• Comcast.net
• Email
• Voicemail

12:40:27 - Welcome To The Live Coverage Of Stage 11

The 192km 11th stage of the 2009 Tour de France is schedule to begin at 12.45pm. There is a short neutral zone before the cyclists arrive at site of the official start. This is expected to be at around 12.55pm. There is one less rider in the peloton: Kurt Asle Arvesen - the winner of stage 11 last year - crashed at the 87km mark of stage 10 this year and sustained a double fracture of his collarbone. He finished the stage in 164th place but was forced to abandon because of his injuries.

Live coverage of the stage will commence shortly.

12:44:15 - Riders Ready For Start

The peloton has lined up at the start in Vatan and is about start riding through the 3km neutral zone. The sun continues to shine on the Tour de France and the temperature at the start of stage 11 is about 24 degrees Celsius.

12:46:08 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 01 – Yellow Jersey

There was a split in the finale of the 10th stage that saw 106 riders lose 15 seconds to the front group of 52. Two of the riders in the second peloton were Bradley Wiggins (GRM) and Levi Leipheimer (AST). The delay caused a reshuffle of the top 10 in the general classification. Wiggins dropped down from fifth overall to seventh (1’01” behind Nocentini); Leipheimer was fourth but is now fifth (at 54”).

Andreas Kloden (AST) moved up from sixth to fourth overall and is now on the same time as his team-mate Leipheimer.

Nocentini (ALM) is in the yellow jersey for the fifth successive day. He has a lead of six seconds on Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong (AST).

12:46:49 - New Rankings Just Announced

Moments after the review of the general classification was posted, Radio Tour announced that the jury has decided that the 15" that separated the first 52 riders from the second peloton will be void. This means that the top order of the general classification remains the same as it was before the 10th stage.

The alterations announced in the previous newsflash are thus incorrect.

12:50:34 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 02 – Green Jersey

Thor Hushovd (CTT) is now just six points ahead of the triple-stage winner Mark Cavendish (THR) in the race for the green jersey. The Norwegian finished behind the Brit in the sprint of stage 10 but still wears the green jersey. In third place is the Spanish sprinter from Caisse d’Epargne, Jose Joaquim Rojas with 97pts – 50 less than Hushovd.

12:51:12 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 03 – Polka-Dot Jersey

There was no change to the top order of the climbing classification after stage 10. The polka-dot jersey remains on the shoulders of Egoi Martinez (EUS) who has 78pts. Former leader Christophe Kern (COF) is second with 59pts and the Italian climbing specialist Franco Pellizotti – who won 5,000 euros for taking the ‘Souvenir Jacques Goddet’ after cresting the col du Tourmalet in first place three days ago – is ranked third with 55pts.

12:52:03 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 04 – White Jersey

Tony Martin (THR) has led the youth classification since the end of stage three. The German is 49” ahead of Andy Schleck (SAX) and 54” ahead of Vicenzo Nibali (LIQ). The only other rider to have worn the white jersey in the 2009 Tour, Roman Kreuziger (LIQ) is ranked fourth, at 1’40”.

12:55:11 - Racing In Stage 11

The official start of the 11th stage was at 12.53pm. There are 170 riders in the race. The only non-starter is Arvesen (SAX).

12:56:55 - Prize Classifications Review: Part 05 – Team Rankings

AG2R continues to lead the team classification by just three seconds from Astana. In stage 10, another French formation was ranked best in this category that is judged on the first three riders from one team each day: Bbox Bouygues Telecom had three men in the top 26 – Bonnet (8th), Haddou (10th) and Arashiro (26th). They beat Columbia in the team rankings in yesterday’s stage.

12:57:24 - Two Riders Try Early Escape...

Hayden Roulston (CTT) and Fumiyuki Beppu (SKS) were the first to attack the peloton in stage 11. They surged ahead in the first kilometer... and they remain ahead of the bunch which is now at the 4km mark.

12:58:54 - 5km Raced Rapidly...

The peloton has already covered five kilometers. Roulston and Beppu remain ahead of the pack but no time check has yet been announced, which means the New Zealander and Japanese are not yet 30" ahead...

13:00:30 - Cavendish (Sort Of) A Winner On Champs-Elysées

The winner of three stages already this year, Mark Cavendish, was a happy man after beating Thor Hushovd in Issoudun but he insists there are still some things on his agenda that he wants to tick off. “I’m more focused on stage wins,” he said after the 10th stage. “I want to get to Paris. I want to win on the Champs-Elysées…”

In fact, he sort of got one of these wishes yesterday… for the finishing straight in Issoudun was once called the “Champs-Elysées”. After WWII, however, the name was changed to Boulevard Roosevelt.

13:01:05 - Two Escapees Caught

At the 7km mark, Roulston and Beppu have been caught by the peloton.

13:01:54 - Favorable Wind Today

The pace of the pack is fast today. The wind is at the back of the riders and the bunch is now at the 8km mark of the 192km stage.

13:02:57 - Almost Two Hours Between First & Last

Kenny Robert van Hummel finished the 10th stage in seventh place but the Dutchman is ranked last in the general classification. He has held the position of ‘Lanterne Rouge’ since the sixth stage. He is 1h59’32” behind Nocentini after 1,571.5km of racing.

13:04:24 - All Together At 11km Mark

Popovych (AST) and a Caisse d'Epargne rider have had mechanical issues at the 10km mark. The rest of the peloton is all together after 11km of racing.

13:06:29 - 14km Raced

There have been numerous escape attempt early in stage 11 but none have yet been successful. The bunch is all together after 14km.

13:10:31 - 11 Teams With Nine Riders

So far 10 riders have abandoned the 2009 Tour de France. Of the 20 teams in the race, 11 have a complete roster of nine riders. The complete teams are: Cervelo, Silence-Lotto, Astana, Garmin, Columbia, AG2R, Liquigas, Cofidis, Lampre, Bbox Bouygues Telecom and Milram.

13:11:03 - Crash In Peloton!

Vande Velde (GRM) and Rosseler (QSI) have been involved in a crash at the 15km mark.

13:11:42 - Racing Neutralized

Jean-Francois Pescheux, has asked the team managers to tell their riders to cease racing at the 15km mark.

13:13:28 - Both Fallen Riders Racing Again

We await confirmation of what has caused the director of competition to request a neutralization of the racing but can tell you that the recent crash victims are now racing again.

13:14:24 - Racing Again

The peloton is racing again after briefly stopping because of an obstruction on the route.

13:15:59 - Birthday’s In The Peloton

Today one of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team, Alan Perez Lezaun, celebrates his 27th birthday. Sebastian Rosseler of the Quickstep team is 28 today.

It’s also the 37th birthday for a former team-mate of Lance Armstrong and Tour stage winner Giampaolo Mondini.

13:17:05 - Peloton At 18km Mark

The peloton is all together at the 18km mark.

13:17:44 - Speed Still High

The bunch is still all together as it reaches the town of Boitier at the 20.5km mark.

13:20:27 - 5km To Quincy Sprint

The first intermediate sprint of stage 11 is due in 5km. Mark Cavendish insisted yesterday that he would not chase points at these primes but now that the bunch is approaching Quincy as a group, we can expect to see the Brit come to the fore in the hope of stealing some points back on the current leader of the race for the green jersey, Thor Hushovd.

13:22:12 - Three On The Attack At 23km

There are three riders attempting to establish an escape. We don't yet have the names of those involved but they are making their bid two before the first intermediate sprint.

13:23:24 - Escape Rendered Void

The three escapees have been reeled in by the peloton at the 24km mark.

13:24:05 - Another Crash

There has been another crash in the peloton but all riders involved are back on their bikes. None of the victims of the accident were named by Radio Tour.

13:24:59 - Pineau Caught Up In Fall...

Jerome Pineau is the second Quickstep rider to be involved in an accident today. The first was birthday boy Sebastian Rosseler.

13:25:58 - Rojas Also In Accident

The second crash involved Rojas as well as Pineau. The men involved are all racing again.

13:26:34 - Two Break Free

Vansummeren (SIL) and Sapa (LAM) are now in the lead of the stage. The peloton has split in two: the first group is 40" behind the two escapees and the second bunch at 55".

13:28:07 - Result Of Quincy Sprint

The points for the sprint at the 26.5km mark were won by:

1. Johan Vansummeren (SIL) 6pts

2. Marcin Sapa (LAM) 4pts

3. Lloyd Mondory (ALM) 2pts

13:29:22 - Peloton Eases Pace

The first peloton has eased its pace and it seems to be waiting for the second group at the 27.5km mark.

13:30:16 - All Accident Victims Back In Peloton

There have been some riders consulting the race doctor after crashes in the first 25km but all the accident victims are back in the peloton.

13:30:49 - Two Lead By 1'45"

Vansummeren and Sapa are now 1'45" ahead of the peloton.

13:32:19 - Peloton At 31km

At the 31km mark, the peloton is 2'35" behind Vansummeren and Sapa.

13:34:28 - Lead Up To 3'15"

The peloton is at the 33km mark and is 3'15" behind Vansummeren (SIL) and Sapa (LAM).

13:38:10 - No Threat To Yellow Jersey

Johan Vansummeren of the Silence-Lotto team is in an escape along with Polish Lampre rider Marcin Sapa. They are over three minutes ahead of the pack but there is no threat at all to Nocentini's yellow jersey. The Belgian is the highest ranked of the pair on GC; he began the stage in 106th overall, 54'27" behind Nocentini.

13:40:21 - Lead Up To 4'15"

Vansummeren and Sapa are now 4'15" ahead of the peloton.

13:41:17 - Ignatiev & Dumoulin The Most Aggressive…

After 10 stages of the Tour in 2009, the rider who has spent more time on the attack than any other is Russian debutant Mikhail Ignatiev (KAT). He was part of the escape group again yesterday. He has been part of escapes for 403km so far this year. One of his fellow fugitives from the 10th stage, Samuel Dumoulin (COF) has clocked up 354km ahead of the peloton in this his sixth Tour de France.

13:42:42 - 39km Raced By Peloton

The bunch is at the 39km mark and is 4'25" behind the two escapees. The peloton is being led by riders from the Columbia-HTC team.

13:47:51 - Vansummeren A ProTour Race Winner

In 2007, the 197cm tall Johan Vansummeren - one of the tallest men in the peloton - won the seventh stage of the Tour of Poland. He finished on his own, 23" ahead of Robert Gesink and 32" ahead of Kim Kirchen in Karpacz and his gain was enough to propel him into first place overall on the final day. It was the Belgian's first victory since 2003 (when he was still in the under-23 group). He was a silver medalist in the under-23 road race at the world championships in 2003.

13:53:39 - Vansummeren Leads Over Climb

The escapees have passed the first climb of stage 11. Vansummeren (SIL) was first over the line, then Sapa (LAM)... we await the peloton's arrival before sending the results.

The cote d'Allogny is at the 45.5km mark and the two leaders covered that distance before the end of the first hour of racing today.

13:55:20 - Peloton At 4'35"

The peloton is 4'35" behind the two escapees at the top of the first climb.

13:58:06 - Martinez Collects Another Point

The result of the first climb in the 11th stage, the cote d'Allogny (45.5km) is:

1. Johan Vansummeren (SIL) 3pts

2. Marcin Sapa (LAM) 2pts

3. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 1pt - at 4'35".

13:59:21 - 49.3km/h Average Speed

The wind is pushing the riders to St-Fargeau at a rapid pace. Even with the slight delay at the 14km mark, the average speed for the first hour is 49.3km/h!

14:00:07 - Sapa: 2008 Polish National Champion

One of the riders in the escape today, Vansummeren (SIL) has won the Tour of Poland (in 2007), the other - Marcin Sapa (LAM) - has won the Polish national title (in 2008).

14:03:12 - Peloton At 52km

At the 52km mark, the peloton is 4'20" behind Vansummeren and Sapa who escaped at the 24km mark.

14:06:39 - AG2R & Columbia Lead Peloton

The escapees are now being kept in check. The AG2R and Columbia teams are leading the bunch which is 4'10" behind at the 56km mark.

14:12:26 - Frank Pineau Believes Today Could Be For Thor...

The directeur sportif of the FDJ team, Frank Pineau, is from the region where today's finish is. He has done a reconnaissance of the route for today's stage with his son, Cedric, and believes that the finish suits the strengths of Thor Hushovd. "An escape would have to have a big advantage, at least three or four minutes, before the long straight leading to the finish.

"A lot of sprinters will be surprised by the climb at the finish. It's the sort of course that could suit Hushovd."

There was a criterium once conducted in nearby Bourges which Pineau won in 1986. Other winners of the race in Bourges have been multiple Tour champions Eddy Merckx and Bernard Thevenent.

14:23:08 - Lead Down To 3'50"

The peloton is at the 65km mark, 3'50" behind Vansummeren and Sapa.

14:24:47 - Leaders Five Kilometers From Second Sprint

Vansummeren and Sapa are now at the 68.5km mark. They have 5km to go before contesting the sprint for points in St-Ceols.

14:28:38 - Results Of Second Sprint...

The escapees have passed the site of the 2nd intermediate sprint. Sapa was first, Van Summeren second at St-Ceols (73.5km).

14:34:23 - Peloton At Second Sprint

The AG2R team has led the peloton to the line of the second intermediate sprint. It was 3'25" behind and third place went to Dessel (ALM).

14:37:03 - Four Garmin Follow AG2R...

There are riders from the AG2R and Columbia team setting the pace of the peloton. Behind them are four riders from the Garmin-Slipstream team.

14:38:50 - Hushovd A Stage Winner In Joigny...

The 11th stage concludes in the Yonne department of France. The last time a stage concluded here was in 2007 when Thor Hushovd was the winner in Joigny. That was the fourth stage and he beat Robert Hunter, Oscar Freire and Erik Zabel. Another green jersey winner, Tom Boonen was eighth that day and Mark Cavendish, in his debut Tour, was 10th.

(You can find all the historical data of the Tour de France in the "History" link on LeTour.fr.)

14:45:01 - Peloton At 2'55"

At the 79km mark, the peloton is 2'55" behind Van Summeren and Sapa.

14:45:47 - Hushovd The Only Norwegian Now In The 2009 Tour

There are now 170 riders in the race. The retirement of Arvesen means that the only rider from Norway is Thor Hushovd - who many are tipping as a favorite for today's stage. The nations represented in the 96th edition of the race are listed below...



39 – France: originally 41 but Sebastien Joly (FDJ) quit during stage seven and David Le Lay (AGR) abandoned during stage eight.

25 – Spain: originally 28 but Oscar Pereiro (GCE) and Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (AGR) both abandoned during stage eight and Koldo Fernandez (EUS) finished outside the time limit in stage eight.

15 – Germany

14 – Italy: originally 15 but Daniel Napolitano (KAT) finished outside the time limit in stage eight.

10 – Belgium: originally 11, but Jurgen van de Waelle (QSI) abandoned after breaking a collarbone in a crash in stage two.

9 – Netherlands: originally 11 but Piet Rooijakkers abandoned after a crash in stage four and Robert Gesink fractured a bone in his left arm in a fall in stage five.

8 – Russia

7 – USA

6 – Australia

4 – Great Britain

3 – Denmark, Luxembourg and Switzerland

2 – Austria, Belorussia, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal and Ukraine

1 – Canada, Finland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Norway. There were two Norwegians but Arvesen (SAX) abandoned after breaking a collarbone in stage 10.

14:50:03 - Advantage Grows To 3'30"

The AG2R team is enthusiastic about its chase. Riders from Nocentini's team had set a tempo that reeled in the two escapees a little: at 79km, the bunch was 2'55" behind Van Summeren and Sapa. Eisel (THR) has just had a chat to the Chocolate Soldiers from the yellow jersey's team and it seems the Austrian has suggested, 'Hey guys, keep calm...' the latest check has the peloton 3'30" behind.

14:53:54 - Two Tow Armstrong After Toilet Stop...

Popovych and Rast (AST) are currently pacing Armstrong back to the peloton after the American stopped to answer nature's call.

14:55:07 - 102km To Go...

The leaders have covered more than 90km before the end of the second hour of stage 11. Van Summeren and Sapa are 3'35" ahead of the pack that's led by the AG2R and Columbia teams.

14:56:57 - Average Speed For Second Hour

The average speed for the second hour is 42.0km/h. The average speed since the start 45.7km/h.

14:59:06 - Peloton 3'45" Behind At 89km

The two leaders are now less than 100km from the finish. They escaped at the 24km mark and are now 3'45" ahead of the peloton that is at the 89km mark.

15:00:07 - Leaders Near Feedzone

Van Summeren (SIL) and Sapa (LAM) are about to arrive in the feedzone at the 96.5km mark.

15:05:35 - Peloton Through The Feedzone

At the 96.5km mark, the peloton is 3'25" behind Van Summeren and Sapa.

15:11:09 - LeTour.fr Poll: Cavendish & The Green Jersey...?

The survey on the official site of the Tour de France (LeTour.fr) today asks:

Cavendish has already won three stages but he's second in the points classification. Do you think he can make to Paris and win the green jersey?

Let us know your thoughts by clicking on the appropriate link: yes or no?

15:14:44 - Leaders Coming Back...

At the 104km mark, the peloton is 3'10" behind the two escapees.

15:20:34 - Can Sapa Become Poland's Second Stage Winner?

In the history of the Tour, only one rider from Poland has won a stage. That was Zenon Jaskula in St-Lary Soulon in the 1993 edition. Riding for the GB-MG team, he finished third overall that year.

Currently, the 2008 Polish champion is in an escape along with Johan van Summeren. The Pole and the Belgian are 3'15" ahead of the peloton with 80km to go in the 11th stage.

15:28:54 - Leaders In Suilly-la-Tour

Van Summeren (SIL) has led Sapa (LAM) over the third intermediate sprint line. This is in Suilly-la-Tour at the 114.5km mark.

15:31:43 - Full Results Of 3rd Intermediate Sprint

At the final intermediate sprint of the 11th stage (at 114.5km), the points were won by:

1. Johan van Summeren (SIL) 6pts

2. Marcin Sapa (LAM) 4pts

3. Cyril Dessel (ALM) 2pts - at 2'50".

15:34:31 - News About Vande Velde From Garmin DS

Matt White, the directeur sportif of the Garmin-Slipstream team has just told LeTour.fr that Christian Vande Velde is okay after his crash at the 14km mark. "Obviously it's never comfortable if you hit the deck while riding at 45km/h but he seems okay," said White. "He seems to be fine but we'll assess the damage after the stage.

"The wind is chopping and changing. There'll be moments when it's really blowing strongly - often from behind - but then it'll just drop for a while. I just want my guys to stay up front, stay out of trouble and make sure they're ready for anything."

15:40:36 - Efimkin Missing Skin On His Face...

There have been a number of falls early today. One of the riders to come down was Vladimir Efimkin (ALM). He has been back to the race doctor a few times today. The Russian has just been shown with grazes on his left cheek and chin.

15:43:21 - Columbia & AG2R Sharing Work

In the last 10 minutes, the Columbia team has been at the front of the peloton for 52 percent of the time. The other team contributing to the pace of the main pack is AG2R.

15:44:58 - Comments From Bob Stapleton

The manager of the Columbia team just spoke with LeTour.fr about what we can expect to see from his squad at the end of today's stage. "It's a difficult finish today with the last 500m rising at a gradient of about five per cent. It's a lot harder than it looks on paper and we've got to really try to rally the troops to execute the perfect lead-out for Mark today. People have come to expect Cavendish to win and if he feels good near the end of the stage, it's our intention to set things up for him. We need to see what pans out. Plan B could be to try something with Kim (Kirchen) with an attack near the finish.

"The course really suits a rider like Hushovd or Freire or an on-form Tom Boonen... but I don't think we'll see that today.

"As you can see, we're working well with the AG2R team to keep the escape within a reasonable limit."

15:54:09 - Average Speed For Third Hour

The average speed for the third hour is 40.8km/h. The average for the first three hours is 44.0km/h.

15:59:17 - Peloton At 130km Mark

The peloton is 3'00" behind van Summeren and Sapa as it passes the 130km mark.

16:00:16 - Rojas Believes He's Ready For Sprint...

One of the riders caught up in a fall early today was Jose Joaquim Rojas (GCE). His directeur sportif Yvon Ledanois has just explained that the Spanish sprinter is okay and that he has hopes of contesting a sprint at the end of the stage.

Rojas has finished in the top 10 on five occasions in the 2009 Tour, including a third place in Barcelona. Should the bunch arrive in St-Fargeau as one, then the lead-out men for Rojas will be Arnaud Coyot and Jose Ivan Gutierrez.

16:06:38 - Garmin Send One Rider Forward...

The Columbia and AG2R teams continue to control the pace of the peloton. Now one rider from Garmin has moved forward. Dave Zabriskie is that man and he's using deep dish rims on this day when the wind has been blowing quiet hard... but mainly from behind. At the moment it's a slight cross-wind (from the right).

16:09:26 - Lead Down To 2'10"

The peloton is now 2'10" behind the two escapees.

16:09:47 - Hesjedal Crashes

Ryder Hesjedal (GRM) has crashed in the peloton. He almost brought down Matt Lloyd (SIL) but the Australian managed to avoid the Canadian who is now back on his bike and racing again.

16:17:53 - 46km To Go

The leaders are now 1'50" ahead of the peloton that has 46km to go in the 192km stage.

16:19:18 - Leaders On Second Climb

With the advantage of van Summeren and Sapa at 2'00", they are just about to crest the second categorized climb of the 11th stage. The cote de Perreuse is a cat-4 ascent that's 2km long at an average gradient of 4.6 per cent. The top is at the 150km mark.

16:24:23 - Kern & Martinez Move Forward

On the approach to the second climb, Martinez (EUS) and Kern (COF) have come to the front of the peloton to chase the one point for third place at the top.

16:25:42 - Sapa Leads Over Climb

Sapa has led his escape companion van Summeren over the second climb of the stage.

16:26:06 - Pellizotti Takes Third Place

Pellizotti - the winner of the col du Tourmalet climb in stage nine - has just been led out by a Liquigas team-mate to take the one point for third at the cote de Perreuse.

16:27:20 - Results Of 2nd Climb

The points for the last categorized climb of stage 11 were won by:

1. Marcin Sapa (LAM) 3pts

2. Johan van Summeren (SIL) 2pts

3. Franco Pellizotti (LIQ) 1pt

Egoi Martinez maintains his lead of the climbing classification.

16:28:16 - Rabobank Get Ready...

The Rabobank team has now sent one rider up to the front of the peloton. The logic is simple and relates to last year's green jersey winner, Oscar Freire. The Spaniard was second (to Hushovd) in the uphill sprint in Barcelona. The finish of the 11th stage is not quite as difficult but it is definitely at the top of a climb...

16:33:43 - Leaders Through Treigny

The escapees have just ridden through Treigny at the 34.5km to go mark. They are 1'35" ahead of the peloton.

16:35:03 - Summary Of Uphill Sprints...

Today the finish is at the top of a hill that begins about 500 meters before the finish and has an average gradient of a around five per cent. If we consider recent stages of the Tour that have concluded with bunch sprints up a climb, then riders like Kirchen (THR), Pozatto (KAT), Hushovd (CTT) and Freire should be considered favorites for today.

A few recent examples of uphill sprints have been:

Stage 01 - 2008 (Plumelec): 1st Valverde; 2nd Gilbert; 3rd Kirchen.

Stage 02 - 2008 (St-Brieuc): 1st Hushovd; 2nd Kirchen; 3rd Ciolek.

Stage 06 - 2009 (Barcelona): 1st Hushovd; 2nd Freire; 3rd Rojas.

16:43:00 - Lead Down To 1'10"

The peloton is now 1'10" behind van Summeren and Sapa. It's still the Columbia team which is in control but they are now working with riders from Garmin and Rabobank. The leading duo is 27km from the finish.

16:44:23 - Chateau de Guedelon Near Today's Route...

There is a chateau being built near Treigny which is a replica of a building from the 13th century. The Chateau de Guedelon is a project that has been undertaken to construct something in modern times but using the techniques employed back when the original was created.

16:47:38 - 25km To Go

The leaders are 25km from the finish with a lead of 1'00".

16:47:57 - Capture Coming Soon...

The leaders have just gone under the 20km to go sign. They are 50" ahead of the peloton.

Yesterday the last of the escapees (Thierry Hupond) was reeled in by the bunch just 1,400m shy of the finish. Today it looks like the capture will come well before the 10km to go mark.

16:53:07 - Zabriskie Now Taking Turns...

Zabriskie (GRM) is now contributing to the pace setting at the front of the peloton. He is working along with a Rabobank rider and four from the Columbia team. Cancellara is taking Andy Schleck up to the head of the bunch which is now 40" behind van Summeren and Sapa.

16:54:58 - 15km To Go

The peloton is now 25" behind the two escapees who have just passed under the 15km to go sign. Van Summeren and Sapa attacked at the 24km mark. Their maximum gain was 4'45" at 45km.

16:59:46 - Two Hold Their Advantage

Johan van Summeren and Marcin Sapa are holding on to their lead. They have been 25" ahead of the peloton since the 16km to go mark. That's the difference still 5km later.

17:03:50 - Boonen Riding Mid-Pack

The teams showing interest in the capture are Columbia, Garmin and Rabobank. There's been no sign of any Quickstep riders and Boonen is nestled in at the middle of the peloton which is now 10km from the finish. Another Paris-Roubaix winner is, however, right up front and appears ready to try his luck on the final ascent. Fabian Cancellara has been hovering behind the Columbia train for about 10km...

17:05:50 - Milram Forms Another Train

Five Milram riders have moved up to the front of the bunch and are forming their own lead-out train beside that of the Columbia team.

17:07:10 - Van Summeren Most Aggressive Today

With the lead down to just 10", we can report that Johan van Summeren has received the most votes in the combative classification. He will wear a red 'dossard' in stage 12.

17:09:22 - Sapa & 'Summie' Sit Up

That's it for the escape. Sapa and van Summeren have sat up and the peloton has caught the two who have been at the front of the stage since kilometer 24. The capture was right at the 5km to go mark.

17:10:45 - Liquigas Send Troops Forward

With 4km to go in the stage, there are a couple of green Liquigas jerseys now coming to the front of the pack but Columbia is the most committed team. Monfort leads Kirchen - suggesting that "Plan B" (ie. an escape from the Luxembourger) is no longer an option: the rider who was second in stage two last year is now driving the peloton to the line in St-Fargeau.

17:12:57 - Kirchen Retreats To Peloton

Now Eisel is taking over the lead-out duties. Kirchen has finished his work and is now nestled in the middleof the pack with 2km to go.

17:13:32 - Cervelo Move Forward

There is a rider from Cervelo near the front. He's searching for the green jersey with 1,500m to go in the stage.

17:14:08 - 1km To Go

The Milram team lead Columbia's train under the 'flamme rouge'. But Cavendish's team appears to be in complete control.

17:14:41 - Cavendish Completes The Job

Cavendish went head-to-head with Hushovd and Farrar and has managed to hold off all challenges to win another stage of the Tour de France.

17:15:52 - Four For Cavendish...!

It was a bunch sprint and this seems to mean that we see Cavendish throw a victory salute. This is his four stage win this year, and his eighth in the Tour. It's high-fives all round for his lead-out team that delivered him to the line in perfect style.

17:17:07 - Cavendish Back In Green...

With Hushovd finishing fifth in the stage, the green jersey will go back to Mark Cavendish...

17:18:10 - The Top Five In Stage 11

Of the four stages that Cavendish has won this year, this was the closest. He held off a late strong challenge by Tyler Farrar. The top five in the 11th stage is:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) THR - 192km in 4h17'15"

2. Tyler Farrar (USA) GRM

3. Yauheni Hutarovich (BLR) FDJ

4. Oscar Freire (ESP) RAB

5. Thor Hushovd (NOR) CTT