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Climbs:
Km 76.5 - Cτte of Barcus : 2.4 km climb at 6.9 % - Level 3
Km 120.5 - Marie-Blanque Pass : 9.2 km climb at 7.7 % - Level 1
Km 158.5 - Aubisque Pass : 16.5 km climb at 7.1 % - Highest Level
Km 168.5 - Soulor Pass : 2.3 km climb at 4.3 % - Level 2
Km 205 - Arrival at Lourdes-Hautacam : 13.5 km climb at 7.9% - Highest Level
| Stage 10 : Monday July 10th : Dax / Lourdes-Hautacam |
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Otxoa wins, Armstrong stars With the first week prelude out of the way, the real race for overall honors in the Tour de France began today.
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| Stage Highlights |
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The Top Three:
1. Javia Otxoa 2. Lance Armstrong 3. Jose-Maria Jimenez 17.13 - Stage Winner Also King of the Mountain Otxoa will wear the spotted jersey of King of the Mountains for tomorrow's 11th stage. 16.11 - The Top 10... The top 10 of stage 10 are: 1. Javia Otxoa (Kelme); 2. Lance Armstrong (USP) @ 42"; 3. Jose-Maria Jimenez (Banesto) 1'13"; 4. Richard Virenque (Polti) 1'57"; 5. Manuel Beltran (Banesto) st; 6. Fernadno Escartin (Kelme) 2'02"; 7. Roberto Heras (Kelme) st; 8. Christophe Moreau (Festina) 3'05"; 9. Joseba Beloki (Fesina) 3'35: 10. Alex Zulle (Banesto) 3'47".
Otxoa will wear the spotted jersey of King of the Mountains for tomorrow's 11th stage. 16.11 - The Top 10... The top 10 of stage 10 are: 1. Javia Otxoa (Kelme); 2. Lance Armstrong (USP) @ 42"; 3. Jose-Maria Jimenez (Banesto) 1'13"; 4. Richard Virenque (Polti) 1'57"; 5. Manuel Beltran (Banesto) st; 6. Fernadno Escartin (Kelme) 2'02"; 7. Roberto Heras (Kelme) st; 8. Christophe Moreau (Festina) 3'05"; 9. Joseba Beloki (Fesina) 3'35: 10. Alex Zulle (Banesto) 3'47". 16.08 - Ullrich 3'55" Off Winner's Time Ullrich finished in 13th place 3'55" behind the winner, Otxoa. 16.07 - Pantani Is Yet To Finish The 1998 winner, Marco Pantani is yet to finish... He is in the finishing straight now. 16.06 - Zulle 3'47" Behind Otxoa; 3'06" Behind Lance Zulle has crossed the line 3'47" behind the stage winner and over three minutes behind the storming finish of Lance... 16.05 - Ullrich Still Down The Mountain Richard Virenque has finished, but the 1997 champion Ullrich is yet to finish. There's no sign of the pink of Pantani either... 16.04 - El Chaba Third... Jimenez got third place 1'13" behind the winner. 16.04 - A Yellow Postie! Lance will be the new leader of the Tour de France after this epic stage. 16.03 - Lance Second By 41 Seconds Lance has finished just 41" shy of the stage win. 16.02 - The Win Goes To Kelme Otxoa will get the win! He has finihsed the stage in 6h09'31"! Lance is in the final straight. 16.01 - Otxoa 300 Meters To Race! Otxoa might just hold on. He has just 300 meters to race. 16.01 - 1km To Go For Lance... Lance is now less than 2 minutes away from Otxoa... The current leader has 1'23" advantage on Lance. 16.00 - Lance Is Searching For Otxoa Lance is out of the saddle with his chain in the middle of his rear gear cluster. Otxoa is struggling at the front of the race. Lance is absolutely flying. 15.59 - One Kilometer To Go For Otxoa The lead of Otxoa is now 2'15". It now seems as though Otxoa too will sucumb to Lance's increadible ride today... Otxoa led by 8'00" at the bottom of the climb... Otxoa is now in the final 1,000 meters. 15.57 - Jimenez is Out of the Picture El Chaba hasn't been able to follow Lance's latest surge. There is now Otxoa in the lead; then Lance, then Jimenez... Lance has 2km to race. 15.56 - Jimenez Suffering Again Lance has surged again and looks like he's going to drop Jimenez. He is now out of the saddle and in pursuit of Otxoa. 15.56 - Otxoa Has 2km To Defend His Lead Otxoa has just gone under the 2km to go kite. Armstrong is now 2'57" behind the stage leader. 15.55 - 37" Lead Over Virenque For Lance Lance is now 37" clear of Virenque's group... 15.54 - 3km To Go For Armstrong Lance and Jimenez are now in the final 3km of the stage. 15.54 - Slow Grind For Otxoa - Fast Dance For Armstrong Armstrong and Jimenez are now closing in on Otxoa at an extremely rapid pace. There is no let-up in the final 3km of the climb today. It now seems as though Armstrong will indeed catch the Kelme rider. 15.52 - Otxoa Loses 1 Minute In 500 Meters Armstrong might well win the stage. Otxoa has lost a minute in the last 500 meters! 15.51 - Otxoa Leads By 4'25" Lance is now trying to dance his way clear of Jimenez, but the Banesto rider is matching him. They are 4'25" behind Otxoa. 15.50 - 4'45" Otxoa's Latest Lead Otxoa's last time check was 4'45" ahead of Armstrong. 15.50 - Jimenez Now Matches Lance El Chaba - Jimenez - has now caught Armstrong. The two are battling it out for second-place honors now... Otxoa still leads the race, but there is no time check for the Kelme leader. 15.49 - The Postal Man Is In Yellow! Lance doesn't even look like slowing down. He is in the yellow at the end of the day for sure. Now only Jimenez can come close to the Postal rider. He has 5km to race. 15.47 - He Leaves Them All Behind He might not catch Otxoa lead, but Lance has left the group of Virenque behind. He now only has Otxoa to catch! 15.46 - Lance Now Surges Again! Jimenez, Heras, Virenque, Virenque... No match for Lance. He has passed them all and is now setting a furious pace at the head of this elite group. 15.34 - Armstrong Continues Alone! Armstrong proves he is a climbng king by dropping Pantani. He is now well clear of Pantani. 15.32 - Armstrong Looking Behind For Pantani! Lance continues to lead 'Il Pirata'... 15.31 - Armstrong Driving Pantani is now following the wheel of the 1999 Tour champion as he sets the tempo. 15.31 - Pantani-Armstrong Ahead of Ullrich Ullrich hasn't been able to follow the Pantani attack. Zulle has dropped out of this elite group! 15.30 - Armstrong Now Joins Pantani Armstrong has joined Pantani's attack. 15.26 - Otxoa Inherits Spotted Jersey Otxoa has now inherited the lead in the King of the Mountains competition. He has 6km to race to the summit at Hautacam. 15.25 - Otxoa's Initial Attack Came at 50km The leader over the four climbs to, Javier Otxoa, attacked the peloton at the 50km mark. 15.24 - Details Of Final Climb The Hors Cateogry climb to Lourdes-Hautacam is 13.5km with an average gradient of 7.9 per cent. The rain has stopped for Otxoa's passage up the climb, but the roads are wet and slippery. 15.23 - Otxoa Passes 'Il Diablo' The leader is now on the final climb to Hautacam. He has just passed the famed 'Devil' about 16km from the finish. 15.20 - Otxoa Leads Virenque's Group By 8'46" The stage leader, Otxoa is now 8'46" ahead of the group of Virenque. 15.18 - Armstrong Now Within Final 20km The Armstrong-Ullrich-Pantani group is now also within the final 20km. 15.18 - 20km To Go For Virenque's Group There is just 20km to go for Virenque's group. There is no recent time check of this Virenque-Jimenez-Escartin-Heras group. 15.17 - Escartin's Group Catches Virenque The group of Escartin has caught up with Virenque and Mancebo. 15.14 - The Situation With 25km To Go Otxoa leads Mattan by 5'30", Virenque & Mancebo by 8'20"; Escartin, Heras, Botero, Jimenez & Beltran 9'10"; and the group of Armstrong by 10'35". 15.13 - 25km To Go For Armstrong The Armstrong group has just passed under the 25km to go banner. They are 10'35" behind Otxoa's lead. 15.12 - Armstrong's Group The group of Armstrong, which was 11'00" behind at the Soulor summit includes: Zulle, Baranowski, Piepoli (Ban), Nardello & Zanini (Mapei), Boogerd (Rabobank), Luttenberger (ONCE), Ullrich & Guerini (Telekom), Pantani (Mercatone Uno) and Bobby Julich (CA). 15.09 - Botero Waits For Escartin & Heras Botero (Kelme) who was with Virenque over the summit of the Soulor, is now waiting for his two team-mates Roberto Heras and Fernando Escartin. 15.06 - 36.5km Between Soulor Summit & The Finish The main contenders are now in the valley between the Col du Soulor and the final climb to the Hors Category finish at Lourdes-Hautacam. There is 36.5km between the two summits. 15.03 - Reflecting After Soulor Summit... The situation at the Soulor is: 1. Otxoa; 2. Mattan @ 4'40"; 3. Virenque @ 8'56"; 4. Mancebo; 5. Bottero; 6. Escartin @ 9'20"; 7. Heras; 8. Beltran; 9. Jimenez; 10. Beloki @ 9'45"; 11. Herve; 12. Aienza @ 10'00"; 13. Aerts @ 10'30". Next came Armstrong-Ullrich-Pantani at 11'00". 15.01 - Armstrong 11'00" Behind At the Summit of Soulor Armstrong's group - including Ullrich and Pantani is 11'00" behind the lead of Otxoa. 14.59 - Jimenez's Group 9'20" At Soulor Jimenez-Escartin-Beltran passed the summit of the Soulor 9'20" behind the leader. 14.58 - Virenque's Group Over Summit of Soulor The Virenque group passed the summit of the Soulor 8'56" behind Otxoa. 14.55 - Mattan 4'40" Behind At Solour Mattan is 4'40" behind Otxoa at the summit of the Col du Solour. 14.54 - The Results of The Aubisque The top placings for the Col d'Aubisque are: 1. Otxoa; 2. Mattan @ 4'05"; 3. Mancebo @ 10'00"; 4. Botero @ st; 5. Beltran @ 10'30; 6. Virenque st; 7. Beloki st; 8. Atienza st; 9. Heras st; 10. Jimenez st; 11. Escartin st; 12. Odriozola st; 13. Herve st. 14.51 - Virenque Catches Botero & Mancebo Virenque has caught the two riders who passed the Aubisque summit ahead of him. He is now riding wtih Botero and Mancebo. 14.49 - Otxoa Over The Col du Soulor The leader of the stage, Javier Otxoa has just passed the 4th summit of the stage. He is now passed the Col du Soulor. 14.46 - Virenque Attacks On Descent Virenque has attacked his group on the descent of the Aubisque. 14.46 - Armstrong's Group 11'35" Behind Otxoa The group of Armstrong-Ullrich-Pantani-Zulle were 11'35" behind at the summit. 14.45 - Virenque's Group Over Summit Virenque's group is now over the summit. They were 10'30" behind. 14.44 - 2nd & 3rd At Summit - 10'00" Behind Otxoa Virenque's group wasn't the third on the road. The 2nd and 3rd placings at the summit go to: Mancebo and Botero. These two riders were 10'00" behind Otxoa. 14.42 - Virenque Surging Virenque is now at the front of his group in search of third-place points at the summit of the Aubisque. 14.41 - Virenque's Group Next To Pass Summit With two rider already on the descent of the Aubisque the next group to reach the summit is that of Virenque. It includes: Virenque, Herve (Polti), Odriozola (Ban), Escartin, Heras (Kelme), Beloki (Festina) and Beltran (Mapei). They are less that 1,000 meters from the summit. 14.38 - Two Leaders Over Summit Javier Otxoa is on the descent. He claimed the 40 points for first place at the Col d'Aubsique. Next is Nico Mattan at 4'04". 14.35 - Armstrong Steady Armstrong is yet to take a turn at the front of his group. This elite collective is currently being led by Guerini. 14.33 - A Horse On The Descent There's a horse on the road leading down from the Col d'Aubisque. 14.32 - Otxoa Still Leading Javier Otxoa is still at the front of the race. He is near the summit of the Aubisque. 14.30 - Armstrong's Group The Armstrong group also includes Zulle, Baranowski, Piepoli, Escartin Pascual, Bartoli, Nardello, Boogerd, Luttenberger, Ullrich, Guerini, Pantani, Zaina, Salvodelli, Moreau, Van de Wouver and Julich. 14.29 - Virenque's Group Virenque the Jimenez attack is now six-strong. The group of the Banesto climber is Herve, Heras, Escartin and Beloki. 14.28 - Otxoa Nears The Summit We'll be able to reflect on the order of the riders on the road soon. Otxoa is nearing the summit of the Col d'Aubisque. He is at the head of the race. 14.26 - Olano Loses Contact Olano is now drifting off the back of the Armstrong group. 14.26 - Roberto Heras Now Joins Virenque Roberto Heras (Kelme) has joined the Virenque/Herve attack. 14.25 - Virenque With Herve Polti's Herve has had mechanical troubles, but he is now with his team-mate Virenque ahead of the Armstrong group. 14.24 - Virenque Attacks Virenque has attacked Amrstrong's group. 14.24 - Guerini Leads Ullrich/Armstrong/Zulle Group Telekom have two riders in the elite bunch which includes Armstrong, Virenque, Pantani and Zulle. The Telekom rider setting the pace is Guerini. 14.22 - No More Posties With Armstrong Armstrong has no more team-mates with him. He is in a group which includes Ullrich, Zulle, Olano, Pantani and Virenque. 14.21 - Otxoa Still Up Front Otxoa is still at the front of the race ahead of Mattan by 2'00". 14.20 - Ullrich Now Leading Armstrong's Group Jan Ullrich is now at the front of the Armstrong group which also includes Virenque, Zulle, and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank). 14.20 - Escartin Goes With Jimenez Jimenez's group includes Escartin (Kelme), Beltran (Mapei), Beloki (Festina) and Herve (Polti). 14.18 - Bartoli Drifts Back Jimenez has continued his attack. The instigator, Bartoli is now drifting back to Armstrong's group. 14.18 - JaJa Off The Back The former race leader, Laurent Jalabert is off the back of the Armstrong group. 14.17 - Hamilton Leading Armstrong Tyler Hamilton is leading Armstrong chase of the attack by Bartoli. 14.17 - Bartoli's Group Now Has Six Bartoli's attack has left Armstrong and Zulle behind. The Italian champion has five other with him. 14.15 - Extebarria Can't Quite Cross To Bartoli's Break Bartoli has taken Jimenez with him. Extebarria can't quite catch up to the surge of the world's former number-one rider, Bartoli. 14.13 - Bartoli Attacks Postal Peloton The Italian champion, Bartoli has attacked the peloton of Armstrong. He is being chased by Jimenez (Banesto) and Extebarria (ONCE). 14.12 - Hoj Reeled In By Postal Chase The early escapee, Frank Hoj has been caught by the peloton. 14.11 - Dufaux Losing Contact With Peloton Saeco's team leader, Laurent Dufaux is now in difficulty off the back of the peloton. 14.11 - Elli In Trouble Again Alberto Elli has again lost touch with the main peloton which is being led by Armstrong's Postal team. 14.10 - The Aubisque's Tour History This is the 66th time the Tour has passed the Col d'Aubisque. The last three winners on this Hors Cateogry climb were: Alberto Elli (1999), Cedric Vasseur (1998) and Neil Stephens (1996). 14.08 - Hors Category Climbing Points The points for the Col d'Aubisque (Hors Category) go down to 15th place. The first rider receives 40pts then 35, 30, 26, 22, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 & 1. 14.06 - Six Posties Lead The Peloton Armstrong is behind five team-mates who are currently leading the peloton's chase. Another Postie, Hincapie, is up the road in a break which includes Salvodelli, Herve and the former race leader, David Millar. 14.04 - Roland Meier Retires Rolan Meier and Dario Pieri are the latest riders to abandon the Tour. 14.03 - Otxoa Leads By 38" Otxoa is at the front of the race alone on the climb of the Aubisque. He is 38" clear of Mattan. 14.01 - The Situation Now... Otxoa leads Mattan by a few hundred meters. Then comes Durand at 6'40"; Sandstod at 11'00"; Commesso, Botero, Atienza, Mancebo & Hoj at 12'40"; Odriozola, Verheyen & Pascual-Llorente at 13'10"; Herve, Millar, Salvodelli, Hincapie, Tauler at 14'20". 13.59 - Posties Leading the Peloton's Chase The US Postal team is now in charge of the peloton's chase. 13.57 Otxoa Goes Alone Again... On the climb of the Aubisque, Otxoa has gone alone again. His fellow escapee, Mattan is now about 100 meters off the lead. 13.55 Four Posties At the Front of Peloton Tyler Hamilton is amongst four US Postal riders at the front of the peloton. They are now at the site of the 2nd sprint - at the 140th kilometer. 13.54 Pantani Being Nursed Back To Peloton There are several Mercatone Uno riders taking Pantani back to the peloton after his mechanical. 13.54 Pantani Has Mechanical Problems! The 1998 Tour champion, Marco Pantani has had a mechanical problem. He is now at the back of the 80-strong peloton. 13.52 Sandstod 11'00" Back Sandstod is 11'00" behind the lead of Otxoa and Mattan. The Danish rider is the fourth rider to pass the site of the second sprint prime. 13.51 Second Unlucky Tour For Vaughters After withdrawal after falling on the Passage de Gois in last year's Tour, Vaughters has now retired from his second Tour de France after a fall on the descent of the Col de Marie-Blanque. 13.50 Vaughters In An Ambulance Vaughters hasn't returned to the race. He is now in an ambulance. 13.49 Durand 3rd At Sprint Durand has taken the 2pts for 3rd at the 2nd sprint. He was 6'40" behind the two leaders at the 140km mark. 13.48 Vaughters Afterall... The race radio has now announced that the falled Credit Agricole rider was Vaughters, as they originally suggested, not Voigt. 13.45 80 Riders In Peloton There are now 80 riders still in the peloton. Lance Armstrong passed the summit of the Marie-Blanque just out of the points, but near the front of the peloton which included Virenque and Ullrich. 13.45 Aubisque Next Challenge The 'Hors Category' climb of the Col d'Aubisque is the next challenge. The summit is at the 158.5km mark - the climb is 16.5km long with an average gradient of 7.1 per cent. 13.44 Voigt: Not Vaughters The fall in the peloton was Credit Agricole's Jens Voigt, not Vaughters. 13.43 Another Fall... Vaughters Now There has been another fall in the peloton. The latest victim is Jonathan Vaughters (CA). 13.40 Two Leaders Arrive At 2nd Sprint Mattan and Otxoa are now nearing the 2nd intermediate sprint (at Laruns, 143.5km). 13.37 Mattan & Otxoa Still Up Front The two leaders are still Kelme's Otxoa and Cofidis' Mattan. 13.36 Top 10 of Marie-Blanque The top 10 at the 120.5km climb are: 1. Otxoa 30pts; 2. Mattan 26pts at 32; 3. Durand 22pts at 410; 4. Sandstod 18pts at 820; 5. Botero 14pts at 1310; 6. Herve 12pts at st; 7. Atienza 10pts at 1317; 8. Mancebo 8pts at 1345; 9. Hoj 6pts at 1357; 10. Virenque 4pts at 1420. 13.35 Elli Rejoins The Peloton After the summit, Elli has caught back up with the peloton. 13.33 Herve Also Falls Herve has also fallen but is back on his bike again. 13.29 5th, 6th & 7th Places At Summit The minor placings at the summit of the Col de Marie-Blanque are: 5. Herve at 13'10"; 6. Botero st; 7. Atienza at 13'17". 13.27 Bartoli & Armstrong At Head of Peloton Armstrong, Bartoli and Virenque are at the front of the chasing peloton. 13.26 No Time Gaps For Leading Duo Otxoa and Mattan continue to lead the stage. There are no time checks for the peloton at this stage. 13.25 Robin Also Loses Touch... The Bonjour team leader, Jean-Cyril Robin is off the back of the peloton. 13.24 Botero Catches Herve Santiago Botero has caught Pascal Herve in front of the peloton. 13.23 Sandstod Over Summit Michael Sandstod has taken fourth at the summit of the Col de Marie-Blanque. He is 8'20" behind Otxoa. 13.22 Moreau Punctures Christophe Moreau has punctured at the back of the peloton. 13.22 Gougot Also In Trouble The rider who began the day in 2nd overall, Fabrice Gougot is now also off the back of the peloton. 13.21 Botero In Pursuit of Herve Santiago Botero of the Kelme team has passed Mancebo at the head of the peloton. He is now closing in on Herve. 13.21 Elli Also Goes Off The Back The race leader, Elli is now also off the back of the peloton. 13.20 Herve Drops Mancebo Herve has dropped his peloton-escapee, Mancebo. 13.20 VDB In Trouble The leader of the Cofidis team, Frank Vandenbroucke has also dropped off the back of the peloton. 13.19 Durand 3rd At Summit Durand has taken 3rd at the summit, 4'10" behind the lead of Otxoa. 13.19 Herve & Mancebo Join Forces Herve has caught Mancebo ahead of the peloton. 13.18 Herve Attacks The Peloton Mancebo has a lead of about 100 meters on the peloton. He is now being chased by Herve (Polti). 13.17 Mattan Rejoins Otxoa On the descent, Mattan has caught up with Otxoa at the front of the race. 13.16 Another Banesto Attacks Odriozola's attack was reeled in the by the peloton. There has been another Banesto attack from Mancebo. 13.15 Mattan At 32" Mattan is the second rider of the summit. He is 32" behind Otxoa. 13.14 Otxoa Passes Summit Otxoa has taken the 30 points as the first rider across the summit of the Col de Marie-Blanque. 13.13 Odriozola Attacks The Peloton One of the Banesto riders, Jon Odriozola, has attacked the peloton. 13.13 Steels Also In Trouble The winner of two stages this year, Tom Steels, is also dropping off the back of the peloton. 13.12 Kirsipuu Also Losing Contact Jaan Kirsipuu is losing touch with the peloton. His AG2R team-mate, Kasputis is also going off the back of the peloton. 13.11 Banesto Continue To Lead Peloton The peloton is still being led by the Banesto team of Zulle, Jimenez and Piepoli. 13.10 Javier Leads The Stage The Kelme colors of Spain's Javier Otxoa leads the stage with 1km to go to the summit. 13.09 Otxoa Goes Alone Nico Mattan hasn't been able to go with a surge by Otxoa near the summit of the Marie-Blanque. 13.08 Riders Dropping Off Back of Main Bunch Backstedt, Langella, Hinault (CA) and McEwen are dropping off the back of the peloton. 13.08 Both Leaders Pedalling Easiest Gear Both the two leaders are pedalling the easiest gear on the approach of the summit of the Col de Marie-Blanque. From the pictures we're getting it appears as though Otxoa is riding a 39/25 gear... 13.05 Mattan & Otxoa Still Together At the front of the race, Nico Mattan and Javier Otxoa are sharing the work as they approach the summit of the Col de Marie-Blanque. There is no time check on Durand, but the fourth rider, Sandstod is 6'45" behind the leading duo. 13.04 Guerini Has A Mechanical Problem The winner of the Alpe d'Huez stage last year, Guerini (Telekom) has dropped to the back of the peloton with a mechanical problem. 13.03 Category-One Points The points on offer for category-one climbs go down to 12th place. The first rider gets 30pts, then 26, 22, 18, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 & 1. 12.53 Col de Marie-Blanque's Tour History The Tour has passed the category-one Col de Marie-Blanque on eight previous occassions. The most-recent winner of the prime at the top was Australia's Neil Stephens (in 1996). 12.53 Durand Drops Off The tempo on the climb has been lifted by Otxoa and Mattan. Durand had quickly lost contact with his fellow breakaway companions. 12.53 90km For Leading Trio To Race The Durand/Mattan/Otxoa now have 90km to race. They lead Sandstod by 6'45" with 9km remaining to climb on the Col de Marie-Blanque. 12.50 The Situation Now The Durand/Mattan/Otxoa group is 5'50" ahead of Sandstod; and 7'50" ahead of Hoj. The Banesto-led peloton are at 16'55". 12.46 Col de Marie-Blanque The three leaders - Durand, Otxoa and Mattan - have begun the first category-1 climb of the 2000 Tour. They are now on the 1,035 meter Col de Marie-Blanque. 12.44 Eight Banestos Lead The Peloton The race for Alex Zulle has begun in earnest. He is at the back of a seven-man Banesto train which is now leading the peloton's chase of the escaped riders. The Swiss rider on the Spanish team was second in last year's Tour. 12.40 Banesto Begin Their Chase Four Banesto riders have come to the front of the peloton's chase of the three escapees. 12.38 The Situation After Peloton Passes Feedzone As the peloton pass the 93km mark, the leading trio have an advantage over Sandstod of 4'55"; then comes Hoj at 6'10" and the peloton at 16'52". 12.36 Durand Virtual Leader By Over 14 Minutes... With four major mountain passes still to come, Jacky Durand - who began the day in 6th place, 3'17" off the overall lead - is the virtual leader at this stage of the race by over 14 minutes. 12.34 Leading Trio 17'30" Ahead Of Peloton With Michael Sandstod sandwiched in between the peloton and the three leaders (at 5'35") the peloton's deficit to Durand, Mattan & Otxoa is 17'30"! 12.33 Jean-Patrick Nazon Abandons Francaise des Jeux rider, Jean-Patrick Nazon is the first rider to succumb to the woeful conditions today. He has abandoned the Tour de France. There are now 170 riders still in the race. 12.32 102km To Race For Three Leaders Three leaders at the 103km mark. The peloton is now arriving at the feedzone - at the 93rd kilometer. 12.27 New Time Checks As the leaders pass the 95km mark, they are 4'55" ahead of Sandstod and 6'10" ahead of Hoj. 12.22 The Situation Now... The three leaders are 3'55" ahead of Sandstod, 5'00" ahead of Hoj and 14'00" ahead of the peloton. 12.19 Durand Misses His Feed... Jacky Durand failed to grab his muset bag in the feedzone. 12.17 Escapees In Feedzone The three leaders are now at the feedzone - at the 93km mark. They have an advantage of 4'02" on the fourth rider on the road, Sandstod. 12.14 Lefevre Back With Peloton After losing contact earlier, Laurent Lefevre has rejoined the peloton on the descent after the first climb. 12.13 Sandstod 3'55" Behind The Leaders The trio at the front of the race - Durand, Mattan and Oxtoa - are 3'55" ahead of the fourth rider on the road, Sandstod. The fifth rider on the road, Hoj, is at 5'00". 12.10 Rain Falling Over The Race Now After a brief interlude, rain has returned to soak the riders in today's 10th stage. 12.06 No Time Check For Lonely Sandstod Michael Sandstod continues his chase of the three leaders all on his own. There is now time check now for the rider who was 3'15" behind Oxtoa at the summit of the climb (at 76.5km). 12.06 Peloton 11'20" Behind At Climb The peloton were 11'20" behind the winner of the category-3 climbing points, Oxtoa at the summit of the Cote de Barcus. 12.04 Rabobank Lead Peloton Over Climb The peloton is being led by the Rabobank team of the reigning King of the Mountains, Dekker. The latest time check had them 7'30" behind the leaders. 12.03 Three Losing Ground Nazon (Bonjour), Pieri (Saeco) and Lefevre (Cofidis) are losing contact at the back of the peloton. 12.00 Cote de Barcus Points The full standings for the first climb are: 1. Oxtoa (Kelme) 10pts 2. Mattan (Cofidis) 7pts 3. Durand (Lotto) 5pts - @ 23" 4. Sandstod (MCJ) 3pts - @ 3'15" 5. Hoj (FDJ) 1pt - 4'25". 11.58 Sandstod Takes Fourth-Place Points Sandstod passed the summit of the Cote de Barcus 3'15" behind the leaders. He took 3pts for the effort. 11.58 Average Speed For Second Hour The average speed for the second hour of racing was 41.5kph. The total average for the first two hours is 37.95kph. 11.56 Durand Closing On Two Leaders On the descent, Durand is closing on his two earlier escapees, Oxtoa and Mattan. 11.55 The Results Of The Cote de Barcus The first three category-3 points at the summit of the Cote de Barcus went to the following riders: 1. Javier Oxtoa (Kelme) 10pts 2. Nico Mattan (Cofidis) 7pts 3. Jacky Durand (Lotto) 5pts - @ 23" 11.51 Durand Loses Ground On Climb Nearing the summit of the first climb, Durand has dropped out of the leading trio. There are now two riders at the front, Oxtoa and Mattan. 11.48 Durand Virtual Leader After all his attacks in the first week, Durand has worked his way into a virtual lead of the Tour de France. The Lotto rider began the day in 6th position overall (3'17" off Elli's lead). Durand is now 7'10" ahead of the peloton which includes Alberto Elli. 11.46 First Climb Due Soon The leading trio are now at 72km. The first climb - a cat-3 rise up the 386m Cote de Barcus - is at the 76.5km mark. 11.45 The Current Situation... The latest check has Sandstod 2'00" behind the three leaders. Then comes Hoj at 2'45" and the peloton at 7'10". 11.43 Sandstod Resumes His Chase After chatting with his team director, Johnny Weltz, Michael Sandstod has resumed his chase of the leading three. He is 2'00" behind the leaders. 11.42 Leading Trio 7'10" Clear There is a new attack at the head of the peloton by a Farm Frites rider. The leading trio - Durand, Mattan and Oxtoa - are 7'10" ahead of the peloton. 11.40 Three Leaders 6'10" Ahead of Peloton Durand, Mattan and Oxtoa have a lead of 6'10" on the peloton. The two counter-attackers, Hoj and Sandstod are waiting for the peloton. 11.38 Sandstod Quits His Chase Michael Sandstod (MCJ) is now waiting for the peloton. 11.37 Ullrich Back With Peloton After changing his bike, the 1997 Tour champion, Jan Ullrich is now back with the peloton. 11.37 Durand Doesn't Take A Turn At The Front The original attacker today, Durand, hasn't taken a turn at the front of the race for several kilometers now. The other two stage leaders, Oxtoa and Mattan are sharing the workload evenly at the moment. 11.35 The Current Time Gaps Durand/Oxtoa/Mattan lead Sandstod by 1'30", then Hoj by 1'55" and the peloton by 4'28". 11.33 Ullrich Changes His Bike At the back of the peloton, Jan Ullrich has taken a new bike. 11.33 Hoj Drops Off Hoj has dropped out of the chase. The situation now has three riders up front - Durand, Mattan & Oxtoa - followed by Sandstod (at 1'27"). Hoj is returning to the peloton which is 4'27" behind the leading trio. 11.27 The Situation Now Durand/Mattan/Oxtoa are 1'05" ahead of Hoj & Sandstod and 2'10" ahead of the peloton. 11.24 Hoj Joined By Memory Card Rider Hoj's chase is now assisted by another counter attack. Sandstod and Hoj are now in pursuit of the three leaders. 11.22 Hoj At 40"; The Peloton at 58" The Durand/Oxtoa/Mattan break leads Hoj by 40", the peloton is 58" behind the three leaders. 11.20 150km To Race The leaders have covered 55km now. There are 150km to go in today's 10th stage. 11.20 Hoj Is The Chasing Rider Frank Hoj is the FDJ rider in pursuit of the three leaders. 11.19 FDJ Rider Chasing There is a lone Francaise des Jeux rider now chasing the three leaders. 11.18 Leaders 22" Ahead of Peloton The Durand/Mattan/Oxtoa break is 22" clear of the peloton. 11.17 Three Leaders Now Durand has been caught by Mattan and Oxtoa. The three are now together at the front of the stage. The peloton is 12" behind these leaders. 11.16 Two Closing In On Durand Durand is 12" ahead of Mattan and Oxtoa. The peloton is only 10" behind the counter-attackers. 11.13 Mattan & Oxtoa Counter-Attackers The Cofidis and Kelme riders who are now chasing Durand are Nico Mattan and Javier Oxtoa. They are 30" behind the leader and 10" ahead of the peloton. 11.12 Peloton Now Reacting There are several surges at the front of the peloton. The latest is from a Cofidis and a Kelme rider. 11.11 Durand At 48.5km Durand is still alone at the front of the race at the 48.5km mark. He attacked at 32km. His lead is currently 48" on the peloton. 11.06 Results Of The Sprint The results of the first sprint, at 41.5km are: 1. Jacky Durand (Lotto) 6pts 2. Erik Zabel (Telekom) 4pts - at 1'00" 3. Damian Nazon (Bonjour) 2pts. 11.05 Zabel Ready For Minor Sprint Points Erik Zabel is at the front of the chasing peloton as they approach the sprint at Sauveterre-de-Bearn. 11.04 Durand The Lone Leader Now Commesso's surge is over. The pace of the race has picked up and the peloton is now all regrouped with 1km to go to the first intermediate sprint. Durand is on his own 1'17" at the front of the race. 11.02 Commesso's Counter-Attack Attracks A Few Others There is now a significant reaction from the peloton after Commesso's attack. There are several groups now ahead of the main bunch. 11.00 Commesso Chasing Durand Durand's lead is now 1'30". He is being chased by the leader of the Best Young Rider competition, Salvatore Commesso. 10.59 Special Bikes For Mountain Stages Look has given the climbing favorites of the Credit Agricole and Kelme teams - Bobby Julich, Jonathan Vaughters (CA) and Fernando Escartin and Roberto Heras - special bikes for this mountain stage. The bikes tip the scales at just 7.5kg. 10.56 Lead Now Over One Minute Durand is now 1'21" ahead of the peloton. The Lotto rider is dancing hard on his pedals, while the peloton is content to wait until the climbs begin before their race begins. There is little interest in any chase. 10.54 First Hour Average Speed The first hour of racing has covered 34.4km. 10.53 32" Lead For Durand Durand's attack has attracted little interest from the peloton. His lead is now 32". 10.52 17" Lead For Durand The persistent Durand now has a lead on the peloton of 17". 10.51 Durand Can't Resist An Attack Jacky Durand has attacked at the 32km mark. 10.50 Third Stage Finish At Hautacam The Tour has finished at Lourdes-Hautacam twice before. The winners were Luc Leblanc (1994) and Bjarne Riis (1996). 10.46 29km Raced The peloton is currently at the 29km mark as one group. 10.38 Jalabert's Weight Drops Five Kilos The first stages of the Tour have helped former race leader, Laurent Jalabert, lose five kilograms. His normal racing weight is 68kg but at the start of today's stage, the ONCE rider is just 63kg. 10.35 Magnum of Armangac For Zabel The winner of the intermediate sprint at Parleboscq yesterday, Erik Zabel, was given a magnum of Armangac for his efforts. The presentaion was made by the Mayor of the town. 10.33 Predicted Top Temperature at Hautacam: 8 Degrees Rain is falling at the site of today's finish in Lourdes-Hautacam. The top temperature forecast for the finish is just eight degrees (C). 10.30 Eddy Merckx On Tour The winner of five Tours de France, the legendary Eddy Merckx, is at the finish today. He is in the television tribune offering his insights for today's 10th stage. 10.25 Escape All Over The efforts of Agnolutto, Zabel and company has come to nothing. The peloton is all together again at the 18km mark. 10.24 Five Leaders Now The four chasers have caught Agnolutto. 10.24 Four Chasers Erik Zabel, Stefano Zanini, Damion Nazon and Marc Wauters are in pursuit of Agnolutto. 10.23 Attack From AG2R The first attack of the 10th stage has come from an AG2R rider at the 16th kilometer. The acceleration has come from the winner of stage seven, Christohe Agnolutto. 10.21 The Other Prize Jerseys Erik Dekker is in the polka-dot jersey of King of the Mountains, while Saeco's Salvatore Commesso is in the www.letour.fr-sponsored white jersey of Best Young Rider. 10.20 Telekom With Two Leaders' Jerseys With Erik Zabel inheriting the green jersey after yesterday's stage, Deutsche Telekom has two of the four prize jerseys at the start today. Zabel's team-mate, Alberto Elli, is in the yellow jersey of race leader. 10.17 Peloton Happy To Ride At A Steady Tempo The peloton is happy to roll along at a steady tempo at the moment. They have ridden 16km as a group. The first intermediate prize today is a sprint prime at the 41.5km mark. 10.09 Rain Jackets Mostly Gone The rain has ceased for the moment. Although the roads are still wet, most of the riders have taken off the rain jackets they were wearing at the start of the 10th stage. 10.07 Average Speed For The First Nine Stages After nine stages and 1,432.5km of racing, the average speed of the 2000 Tour de France is 43,219kph. 10.03 Elli's Climbing Record Alberto Elli has a good climbing record in the Pyrenees. When the Tour raced over two of the five climbs featured in today's stage last year, Elli was first (at the Col d'Aubisque) and second (at the Col du Soulor). 10.01 The Teams Tested This Morning The seven teams which were blood tested this morning were: Mercatone Uno, Credit Agricole, ONCE-Deutsche Bank, Lotto, Saeco, La Francaise des Jeux and Banesto. Five riders from each team gave samples and no one returned a positive reading. 9.53 171 Riders Racing The flag has fallen to signal the official start of the 10th stage at 9.52am. There are 171 riders still in the race. 9.51 Yellow Jersey A Good Performer In Last Pyreneean Stage Alberto Elli, the current race leader, finished 3rd in the last Pyreneean stage of the Tour de France. In the 16th stage of the 1999 Tour, from Lannemazan to Pau, Elli finished behind David Extebarria (ONCE) and Carlos Contreras (Kelme). 9.47 Doping Controls This Morning There was a blood test for 35 riders this morning. Five riders from seven teams were tested with none returning a hematocrit reading above the legal 50 per cent limit. 9.46 Riders Rolling En-Route To The Start-Proper The riders have begun to roll toward the official start on the outskirts of Dax. There is a 3.4km neutral zone before the green flag is waved to officially start the 10th stage.
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