Andre Greipel beat Mark Cavendish to win the tenth stage of the Tour De France this afternoon.
Back to racing after yesterday's eventful rest day which saw the news of the failing of a test by Katusha's Alexandr Kolobnev. who withdrew from the race.
This stage from the Roman town of Aurillac to the mining town of Carmaux which was 158kms long started with 178 riders (more at this stage than in 2007 and 2008) after Radio Shack's Yaroslav Popovych who had been suffering from a fever was withdrawn by his team, leaving them with only six men.
Crashes have been a staple of this race and Radio Shack had a rider in Levi Leipheimer involved in the first of the day which came after only eleven kilometres when a number of riders including Fabian Cancellera (pictured below) went down.
Thankfully, all the fallers were able to remount and carry on trying to track back the six riders in Ramy Di Gregorio (Astana), Arthur Vichot (FDJ), Sebastien Minard (AG2R), Julien El Fares (Cofidis), Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) and Anthony Delaplace (Saur Soasun).
The day's intermediate sprint came after only 37.5kms in Maurs and Vichot took the twenty points with Green Jersey leader Philippe Gilbert taking nine and Mark Cavendish (pictured below) seven points.
With a lead of 3 mins 48 seconds, the five Frenchmen and an Italian were first up the Category 3 climb of the Côte de Figeac. Marco Marcato shot off and took the two points but he was still a long way behind the 22 points that his team mate Jonny Hoogerlands has in the King Of The Mountain's competition.
Again, there were plenty of Brits out on the road to see Marco Marcato take another point on the Cateegory Four Cote de Loupiac climb.
Marcato took both the Category three Côte de Villefranche-de-Rouergue climb as the peleton dropped their lead down to eleven seconds with Philippe Gilbert on the front.
With sixteen kms to go, the break was over and the riders were now concentrating on getting to the finish line on the avenue de Neckarsulm which has a 170m finishing straight in Carmaux which was celebrating its first ever visit from Le Tour.
Race leader Thomas Voeckler took the final climb of the day - the Category four Côte de Mirandol-Bourgnounac climb with 15kms to go.
Voeckler, Gilbert and Tony Martin were now part of a five man escape with Mark Cavendish in a chase group.
The escapers were caught and with 2.5kms to go, David Millar got to the front and attacked. HTC Highroad's Tony Martin with Cavendish in tow caught him.
Geraint Thomas was also at the front as they went round the final corner. It became a race between Andre Greipel and Mark Cavendish and it was the Omega Pharma Lotto man who got his first ever TDF win by a wheel width in a time of 3 hours, 31 mins and 21 seconds. Rojas was third, Hushovd fourth with Thomas ninth.
Photo credit: ©Pool/Tim De Waele
Thomas Voeckler keeps his yellow jersey and leads by a minute and 49 seconds.
Tomorrow's 11th stage is from Blaye Les Mines to Lavaur and is 187.5kms long.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM and ©Pool/Tim De Waele