Luis Leon Sanchez won the ninth stage of the Tour De France today.
The stage rolled out of Issoire, which was staging a tour for the third time, near to Clermont-Ferrand and headed for Saint-Flour some 208kms away.
Again the weather was a mix of rain and sun and this meant some difficult conditions for the riders. After 40kms, there was a big crash involving David Millar and Amets Txurruka of Euskaltel who was forced to abandon the race after Wouter Pouls of Vacansoleil and Pavel Brutt of Katusha had also withdrawn.
Alberto Contador (pictured below) crashed after Thomas Voeckler had taken the point over the Cote de Massiac, but was able to get back on his bike.
However, the same did not happen for Alexandr Vinokourov, David Zabriskie, Frederik Willems of Omega Pharma-Lotto, Jurgen Van Den Broeck who broke his collarbone in a big crash with just over 97kms to go. On dry roads that suddenly changed to wet, Vinokourov hit a haybale and ended up in some trees and the injuries sustained by the rest, including a broken pelvis and leg for Vinokourov, forced them to abandon. David Millar was also injured but was able to carry on riding.
Voeckler had got away in a group with Team Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha, Luis Leon Sanchez , Sandy Casar and Jonny Hoogerlands. Voeckler the number one at Europcar was now not only only taking the King Of The Mountains points, he was after Thor's Hushovd's yellow jersey.
With 75kms to go, they had a lead of six minutes. That had dropped down by two minutes by the time, a France TV car hit Juan Antonio Flecha who in turn hit Jonny Hoogerland sending him into a barbed wire fence.
Both riders were able to continue with 36kms to go but were behind the front three as they went into the intermediate sprint at Neuveglise. Sandy Casar took the twenty points from Voeckler with Phillippe Gilbert taking the eleven points on offer for the peleton.
Hoogerland was caught by the peleton and was now struggling at the back.
At the front, Voeckler took the penultimate climb of the day day at Cote du Chateau d'Alleuze. He was four minutes and seventeen seconds ahead of the peleton who were looking like they had abandoned the chase down of the escapees with 10kms to go.
Today's finish was on the allees Georges Pompidou in Saint Flour at the end of a finishing 130m long straight and after a Category 4 climb of 1.8km at 6.1% There was a King Of The Mountains point on offer but getting the stage win was the main priority for the trio of Voeckler, Casar of FDJ and Rabbobanks's Sanchez.
Voeckler led under the Flamme Rouge past the crowds up the final climb. Luis Leon Sanchez decided to sprint for it and he took the win in a time of 5hr 27 mins and 9 seconds with Voeckler in second and Casar third.
Photo credit : ©Pool/Tim De Waele
The big question was how much time Vockeler would have on the yellow jersey. Phillippe Gilbert in the Green Jersey lead the peleton at 3.58 mins back and Hushovd came home six minutes and forty eight seconds back..
Voeckler took the yellow jersey and leads Sanchez by one minute and 49 seconds.
Tomorrow is a rest day in Le Lioran Cantal before stage ten heads out from Aurillac to Carmaux.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM and : ©Pool/Tim De Waele