Tinkoff Saxo's Michael Rogers has won the Tour De France stage sixteen.
With only one British rider in Geraint Thomas left in the race, folowing Simon Yates being withdrawn by his Orica GreenEdge team, the final week of this year's Grand Tour started with a 237.5km stage from Carcassonne to Bagnères-de-Luchon, which has hosted a stage on forty five occasions.
Vincenzo Nibali, who was in the lead of the race for the thirteenth day, led the 169 riders, minus Rui Costa who was out with pnemonia, out on a stage which featured five climbs including the 1755m Port de Bales.
Reto Hollenstein crashed straight away but got back on his bike as Vassil Kiriyenka (Sky), Davide Cimolai (Lampre) and Adam Hansen (Lotto) went clear after six kilometres. They were soon joined by Kiriyenka (Sky), Marino (Cannondale), Kwiatkowski (OPQS), Cimolai (Lampre), Hansen (Lotto), Gène and Voeckler (Europcar), Albasini (Orica) but the peloton quickly brought them back.
The first climb of the day was on the category four côte de Fanjeaux and it was Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) who took the point on offer, which was enough to give him the temporary lead in the polka dot jersey competition.
With 43.7kms covered in the first hour, eight riders in Bernhard Eisel (Sky), Michael Rogers (Tinkoff), Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQS), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R), Jérémy Roy (FDJ), Kévin Reza (Europcar), Michael Albasini (Orica) and Anthony Delaplace (Bretagn e) were now leading and after 45kms, were joined by Vassil Kiriyenka (Sky), Jon Izagirre (Movistar), José Serpa (Lampre) and Roger Kluge (IAM).
The peloton seemed unhappy with this attack which had got 1.25 ahead and this caused a split with 20 riders dropped, including Chavanel, Greipel, Van den Broeck, Sagan, Rodriguez and Richie Porte of Team Sky.
By the seventy kilometre mark, this latest attack had been dealt with and Matteo Montaguti (AG2R) slipped away to take the point on the category four côte de Pamiers climb.
A new group of 21 riders in the lead Bernhard Eisel and Vassil Kiriyenka (Sky), Jon Izagirre (Movistar), Michael Rogers (Tinkoff), Jan Bakelants and Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQS), Samuel Dumoulin and Matteo Montaguti (AG2R), Tom-Jelte Slagter (Garmin), José Serpa (Lampre), Jérémy Roy (FDJ), Tony Gallopin (Lotto), Greg van Avermaet (BMC), Cyril Gautier, Kévin Reza and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Michael Albasini and Jens Keukeleire (Orica), Roger Kluge (IAM), Anthony Delaplace and Florian Vachon (Bretagne), led the stage with a 2.50 lead after 80.4kms
That lead went out to 3.55 and by the feedzone at Lefont was six minutes before Kluge took the day's intermediate sprint at Saint Girons with 114kms remaining.and a lead of 6.35.
Heading for the 1869m category two Col de Porlet-d'Aspet climb, the twenty one riders has a lead of 9,04 over a peloton led by Astana.
That was 10.15 when Thomas Voeckler was first over the summit to take the five points ahead of Michael Rogers and Jan Bakelants.
Onto the category three Col des Ares with a lead of 11.10, Vockler beat Serpa to the main points as the race went down the D618 heading towards the Hautes Pyrenees Department and the Haute Garbonne Department which has the finish line town of Bagnères-de-Luchon amongst its towns.
The gap was over 12.05 as Mark Cavendish sat by the escapers in an Omega Pharma Quick Step team car.
The escapers started on the Port de Balès, with a lead of twelve minutes. The front group started to fragment and dropped to eleven riders.
Voeckler, who had the support of Gautier in a six man break, launched an attack as Vassil Kiriyenka (Sky) joined them.
With five kilometres to the summit of the Port de Balès, Voeckler attacked again, only for Serpa to bring him back.
Pinot and Nibali started to bring the time down slowly as Movistar controlled what remained of the peloton.
Serpa took the 25 points ahead of Voeckler and Rogers, followed by Vassil Kiriyenka who was 22 seconds back.
Pinot took on Nibali as up front Michael Rogers flew past Gautier with just under four kilometres left.
Rogers was eight seconds clear as Kiriyenka led the chase behind him. The Tinkoff Saxo rider was not caught and took his win in 6.07.10, giving a bow as he crossed the finished line ahead of Voeckler and Kiriyenka, José Serpa and Cyril Gautier.
"It's amazing." said Rogers. "I knew when I got to the bottom of the climb, I had a chance. I have been in this position too many times not to win, so I made sure I got the win."
Vincenzo Nibali came in over two minutes down but keeps his leaders jersey by 4.37 over Valverde.