotto 49
8. Frank Schleck (LUX), CSC 46
9. Cyril Dessel (FRA), Ag2r 44
10. Jose Luis Arrieta (ESP), Ag2r 40

Team stage:
1. Caisse d’Epargne 13h36:13.,
2. Columbia 2:07.
3. CSC 2:32.
4. AG2R 3:02.
5. Silence 6:18.

Team overall:
1. CSC 205h22:34.
2. AG2R 4:02.
3. Rabobank 43:28.
4. Lampre 45:43.
5. Euskaltel 47:44.
6. Gerolsteiner 47:54.
7. Caisse d’Epargne 49:15.,
8. Silence 53:21.
9. Credit Agricole 56:04.
10. Columbia 57:37.
11. Liquigas 1h09:17.
12. Cofidis 1h18:28.
13. Bouygues Telecom 1h37:16.
14. Garmin 1h43:30.
15. Francaise des Jeux 1h43:45.
16. Milram 2h10:27.
17. Barloworld 2h24:29.
18. Quick Step 2h36:05.
19. Agritubel 2h48:02.

Best young riders (stage)
1. Andy Schleck (LUX), CSC at 4:32:55.
2. Roman Kreuziger (CZE), Liquigas at 2:36.
3. Maxime Monfort (BEL), Cofidis at 2:45.
4. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas at 3:45.
5. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA), Barloworld at 3:59.

Best young riders (overall)
1. Andy Schleck (LUX), CSC at 68:39:17.
2. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas at 0:06.
3. Roman Kreuziger (CZE), Liquigas at 0:50.
4. Maxime Monfort (BEL), Cofidis at 2:18.
5. Eduardo Gonzalo (ESP), Agritubel at 28:39.
6. Thomas Lovkvist (SWE), Team Columbia at 53:02.
7. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA), Barloworld at 57:43.
8. Remy Di Gregorio (FRA), Francaise des Jeux at 58:19.
9. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP), Caisse d’Epargne at 1:07:21.
10. Peter Velits (SVK), Milram at 1:21:59.