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10:43:25 - Welcome To The Live Coverage Of Stage Seven

The longest stage of the 2009 Tour de France is scheduled to get underway at 10.50am. This is the day when the general classification is going to be completely shaken up as there are five climbs, including the first category-one and 'hors category' ascent of the 96th edition. With a mountain top finish in Arcalis - at an altitude of 2,240 meters - this is a day when the climbers will come to the fore.

Live coverage of the stage will commence shortly on LeTour.fr.

10:45:47 - Mild Conditions At The Start

The sun is shining today and the peloton is currently in the neutral zone in Barcelona. The temperature is 24 degrees Celsius at the moment. There's hardly any wind blowing and the conditions are ideal for racing.

10:51:49 - Official Start Expected At Around 11.10am

The peloton is currently rolling through the long neutral zone leading to the official start of the seventh stage. This is expected to be at around 11.10am.

10:53:03 - Five Climbs: Three Sprints

On the menu during stage seven are five climbs, including the first true mountains of the 96th edition. Points for the polka-dot jersey will be awarded at the following locations: the cat-4 cote de Montserrat (32km), cat-3 Port de Solsona (97km), the first cat-1 ascent in 2009 – the col de Serra-Seca (127km), the Port del Comte (136.5km) and finally, the ‘hors category’ ascent to Arcalis at 2,240m high.

Although this is a mountain stage there are still three intermediate sprints to be contested. They were in Solsona (105km), Andorra-la-Velle (196km) and La Cortinada (207.5km).

10:54:55 - Prize Classification Review: Part 01 – Yellow Jersey

Even the leader of the general classification himself admits that he has no chance of holding on to the yellow jersey after the stage to Andorra. “It will the first real day that the riders wanting a good general classification will start moving,” said the winner of stage one and overall leader since the beginning of the Tour. “Now my role will change a little in this Tour. It’s been fun to have the yellow jersey but I think that’s about to change. We have to be realistic. My job is to look after my team-mates.”

Cancellara is still just 0.22 seconds ahead of Lance Armstrong (which, after 816km of racing translates to about 255cm). Then come another three Astana riders: Contador at 19”, Kloden at 23” and Leipheimer at 31”.

Another American, Christian Vande Velde (GRM), moved into the top 10 overall after finising in the front group of the stage to Barcelona.

11:00:06 - No Overnight Abandons

There were a number of crashes in the sixth stage but all 177 who made it to the finish in Barcelona were at the sign on this morning. Mick Rogers lost over 13 minutes yesterday after crashing. He dropped right down the rankings from 16th to 159th because of the fall and time lost trying to chase.

11:03:40 - Prize Classification Review: Part 02 – Polka-Dot Jersey

Stephane Auge (COF) is the third rider in the 2009 Tour to wear the polka-dot jersey as leader of the climbing classification. He earned 11 points by leading over three of the five summits in stage six and currently has a lead of five points over Jussi Veikkanen (FDJ). David Millar (GRM), who today wears the red ‘dossard’ of the rider voted the most aggressive of the previous stage, is ranked third with eight points, the same tally as his escape companion from yesterday Sylvain Chavanel (QSI).

Auge is realistic about his chance of keeping the jersey: ie. he won’t be wearing it at the end of the day. “I can declare already,” he said yesterday, “that at the end of the stage to Andorra it will be a pure climber who has this jersey… and that’s not me.”

11:08:05 - Prize Classification Review: Part 03 – Green Jersey

Mark Cavendish (THR) had a commanding lead in the points classification after five stages and he still earned 10 points for his 16th place yesterday but the winner, Thor Hushovd (CTT) took a haul of 35pts and came to within one point of taking over the green jersey from the dual stage winner. These two now lead the rankings with 106 and 105 points, respectively. In third place is Milram’s Gerald Ciolek who was fourth in the stage to Barcelona.

11:11:09 - Prize Classification Review: Part 04 – White Jersey

It’s status quo for the youth classification from stage five to six. Tony Martin (THR) continues to lead the race for the white jersey with an advantage of 39” over former leader Roman Kreuziger (LIQ) and Vicenzo Nibali (LIQ).

11:12:42 - Racing In Stage Seven

The official start time was 11.10am. There are 177 riders still in the race. There have been a number of early escape attempts but none yet have been given any ground by the peloton.

11:13:48 - Prize Classification Review: Part 05 – Team Rankings

Liquigas finished the sixth stage with three riders in the top 19 places – Pellizotti in 5th, Nibali in 14th and Kreuziger in 19th. This gave the Italian team the win in the team classification in Barcelona. It is currently ranked fifth in the overall standings. Astana retains the lead in the team competition with an advantage of 2’33” over Saxo Bank and 2’45” over Columbia-HTC.

11:17:21 - Early Escape Over

There was a group of eight riders who escaped the peloton at the 1.5km mark. They included Van den Broeck (SIL), Freire (RAB), Martinez and Txurruka (EUS), Arrieta (ALM), Gutierrez (GCE), Feillu (AGR) and Velits (MRM). They were caught at the 4km mark.

11:21:23 - Three In The Lead At 8km

Three riders attacked at the 8km mark but they have been chased down by a number of others. A big group is now over 30" ahead of the peloton. The complete list will be published in a a subsequent newsflash.

11:28:49 - The Riders In The Lead... At 12km

Martinez (EUS), Riblon (ALM) and Gutierrez (GCE) lead a big group of counter attackers by 20". The three escaped at the 8km mark. The peloton is at 45".

11:30:02 - The Counter-Attackers

The list of counter attackers is a long one - here are the riders involved:

Gomez Marchante (CTT), Popovych (AST), Larsson and Voigt (SAX), Txurrka (EUS), Arrieta, Dupont and Nocentini (ALM), Willems (LIQ), Vaugrenard (FDJ), Pasamontes and Uran (GCE), Moncoutie (COF), Devolder (QSI), Moreau, Calzati and Brice Feillu (AGR), Knees and Velits (MRM) and Geschke (SKS).

11:32:21 - Three Lead By 35"

The three escapees are now 35" ahead of the group of 20 counter-attackers.

11:37:39 - 21km Raced

The group of 20 counter-attackers have been caught by the peloton which is now at the 21km mark. The three early escapees are still up front of the sixth stage. They have a lead of 35".

11:41:43 - Gutierrez Best Of Escape

The three men in the lead of the seventh stage are: Martinez (EUS), Riblon (ALM) and Gutierrez (GCE). The best placed of these is the Caisse d'Epargne rider who began the day ranked 49th overall.

11:43:20 - Six Begin To Chase

There are now six riders trying to bridge the gap to the three stage leaders. The names of those involved in the pursuit have not yet been confirmed but we can report that there are 40 seconds between the leading trio and the peloton.

11:44:08 - The Six Chasers

Nocentini (ALM), Kuschynski (LIQ), Kern (COF), Pineau (QSI), Brice Feillu (AGR) and Frohlinger (MRM) are the riders who are trying to bridge the gap to the leading trio.

11:45:27 - Three Lead Six By 40"

Gutierrez's trio is now 40" ahead of the six counter-attackers.

11:47:26 - Peloton Calls A Truce

The peloton had been pursuing the nine attacking riders - three leaders and six scampering after them - but now there are a number of men in the bunch opting to answer the call of nature. The advantage of the leaders has grown to 2'35" at the 27.5km mark.

11:51:41 - Lead Up To 3'10"

The peloton is now over three minutes behind Gutierrez, Riblon and Martinez. Then comes

Nocentini (ALM), Kuschynski (LIQ), Kern (COF), Pineau (QSI), Brice Feillu (AGR) and Frohlinger (MRM) at 30".

The first climb is due soon.

11:53:14 - Details Of Cote de Montserrat

The first climb of the stage is a cat-four rise that peaks at the 32km mark. It is 4.1km long with an average gradient of 3.8 percent.

11:54:01 - 22" Between Three & Six

Nocentini, Kuschynski, Kern, Pineau, Brice Feillu and Frohlinger are now 22" behind Gutierrez, Riblon and Martinez.

11:56:21 - Results Of First Climb

The points at the Montserrat climb (at 32km) were won by:

1. Christophe Riblon (ALM) 3pts

2. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 2pts

3. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (GCE) 1pt

11:57:32 - Peloton At 5'00"...

The peloton is now five minutes behind the nine men who broke free at the 22km mark. The counter-attackers are about to join the leading trio.

11:58:45 - Nine In The Lead

At the 34km mark, the six chasers have caught up with the three leaders. The riders that are now five minutes ahead of the peloton are:

Jose Ivan Gutierrez (ESP) GCE

Egoi Martinez (ESP) EUS

Christophe Riblon (FRA) ALM

Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) ALM

Aleksandr Kuschynski (BLR) LIQ

Christophe Kern (FRA) COF

Jerome Pineau (FRA) QSI

Brice Feillu (FRA) AGR

Johannes Frohlinger (GER) MRM

12:01:45 - Nocentini The Virtual Leader

With the peloton at the 32km mark, it is 5'45" behind the escapees. The best placed of the nine men at the front of the stage on GC after six stage is one of the two AG2R riders in the escape, Rinaldo Nocentini who began the day ranked 32nd overall, 3'13" behind Cancellara.

12:05:41 - 21 Riders Injured In Stage Six

The first wet stage of the 2009 Tour de France claimed several casualties. A total of 21 riders reported injuries. This list included: Fedrigo (BBO), Sastre (CTT), Furlan (LAM), Horrach (KAT), Barredo (QSI), Astarloza (EUS), Moncoutie (COF), Duque (COF), Eisel (THR), Lequartre (AGR), Conzalo Ramirez (AGR), Arashiro (BBO), Le Lay (AGR), Haussler (CTT), Rogers (THR), Ten Dam (RAB), Gomez Marchante (CTT), Boonen (QSI), Faria Da Costa (GCE) and Spilak (LAM). All are still in the race.

12:11:10 - Average Speed For First Hour

The leaders covered 45.1km in the first hour of stage seven.

12:12:19 - Peloton 7'20" Behind

The peloton is content to allow the nine escapees to gain some time. As the bunch passed the 40km mark it was 7'20" behind Gutierrez, Martinez, Nocentini, Riblon, Kuschynski, Kern, Pineau, Feillu and Frohlinger.

12:13:53 - Lead Up To 8'55"

The peloton is now 8'55" behind the nine escapees.

12:19:14 - Birthday For Wilfried Peeters

Jerome Pineau is the Quickstep rider in the escape today. His directeur sportif, Wilfried Peeters, turns 45 today.

12:20:15 - Other Birthdays Today

There are a number of other cycling personalities celebrating their birthdays today, including:

Former US professional Davis Phinney (50), bicycle company founder Giovanni Pinarello (87), and former yellow jersey wearer Ronan Pensec (46).

12:23:49 - Leaders At 55km

The escapees are now in the town of Manresa at the 55km mark.

12:24:57 - Peloton At 10'30"

As the leaders pass the 55km mark, their advantage on the peloton has grown to 10'30".

12:25:34 - Victor Hugo Pena: 35 Today

The only Colombian rider to lead the Tour de France is Victor Hugo Pena. He led the Tour after the US Postal formation won the team time trial in 2003. He celebrates his 35th birthday today.

12:27:18 - Peloton At 50km Mark

As the bunch arrives at the 50km mark, it is 12'10" behind the nine stage leaders.

12:31:26 - Columbia & Saxo Bank Lead Peloton

The bunch has just arrived at the 52km mark with a deficit of 13'20" to the nine escapees. The Columbia and Saxo Bank teams are setting the pace for the peloton.

12:36:03 - Comments From Bahamontes

The winner of the Tour 50 years ago was present at the finish of the stage to Barcelona. Federico Bahamontest turned 81 yesterday and he talked to Matt Rendell about his day. “I enjoyed myself as much today as I did when I won the Tour. This morning at the stage start I was greeted with cheers, presents, and happy birthday sung by pretty girls. My birthday has been unforgettable; it was like my return to Toledo after I won the Tour. It’s been wonderful."

12:40:25 - Four Astana Riders Lead Peloton

Lance Armstrong is one of four Astana riders who are currently leading the peloton.

12:48:20 - LeTour.fr's Survey For Today...

The survey on LeTour.fr relates to the expected change of the top order of the general classification today. Be sure to click on the link on the Tour's official to offer your answer to the following question:



There are four Astana riders in the top five. Who will be the highest ranked after the stage to Andorra?

Lance Armstrong

Alberto Contador

Andreas Kloden

Levi Leipheimer

12:51:30 - Advantage Drops A Little...

The Astana team is slowly reeling in the nine escapees who are now 13'55" ahead as the peloton reaches the 65km mark. The maximum gain so far today was 14'20" at the 55km mark.

12:54:09 - Haussler Comments On Stage Six

The Cervelo rider who led the world rankings for two months at the start of 2009, Heinrich Haussler, crashed twice during the sixth stage. He explained the incidents after the stage to Barcelona. "I went down on a slick spot coming out of a roundabout. It was just so wet there, my front wheel just slid out.

“I took a lot of risks to catch back to the front group to try to help Thor in the sprint, and then I crashed again when a huge crash took out 30 riders. I don't care, though, I'm just glad Thor won."

12:57:00 - World Champion’s Comments About Barcelona Stage

Yesterday was the first time this year that the world champion, Alessandro Ballan finished in the top 10. The Italian Lampre rider finished seventh in the uphill sprint. He offered this appraisal afterwards: “The arrival was good for my characteristics, but I didn’t want to risk too much before the last climb because my bike was slipping on the wet road and I had seen many crashes… my team-mates supported me in a perfect way but I had to recover position before the sprint and then I was less brilliant that fast sprinters as Hushovd and Freire."

13:01:36 - Lead Down To 13'30"

The peloton is at the 71km mark with a deficit of 13'30" on the nine escapees who began their move at the 8km mark.

13:03:25 - Top 10 Of A Time Trial To Arcalis…

In 2005 the fifth stage of the Volta Catalunya was a 17.1km time trial from Estacio d’Esqui d’Ordino to Arcalis, the site of today’s stage finish. The top 10 that day was:

1. Inigo Cuesta (ESP); 2. Leonardo Piepoli (ITA); 3. David Moncoutie (FRA); 4. Ezequiel Mosquera (ESP); 5. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR); 6. Michael Rogers (AUS); 7. Iban Mayo (ESP); 8. Eladio Jimenez (ESP); 9. Sergio Ghisalberti (ITA); 10. Jonathan Gonzalez (ESP).

Of these riders, four are in the 2009 Tour de France.

13:10:12 - Leaders On 2nd Climb

The nine escapees are on the second climb of the day. The port de Solsona is 5.8km long with an average gradient of 4.3 per cent. Its summit is at the 97km mark.

13:22:26 - Media Review Of Stage Six

The Catalan press offered some interesting commentary of the all-Spanish stage from Girona to Barcelona yesterday. A common theme was the site of the crowd which was immense, particularly on the streets of Barcelona.



La Vanguardia: “Despite the light, yet persistent rain there were about 300,000 people lining the route to see the riders pass…”



El Mondo Departivo: "The Catalans have a passion for the Tour and they have illustrated this by attending the race. According to official figures, 250,000 people came to watch the peloton which rode 13km in the city of Barcelona…”



El Periodico de Cataluna: “The feeling of hope sparked in January by ‘dia de los Reyes’ reappeared thanks to the passage of the Tour on Catalan roads. It was a spectacular event. Even with the rain, each village was packed with spectators.”

The paper carried a quote from Alberto Contador: “I couldn’t count the number of Bernabeu stadiums you could fill with all the people I saw on the roadside. It was unvelievable,” said the 2007 Tour champion.

13:24:50 - Leaders 1km From Top Of Port de Solsona

The nine leaders are in the final 1,000m of the second climb of the stage. The top is at the 97km mark.

13:34:50 - Results Of Port de Solsona

The nine leaders are 11 minutes ahead of the peloton. The points for the cat-3 second climb of the stage were won by:

1. Christophe Riblon (ALM) 4pts

2. Aleksandr Kuschynski (LIQ) 3pts

3. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 2pts

4. Brice Feillu (AGR) 1pt

13:37:54 - Hincapie Also Raced Barcelona Olympics...

In a newsflash posted yesterday it was stated on LeTour.fr that Lance Armstrong was the only rider in the 2009 Tour to finish the road race at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. This is correct but some commentators have queried the call, saying that George Hincapie - the veteran of 14 Tours de France - was also a participant in the Barcelona Games.

Hincapie was indeed at the Olympics as an 18-year-old 17 years ago but he contested the team time trial. He raced alongside Nathan Sheafor, Scott Mercier and John Stenner in the US team that finished 16th.

13:43:51 - Peloton Near Second Summit

The peloton continues to be led by riders from the Astana team. It is currently 11'40" behind Gutierrez's group of nine and is about to arrive at the top of the second climb.

13:46:10 - Sprint Points Awarded

The leaders have contested the first intermediate sprint of the seventh stage. The points were won by:

1. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (GCE) 6pts

2. Aleksandr Kuschynski (LIQ) 4pts

3. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 2pts

This sprint was at the 105km mark.

13:49:11 - Peloton 11'45" Behind On Port de Solsona

At the 97km mark, the peloton was 11'45" behind the nine escapees.

13:50:16 - Evans Calls For Team Car...

The peloton continues to be led by the Astana team. It has just reached the site of the intermediate sprint (at 105km). It is 11'40" behind the nine escapees. Cadel Evans has just gone to the back of the bunch and has called for the team car.

14:00:32 - First Tour Stage Visit To Arcalis Since 1997

The 10th stage of the 1997 Tour de France was from Luchon to Arcalis in Andorra. The winner that day was Jan Ullrich. It marked the first time that the German would take the yellow jersey.

14:01:52 - Evans Returns With Four Team-Mates

It seems that Evans (SIL) has had his second puncture in two days. He is now riding along with four team-mates on his way back to the peloton.

14:03:12 - Five Riders From 1997 Still Racing...

This is the first visit to Arcalis since 1997. LeTour.fr has just gone through the list of finishers of the 10th stage of that year's edition and can report that five of the riders who finished the stage to Andorra are still competing. They are: Christophe Moreau (AGR) - who was 27th on the day Ullrich won the stage, Inigo Cuesto (CTT), George Hincapie (THR), Stuart O'Grady (SAX) and Matteo Tossato (QSI).

14:07:15 - Data From The Tour's History Available At LeTour.fr

For those following the race online via LeTour.fr, it's possible to view all the stage results in the history of the race. Click on the "History" link and then open the search engine to find links to all the years since 1903.

14:11:12 - Boonen Riding Near Front Of Peloton

One of the riders who crashed in the finale of the sixth stage, Tom Boonen, is currently riding in fourth position at the head of the peloton that is 11'10" behind the nine escapees.

14:12:26 - Leaders On Third Climb

Gutierrez, Kuschynski, Frohlinger, Feillu, Pineau, Kern, Martinez, Nocentini and Riblon are now on the slopes of the col de Serra-Seca, the first category-one climb of the 2009 Tour. This is 7.7km long with an average gradient of 7.1 per cent.

14:14:38 - Points For First Eight At Summit

The points for category-one climbs are awarded to the first eight riders over the line. The allocation is as follow:

1st - 15pts

2nd - 13pts

3rd - 11pts

4th - 9pts

5th - 8pts

6th - 7pts

7th - 6pts

5th - 5pts

14:17:34 - 5km To Climb

The leaders are 5km from the summit of the Port de Serra-Seca. Their advantage is 11'15".

14:20:42 - 100km To Go

Since the escape was established there have been no attack - either from the lead group, which is nearing the top of the Port de Serra-Seca (11'25" ahead of the peloton) - or from the main bunch.

The leaders have 100km to race in this, the longest stage of the 2009 Tour.

14:27:08 - Furlan Dropped

The first casualty of the slopes of the premier cat-one ascent of the 2009 race is Angelo Furlan (LAM). He has lost contact with the peloton 5.2km from the top of the Serra-Seca climb.

14:32:17 - Tour's First Traverse Of Serra-Seca

The leaders are in the final kilometer of the third climb. This is the first time that the Tour has sent the peloton over this 1,160 meter high pass.

14:36:14 - Big Crowds On The Climb

There are hordes of fans at the top of the Serra-Seca climb and now Kuschynski has attacked for the 15 points at the top but he was caught by an AG2R rider. (The order over the summit will be posted in the following newsflash.)

14:37:51 - Results Of Serra-Seca Climb

The points for the first category-one ascent of the 2009 Tour were won by:

1. Christophe Riblon (ALM) 15pts

2. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 13

3. Aleksandr Kuschynski (LIQ) 11pts

4. Christophe Kern (COF) 9pts

5. Brice Feillu (AGR) 8pts

6. Jerome Pineau (QSI) 7pts

7. Rinaldo Nocentini (ALM) 6pts

8. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (GCE) 5pts

14:40:09 - Peloton 11'35" Behind

The peloton is now on the slopes of the Serra-Seca climb. It is 11'35" behind Gutierrez's group of nine.

14:41:54 - Peloton At 11'40"

The peloton is one kilometer from the top of the Serra-Seca climb. It is 11'40" behind the escapees and continues to be led by riders from the Astana team.

14:46:20 - Frohlinger Leads Escape

The Milram representative in the escape, Johannes Frohlinger, is setting the pace for his eight cohorts in the move of the seventh stage.

14:48:15 - Peloton Parting A Sea Of People

The crowds are spilling onto the road to try and catch a glimpse of the peloton as it arrives near the summit. There are so many people that some of the peloton had to stop because they couldn't find a path through the sea of fans.

14:49:45 - Peloton Over Crest

The peloton reached the top of the climb 12 minutes behind Riblon.

14:50:22 - All Astana Riders Lead Peloton

All nine riders from the Astana team are at the front of the peloton. Currently Contador is riding ahead of Armstrong but the pace has been set mainly by Paulinho and Rast on the Serra-Seca climb.

14:54:11 - Nine In Final Kilometer Of 4th Climb

Gutierrez, Kuschynski, Riblon, Nocentini, Martinez, Pineau, Feillu, Kern and Frohlinger are now less than 1km from the top of the Poert del Comte. This is a cat-3 ascent that's 3.1km long with an average gradient of 5.3 per cent. The top of the pass is 1,249m high.

14:56:07 - Attack In Lead Group

Riblon has attacked to claim first place at the top. He is the virtual leader of the climbing classification after earning 15 points at the Serra-Seca climb and four points at the Port del Comte.

14:57:55 - Results Of Port del Comte

1. Riblon (ALM) 4pts

2. Kuschynski (LIQ) 3pts

3. Martinez (EUS) 2pts

4. Kern (COF) 1pt

14:58:51 - Riblon A Virtual Leader...

Christophe Riblon (ALM) has collected 26 points in the climbing classification today but that need not mean that he will wear the polka-dot jersey in stage eight. The final ascent is ranked 'Hors Category' and, as it's the last climb of the stage, it carries double points. This means that the winner of the climb to Arcalis will earn 40 points... and very likely inherit the polka-dot jersey from Stephane Auge (COF).

15:03:28 - Vuelta Stage To Arcalis In 2005

The 10th stage of the 2005 Vuelta a Espana was a 206km stage from Girona to Arcalis in Andorra. Here is the list of the top 10 of that race four years ago…

1. Mancebo (ESP)

2. Heras (ESP)

3. Menchov (RUS)

4. Quesada (ESP)

5. Mercado (ESP)

6. Beltran (ESP)

7. Plaza (ESP)

8. Sastre (ESP)

9. Sevilla (ESP)

10. Danielson (USA)

Only Menchov and Sastre are part of the Tour in 2009.

15:09:33 - Peloton 11'40" Behind

At the top of the fourth climb today, the peloton's deficit to the nine stage leaders is 11'40".

15:10:48 - Flat Back Tire For Cancellara

Cancellara has punctured his rear tire. He has opted to answer the call of nature while his mechanic changes the wheel.

15:13:36 - Cancellara Racing Again

The yellow jersey is now in pursuit of the peloton after having his punctured tire tended to.

15:14:13 - Cancellara Weaving Through Convoy

Cancellara is about to rejoin the peloton. He is currently wearing through the convoy of team cars behind the bunch after his recent puncture.

15:16:56 - Cancellara Clocked At 90km/h

The yellow jersey is still speeding along on his own trying to bridge the gap to the peloton. He had a close call with the race doctor on the descent but he's now clocking speeds in excess of 90km/h as he tries to catch up with the peloton.

15:20:32 - Cancellara Stops Again

After catching up with the peloton after a puncture, Cancellara has stopped again together another rear wheel.

15:25:57 - Riders Stopping On Descent For Toilet Stops

There are 88km between the fourth and fifth climbs today. The peloton is 11'25" behind the nine escapees and the bunch is speeding down to the valley below the Port del Comte. It's a moment when a number of riders have opted to stop to answer nature's call.

15:27:43 - Lead Grows Again

The Astana team is still at the front but not all members as was the case over the fourth climb. Now there are also some Saxo Bank and Garmin riders moving forward but not yet doing turns at the front. Currently the bunch is 12'05" behind Gutierrez's group of nine.

15:33:05 - Comments From Garmin

"It's been a pretty uneventful day so far," said Matt White of the Garmin-Slipstream team when contacted by LeTour.fr recently. "I think everyone was pretty happy to let the move go in the first hour. And we may even see one of those nine riders take out the stage. If they arrive with a lead of five minutes or more, I think that it's going to be hard to catch up with someone like Rinaldo Nocentini.

"There are some quality bike riders in the lead group so we shouldn't take them for granted."

The advantage of Nocentini's group is now 12'15".

"It's a completely different day to yesterday. It's quite warm but it's also been windy," said White. "I think that we're running a little behind schedule but I understand why when we've had the wind like it is today."

15:42:03 - More From Matt White...

"We want to have our guys up front just staying out of trouble," said the directeur sportif of the Garmin-Slipstream team, Matt White. "We know the roads pretty well. It's not far from where a lot of the guys live and we also did a reconnaissance of this stage two weeks ago. The guys are feeling pretty good and are ready to try and animate the race."

At the moment there is a line of Garmin riders just behind two from Astana.

15:44:27 - Comments From AG2R's Lavenu

LeTour.fr recently contacted Vincent Lavenu of the AG2R team to talk about his two riders in the escape. Nocentini is currently the virtual leader of the Tour and Lavenu has dared to dream… “In the best case scenario we will win the stage and take the yellow jersey! No joke, for now they are 11’30” ahead of the pack which can be a significant factor. Still, the final climb is a long one so if the fight starts early (in the peloton) then we could see the attackers caught before the finish. If one of the escapees is to reach Arcalis first, then I think it’s necessary for the advantage at the foot of the mountain to be seven or eight minutes.”

15:49:09 - Details Of Final Climb

Today's stage has the first mountain top finish of the 96th Tour. The climb to Arcalis is 10.6km long with an average gradient of 7.1 percent. The road does, however, start to rise well before the official start of the ascent that rises to 2,240m above sea level. Just after the second intermediate sprint (in Andorra-la-Velle) there is a steep pinch that has a gradient of about eight percent for a couple of hundred metres. In other stages, this would be a categorized climb...

The final rise begins in El Sarrat (at 213.4km) at an altitude of 1,489m.

15:59:02 - Nine Maintain Their Advantage

Martinez (EUS), Riblon (ALM), Nocentini (ALM), Kuschynski (LIQ), Kern (COF), Pineau (QSI), B. Feillu (AGR) and Frohlinger (MRM) and Gutierrez (GCE) are still working well together in the lead of the stage. They are still 12 minutes ahead of the peloton and now have less than 40km to go before the finish in Arcalis.

16:01:13 - Riders Arrive In Andorra

This is the fourth time that a stage of the Tour has visited Andorra. The leaders have just crossed the border from Spain. Their advantage is now 11'45".

16:05:54 - Nocentini: Can He Take The Yellow Jersey?

At the moment, Nocentini of the AG2R team is the virtual leader of the Tour de France. He is part of the nine-man escape group that is currently 11'45" ahead of the peloton. He began the day in 32nd place overall, 3'13" behind Cancellara. If he does earn the yellow jersey, he'll be the first Italian since Alberto Elli in 2000 to lead the general classification of the Tour.

16:10:04 - Lead Down To 11'00"

The maximum gain of the nine-man escape group was 14'20" at the 55km mark. The peloton is slowly but surely closing in on Nocentini's group which is now 11 minutes ahead of the bunch led by riders from the Astana team.

16:15:57 - Peloton Arrives In Andorra

The bunch has just cross the border from Spain to Andorra. The Astana team continues to take charge of the chase. Tucked in behind the Kazakh registered squad are riders from the Silence-Lotto team.

16:17:17 - 2nd Sprint Due Soon

The leaders are about to contest the 2nd intermediate sprint of the seventh stage. This is in Andorra-la Vielle at the 196km mark.

16:18:06 - Results Of Second Sprint

The points for the 2nd intermediate sprint of the day were won by:

1. Christophe Kern (COF) 6pts

2. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 4pts

3. Jerome Pineau (QSI) 2pts

16:18:55 - Advantage Drops To 10'10"

The peloton is closing in on Nocentini's group which is now 10'10" ahead with about 26km to race in the longest stage of the 2009 race.

16:21:23 - AG2R The Only Two With Two Representatives In Escape

There are eight teams represented in the nine-man break that formed in the first hour of racing. As they approach the final ascent, here is a reminder of who they are: Martinez (EUS), Riblon (ALM), Nocentini (ALM), Kuschynski (LIQ), Kern (COF), Pineau (QSI), B. Feillu (AGR) and Frohlinger (MRM) and Gutierrez (GCE).

16:24:38 - 25km To Go

The leading nine are now 25km from the finish. They have just tackled a steep pinch of road on the outskirts of Andorra-la-Vielle and are currently still all together.

16:25:36 - Here Comes Fabian...

Cancellara has just moved up to near the front of the peloton. Anyone remember Alpe d'Huez last year? It was the Swiss TT specialist who set the pace at the base of the final climb of stage 17 last year. Then his CSC cohorts took over before launching Carlos Sastre on his winning move. The two riders are no longer team-mates; Cancellara is now working for the Schleck brothers while Sastre is now leader of the Cervelo TestTeam.

16:28:15 - Crash In Peloton

There has been a crash in the peloton. Delage, Cavendish and a couple of others have been caught up.

16:29:55 - Leipheimer Caught In Crash

Leipheimer has also been caught up in the recent fall.

16:30:14 - Boonen Also Involved

Boonen has also been caught up in the fall. The riders involved are all riding again. Leipheimer has two Astana team-mates now helping him back to the peloton.

16:30:58 - Kuschynski Dropped From Lead Group

The front group is now beginning to splinter. Kuschynski is the first rider to be dropped by Nocentini's group. The peloton is now 8'40" behind.

16:31:56 - Leipheimer Rejoins Peloton

Leipheimer has been able to return to the peloton after his crash.

16:32:18 - Peloton In Final 25km

The advantage of the leaders to the peloton is 8'30" as the bunch passes the 25km to go sign.

16:34:23 - Nine In Lead Again

Kuschynski has rejoined the lead group that is now 20km from the finish.

16:34:45 - Leaders In Ordino

Martinez (EUS), Riblon (ALM), Nocentini (ALM), Kuschynski (LIQ), Kern (COF), Pineau (QSI), B. Feillu (AGR) and Frohlinger (MRM) and Gutierrez (GCE) are now riding through Ordino with 18.5km to go in the stage. They are 8'30" ahead of the peloton that continues to be led by the Astana team.

16:36:25 - Dropped Riders

Auge (COF), Millar (GRM) and Hushovd (CTT) are amongst the riders being dropped by the peloton on the approach to the final climb.

16:38:24 - Leaders Close In On Final Sprint

The nine leaders are about to contest the third and final intermediate sprint of the stage which is in La Cortinada at the 207.5km mark.

16:39:55 - Results Of Third Sprint

The points for the final intermediate sprint of the seventh stage were won by:

1. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (GCE) 6pts

2. Jerome Pineau (QSI) 4pts

3. Johannes Frohlinger (MRM) 2pts

16:41:31 - Lead Down To 7'40"

As the peloton reach the 20km mark, it is 7'40" behind the Nocentini group.

16:44:06 - Six Astana Riders Lead Peloton

The peloton is now being led by six Astana riders. Tucked in close behind is the yellow jersey of Cancellara.

16:46:42 - Leipheimer Gets Saddle Adjustments

Leipheimer doesn't appear to have been injured in the recent incident. He is, however, currently getting his saddle adjusted by the Astana team mechanic. A close eye is being kept on the mechanical procedure by commissaire Martijn De Bruin. The American is one of the Astana team not on the front of the bunch that is now 7'15" behind the Nocentini group.

16:49:13 - Here Comes Saxo Bank...

Jens Voigt and a couple of his Saxo Bank colleagues are now riding up the right side of the Astana line at the head of the peloton. They have less than 15km to go in the stage and are 7'05" behind the escapees.

16:50:53 - Wegelius And Evans Also Up Front

There are also three riders from the Silence-Lotto team - Charlie Wegelius, Cadel Evans and Matt Lloyd - riding near the head of the peloton.

16:51:54 - The Climb Begins!

The nine leaders are now officially on the final ascent. They have a lead of around seven minutes and have been together since the 34km mark.

16:54:09 - Kuschynski Dropped From Lead Group

Kuschynski has been dropped at the front of the stage. The two AG2R riders - Nocentini and Riblon - are setting the pace early on the climb to Arcalis.

16:55:11 - 10km To Go

With the leader riding under the 20km to go banner they are 6'30" ahead of the peloton.

16:55:38 - Peloton On The Climb

Levi Leipheimer moved up the left side of the road and arrived at the head of the peloton just as it reached the 10.6km to climb sign. The deficit of the bunch at the foot of the final mountain is 6'00".

17:00:09 - Astana Lose One Of Its Troops...

Paulinho (AST), Arrieta (ALM) and a number of other riders have been dropped early on the climb.

17:00:50 - 10km To Go For Peloton

The peloton has just passed under the 10km to go sign. Zubeldia is taking control of the pace setting at the front. Beside him is Popovych and Armstrong just behind.

17:02:01 - Riblon Attacks Lead Group

Riblon, the virtual leader in the king of the mountains classification, has attacked the lead group. He has been chased down by Martinez, Frohlinger... and now the other seven stage leaders.

17:02:53 - Kern Attacks

Kern has attacked the lead group. Frohlinger has matched the acceleration and the two are riding away from their escape companions although Nocentini and Riblon are fighting back.

17:04:21 - Cancellara Hanging In...

At the moment, the yellow jersey is still in the Astana led peloton. Contador is tucked in behind Lance Armstrong in a group that is thinning out rapidly.

17:05:09 - Riders In Astana-Led Peloton...

There are about 35 riders in the yellow jersey's peloton. Some of those that we can identify are: Zubeldia, Armstrong, Contador, Popovych, Evans, Van Den Broeck, Lloyd, Cancellara, Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck, Jens Voigt, Martin, Barredo, David Arroyo...

17:08:16 - Yellow Jersey Cracks...

That's it for Fabian Cancellara. He is been dropped by the Astana-led peloton.

17:08:48 - Feillu Leads The Stage

Feillu has attacked the lead group. This is Brice, the brother of Roman who led the Tour for a day last year. He is 5'15" ahead of the Armstrong group.

17:10:39 - Frohlinger Chasing Feillu

Feillu is focused on maintaining his lead but now Frohlinger has surged in an effort to catch the Frenchman. Kern has chased down the German but we don't have a time check for the moment between the stage leaders.

17:12:42 - Riblon Most Aggressive Rider Today

Christophe Riblon has been voted the most aggressive rider of the stage.

17:13:11 - Armstrong & Co 5km From Finish

There have been no attacks from the Armstrong group. They have just passed under the 5km to go sign as Feillu arrives at the 3km to go mark. The stage is likely to be won by one of the escapees.

17:14:59 - Feillu Leads By 30"

With three kilometers to go, Feillu leads Riblon, Nocentini, Martinez, Kern and Frohlinger by 30".

17:15:45 - Nocentini Still On Schedule For Yellow...

If the race was to stop now, Nocentini would become the leader of the Tour de France. The French TV commentators are getting excited about the prospect of Armstrong taking over the yellow jersey but Nocentini is still over five minutes ahead of the Astana-led group.

17:17:16 - Feillu 2km From Finish

Feillu is making his Tour debut this year and at the moment he looks strong enough to hold on to his advantage over the first chase group. He is 30" ahead of Nocentini's group of five.

17:18:06 - Evans Attacks Armstrong

Evans has attacked the Armstrong group. He is the first to try taking on Contador and his has been chased down but continues to set the pace.

17:18:58 - Armstrong Glued To Evans Wheel

Armstrong was able to match the attack by Evans and the Australian has just eased his efforts on what is a windy day on the climb.

17:19:40 - Kloden Now Leading Armstrong Group

Kloden and Armstrong are now leading the Evans group but there has been an attack from Van Den Broeck (SIL).

17:20:23 - Feillu In Final Kilometer

Feillu appears destined to win his first stage of the Tour de France. He is less than one kilometer from the line.

17:21:08 - Contador Motors Ahead

Contador has raced past Van Den Broeck and is now making his bid for the yellow jersey.

17:21:40 - Evans & Schleck Try To Respond

Contador is now speeding ahead of his team-mate as well as Evans and the Schleck brothers.

17:22:20 - Stage Win For Feillu

Brice Feillu has won the stage for Agritubel. He doesn't zip up his jersey as he celebrates the stage victory in style!

17:23:01 - Kern Second, Frohlinger Third...

Kern almost caught Feillu and missed out by a few meters. Frohlinger is third in the stage but now we turn our attention to the surge by the 2007 Tour champion Contador who has daylight behind him as he passes under the Flamme Rouge.

17:24:16 - Contador Or Nocentini For Yellow...?

Nocentini finished fourth in the stage and could yet take the yellow jersey. Now Contador his making his bid. Contador was 19" behind the yellow jersey; Nocentini was 3'13" behind at the start of the stage. Contador is yet to reach the finish but the yellow jersey will go to either a Spaniard or an Italian today.

17:25:50 - Contador 3'25" Behind Feillu

Contador was 3'25" behind Feillu in the stage. Nocentini was at 25"... we wait for the calculations to be made but one of these riders will take the lead in the Tour.

17:27:02 - Nocentini Takes Yellow!

Nocentini has become the first Italian to take the lead in the Tour de France since 2000. He leads the race by six seconds from Alberto Contador.

17:28:45 - Top 10 In Stage Seven

The top 10 in stage seven is:

1. Brice Feillu (FRA) AGR

2. Christophe Kern (FRA) COF - at 5"

3. Johannes Frohlinger (GER) MRM - at 25"

4. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) ALM - at 26"

5. Egoi Martinez (ESP) EUS - at 45"

6. Christophe Riblon (FRA) ALM - at 1'05"

7. Jerome Pineau (FRA) QSI - at 2'32"

8. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (ESP) GCE - at 3'14"

9. Alberto Contador (ESP) AST - at 3'26"

10. Cadel Evans (AUS) SIL - at 3'47"

18:00:08 - The New Top Five Overall...

After 1,040km of racing the new top five of the general classification is:

1. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) ALM

2. Alberto Contador (ESP) AST at 6"

3. Lance Armstrong (USA) AST at 8"

4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) AST at 39"

5. Bradley Wiggins (GBR) GRM at 46"