If there was anyone able to grab a stage win for CSC on the Tour de France's 10th stage here Wednesday, it was Jens Voigt.

However the German, who suggested he would have dedicated the victory to his stricken teammate Stuart O'Grady, was left with the crumbs after being outfoxed in the closing meters, leaving the outcome to a tight sprint duel between Sandy Casar and Cedric Vasseur.

Voigt, watching three of his sprint rivals on his left, fell victim to Vasseur's perfectly-executed attack as the experienced Frenchman sneaked up on Voight’s right in the race's final 200 meters.

The big German then ran out of steam as he tried to catch Vasseur, who beat a resurging Casar by a wheel rim at the line.

Voigt was obviously upset, but admitted it would have been a perfect stage for O'Grady. Unfortunately, the Aussie is still in a hospital with his pregnant wife by his side as he tries to dull, thanks to regular doses of morphine, the pain of a dramatic crash on Sunday's stage to Le Grand Bornand.

"I was actually thinking that if I won it, I should mention that we are trying to do it for Stuey," said Voigt. "Today would have been a really great stage for him today to be in a breakaway. So, it's always hard to lose a member of your team like that, a good friend. The Tour de France is so hard, you're not colleagues, for three weeks you're one family.

"I just heard today that he actually broke both collarbones and he has to stay three more days in intensive care. It's really difficult for him and his wife because she's pregnant; she's only got three weeks to go."

CSC's main role in this year's race is trying to get Spaniard Carlos Sastre as close to the yellow jersey as possible. But before Saturday's first big time trial in Albi, where Cadel Evans - still sitting fourth overall at 2min 41sec behind Denmark's Michael Rasmussen- could make a bid to take possession of the yellow jersey, there are a couple of opportunities for stage wins.

Voigt is an old hand at recognizing when it's time to get in breakaways, saw his window of opportunity open up after T-Mobile's Marcus Burghardt went off on his own shortly after the first small climb on the 229.5km stage. Burghardt had seemingly recovered from crashing into a dog on Tuesday's stage, but at the 81km mark he was caught by Voigt's 10-man group, who had been giving chase for nearly 10km. The peloton - upon hearing that news - were shamed into action but despite reducing the gap to 10 minutes the lure of the finish line caused a split in the leading group, and pushed the peloton even further back. A five-man group including Voigt, Vasseur, Casar, Michale Albasini and Patrice Halgand then broke clear with 30km to race to go on and contend the stage.

And Vasseur admitted his victory was partly down to Voigt.

"I knew Voigt was one of the strongest in the bunch, so I followed his wheel. In fact, he brought me back on the last climb when I was starting to feel the fatigue," said the Frenchman, who handed Quick Step their third win of the race following victories by Tom Boonen and Gert Steegmans.

Vasseur was particularly calm in the closing kilometers, but with the four other riders busy watching each other, he surged up the right hand side and took a decisive lead.

He was given a run for his money in the two-man race for the line, but for Casar - who simply ran out of road - second place was still not enough.

"I didn't win the stage, so obviously I did something wrong," said Casar, who is still looking for his first Tour stage win.

"But don't worry. The Tour isn't over yet,” he said with a smile."

It was the second stage win for Vasseur and comes ten years after his victory in 1997 at La Chatre when he wore the yellow jersey for five days.