Stage 21 - July 26th
Montereau-Fault-Yonne—Paris Champs-Élysées (164km)

Stage 21 Results • Final Results • Live Replay
  1. Alberto Contador (Astana) at 85:48:35
  2. Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) at 04:11
  3. Lance Armstrong (Astana) at 05:24
  4. Bradley Wiggins (Garmin - Slipstream) at 06:01
  5. Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank) at 06:04
  6. Andréas Klöden (Astana) at 06:42
  7. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) at 07:35
  8. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) at 12:04
  9. Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) at 14:16
  10. Christophe Le Mevel (Francaise Des Jeux) at 14:25
Home » Top Stories » Road » » Tour de France

Live Coverage - Stage 16 Tour de France, 2008

Published: Jul. 22, 2008
  • 11:57 AM: Good day and welcome

    to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the 16th stage of the 95th edition of the Tour de France, a 157-kilometer race from Cuneo, Italy, to Jausiers in France.

    Following a flat 50km warm-up from their rest-day city of Cuneo (population 55,000), the riders face one of the most intense stretches of climbing in Tour history. After crossing the Demonte river and turning left in the little Italian village of Pratolungo, they face 11,000 feet of uphill work in the following 82km over two of the toughest hors-categorie mountain passes in Europe. The first is the Col de la Lombarde, a narrow and twisting mountain road that averages 7 percent for 21km, with the steepest pitches at up to 13 percent in the first half of the climb.

    The grade eases to 4 percent in the final 3km across the Italy-France border before descending through the ski resort of Isola 2000 (where Tony Rominger won a stage of the 1993 Tour) to the Tinee valley, where the uphill work recommences within 5km. The climb to the Cime de la Bonette averages 6.2 percent for a daunting 26.7km - and the most difficult part is at the top.

    The final 9km average 9 percent, with the maximum grade of 10.2 percent continuing for a whole kilometer. From the 9,193-foot summit (the highest in France), the survivors can look forward to a rapid 22km downhill on a recently resurfaced road to Jausiers (population 1,100) and 1.5km of valley roads before the finish line.

  • 11:58 AM: A ground-breaking stage

    The Tour has never crossed the Col de la Lombarde, nor has a stage finished at Jausiers, and the Cime de la Bonette (a.k.a. the Restefond, a nearby mountain peak) has been scaled only once in this south-to-north direction. That was in 1962, when Spain’s Federico Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo, was first over the top - but the Restefond was the first of a three-mountain, 240km stage that took the leaders more than nine hours to complete!

  • 12:04 PM: Expect GC changes

    Three weeks ago, we doubt anyone would have predicted the Tour to be this tight:
    Overall
    1. Frank Schleck (LUX), CSC at 63:57min21sec
    2. Bernhard Kohl (AUT), Gerolsteiner at 0:07
    3. Cadel Evans (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 0:08
    4. Denis Menchov (RUS), Rabobank at 0:38
    5. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 0:39
    6. Carlos Sastre (ESP), CSC at 0:49
    7. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Team Columbia at 2:48
    8. Vladimir Efimkin (RUS), Ag2r at 3:36
    9. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Caisse d'Epargne at 4:11
    10. Samuel Sanchez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 4:34

    Tough as it is, this stage doesn’t have a mountaintop finish, but the Bonette-Restefond is such a long and destructive climb that any early break is sure to be caught and few riders will be able to catch back to the leaders in the rapid plunge to the finish. With L’Alpe d’Huez on the next day’s menu, some riders may want to conserve energy, but expect the Tour’s best to contest the stage win. Who will be among those to hit the line first today? It's anybody's call, but no matter what the outcome, we can expect changes in the overall standings at this Tour, that's for certain.

  • 12:08 PM: One major absence

    Citing a major schedule conflict, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has canceled plans to visit the Tour today.

    The president's office issued a statement, noting that a current government reform proposal, has required his presence in the Elysee palace this morning. Well, Mr. Sarkozy is going to miss a heck of a show today.

  • 12:11 PM: Today's official start

    Is expect at 12:30. Riders are assembling at the "pre-start" near the village departe and well set off for the day's trip through the neutral zone at 12:20.

  • 12:12 PM: Drop us a line

    If you have a comment, question or complaint, feel free to hit the "Contact our editors" link below the Live Update Window.

    We'll read them all, answer as many as we can and even post a few during today's coverage.

  • 12:27 PM: Today's weather

    It's sunny and mild out there today, with temperatures at the start right at 26c (79f) and a wind of about 10kph from the northeast. It's a slight wind, so it won't have much effect on the stage.

    The peloton is rolling through the day's neutral zone - about five kilometers - so it will be another five minutes or so before they hit the formal start.

  • 12:33 PM: Pssssst

    Silence-Lotto's Leif Hoste has had a wheel change in the neutral zone. He's back in the field, and the peloton is about to reach the start.

    Tour director Christian Prudhomme is standing out of the sunroof of his car and ready to drop the flag - an honor that would have been handled by Nicolas Sarkozy, had he made it to the race today.

  • 12:35 PM: On their way

    The flag has dropped and Sylvain Chavanel has attacked out of the 153-rider field at km 0. He is being chased by a Lampre rider.

  • 12:36 PM: Chavanel

    is at 1km and the Lampre rider has rejoined the peloton....

    Wait, Chavanel has been pulled back. The peloton is now at 2km.

  • 12:37 PM: A new attack

    at three km, we have a group of four trying to establish a gap.

  • 12:40 PM: No easy escapes

    At 4km, nothing is getting clear yet as the peloton reels in some early moves.

  • 12:42 PM: Attacks continue at 7km

    Looks like Efimkin and Martinez among a group of five or so trying to get clear.

  • 12:44 PM: Txurruka up there, too?

    Amets Txurruka (Euskatel-Euskadi) gets up there.

  • 12:45 PM: That move caught, now Barredo goes

    Quick Step's Carlos Barredo puts in a dig.

  • 12:48 PM: Millar, Hincapie, Chavanel, O'Grady go for it

    At 10km in, Garmin-Chipotle's David Miller, Columbia's George Hincapie, Cofidis' Sylvain Chavanel and CSC's Stuart O'Grady go clear together.

  • 12:48 PM: Jens Voigt punctures

    And he's quickly back on his way.

  • 12:50 PM: Group of four caught

    At 11km

  • 12:51 PM: Trent Lowe puts his nose in the wind

    Garmin-Chipotle's young Aussie rider takes off with Cofidis rider Florent Brard.

  • 12:51 PM: Nothing doing

    Lowe and Brard caught at 14km.

  • 12:52 PM: Voigt is back in the pack

    CSC's popular German rider is safely back in the fold after his flat.

  • 12:53 PM: Chavanel again?

    Sylvain is tenacious in his attacks today, this time with a few other riders.

  • 12:54 PM: Rested legs after the rest day

    The front of the race isn't a passive affair today. Counterattack after counterattack goes as the peloton rolls through Italy back towards France.

  • 12:56 PM: Italian sprint lines

    Both of the intermediate sprints are in Italy today, en route to the HC Col de la Lombarde climb that marks the entry back into France.

  • 12:57 PM: Oscar Pereiro update

    Pereiro, the declared winner of teh 2006 Tour, is expected to undergo surgery for a broken arm in Spain today. Pereiro says the crash in Sunday's stage was one of the most frightening of his career. Pereiro described the crash in an interview published in a Spanish newspaper on Tuesday. "I was going much faster than those on the left. I think that (Damiano) Cunego (Lampre) got a slight fright. He made an abrupt move and I couldn't avoid him," Pereiro said. "I went over the barrier and I saw ... I had a vision from high above. I saw myself in the air and hit my head. I though I was going to die and hoped

    to feel nothing. To be unconscious when I hit the ground."

  • 12:57 PM: 1km to sprint line

    Freire leads the green jersey competition.

  • 12:58 PM: Millar, Chavanel, Tankink, one other go clear

    Just before the first sprint of the day. Is that Voeckler going across?

  • 12:59 PM: Brought back.

    Nothing doing at 21km.

  • 01:00 PM: Chavanel again!

    Sylvain goes yet again, this time with an Agritubel rider in pursuit.

  • 01:00 PM: First sprint results

    1. Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis)

    2. George Hincapie (Columbia)

    3. Bram Tankink (Rabobank)

  • 01:03 PM: David Lelay, from the regional races to the Tour

    Lelay is the Agritbuel rider up there with Chavanel. His father was a pro back in the day for two days. But the younger Lelay literally just turned pro. Agritubel signed him just a few weeks before the Tour. Before that he was winning a lot of smaller races in Brittany.

  • 01:04 PM: Lelay fades at 24km

    And Chavanel isn't waiting for him.

  • 01:05 PM: Lelay then Chavanel caught, Moncoutie counters

    At 25km into the race, David Moncoutie of Cofidis springs off of his teammate Chavanel.

  • 01:07 PM: Moncoutie can climb

    He can't ride in the pack, though! Moncoutie is very nervous about riding in the bunch, and prefers to ride in the very back when in a group. Now, he has no wheels but his own to worry about as he's got a great gap.

  • 01:07 PM: And the other Chavanel...

    While Sylvain was busy going off the front, Sebastien Chavanel was headed the other way. He's been spit out the back.

  • 01:09 PM: Christophe Brandt is hurting

    The Silence-Lotto rider is back at the medical car. He was having a hard time on stage 15, too, before the rest day.

  • 01:11 PM: A Bouygues Telecom rider goes across

    At 30km into the race, we have a single rider trying to jump across to Moncoutie.

  • 01:13 PM: 40km until the Col de la Lombarde

    That HC climb is the SMALL one of the day, at 2351 meters. The Cime de la Bonette-Restefond lies beyond, at 2802 meters. The Cole de la Bonette, as it is also called, claims to be the highest paved road in Europe.

  • 01:14 PM: Bouygues Telecom rider fades, but Barredo goes after

    Quick Step's Carlos Barredo is now trying his legs, putting in a bid to get across to Moncoutie.

  • 01:15 PM: Barredo catches Moncoutie at 33km

    But the pack isn't too far back.

  • 01:16 PM: The pack is through Moiola

    And breathing down the neck of the two leaders.

  • 01:17 PM: Moncoutie and Barredo are caught

    And more counters go. These guys certainly aren't taking it easy in the run-up to the two big climbs of the day.

  • 01:19 PM: Three riders get clear at 37km

    Quick Step, Cofidis and Credit Agricole have a go.

  • 01:24 PM: Three plus two make five

    At 39km into the race, we have a quintet of riders off the front.

    Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)

    Sebastien Rosseler (Quick Step)

    Christophe Le Mevel (Credit Agricole)

    Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)

    Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom)

  • 01:26 PM: Big second group going across

    There looks to be 20 riders going over from the pack to the lead five riders. Green jersey Oscar Freire, Columbia's George Hincapie and Garmin's Danny Pate are among them.

  • 01:27 PM: Yellow jersey making yellow

    Frank Schleck pulls over for a nature break, and the five up front continue to drill it.

  • 01:28 PM: At 43km

    We have five men clear of the peloton by 1:30. In between are 24 men, including Freire, at 25 seconds behind the quintent.

  • 01:30 PM: Next sprint at 50km in Vinadio

    Freire leads the green jersey competition with 219 points. Thor Hushovd is second at 172 and Erik Zabel third at 167. Kim Kirchen, who held the yellow for a few days early on, is in good shape too with 145 points.

  • 01:33 PM: Gerolsteiner owns the KOM

    In the lead of the climber's competition we have Bernard Kohl at 85 points, followed by his Gerolsteiner teammate Sebastian Lang at 60. Euskatel-Euskadi's Egoi Martinez sits in third at 50 points.

  • 01:41 PM: Some names in that big second group

    Popovych (Silence-Lotto)

    Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC)

    Jens Voigt (CSC)

    Haimar Zubeldia (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    Amets Txurruka (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Nicolas Portal (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Marcus Burghardt (Columbia)

    Hincapie (Columbia)

    Kanstantin Sivtsov (Columbia)

    John Lee Augustyn (Barloworld)

    Gianpaolo Cheulo (Barloworld)

    Murilo Fischer (Liquigas)

    Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre)

    Cyrl Dessel (AG2R)

    Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank)

    Oscar Freire (Rabobank)

    Phillipe Gilbert (FDJ)

    Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis)

    Danny Pate (Garmin-Chipotle)

  • 01:42 PM: Through the second sprint

    At 50km, the five leaders have a 4:25 lead on the peloton, with a big chase group at nearly a minute behind the five.

  • 01:42 PM: On the climb

    The leaders have started the long push up the Col de la Lombarde.

  • 01:45 PM: The big snake

    The bottom of the climb is switchback after switchback, as riders face more than 20km of ascent.

  • 01:46 PM: Reader question

    Reader Lew W. writes in to ask:

    LUG,
    At the finish line I see a lot of spectators waving those big green hands that look the same as the one that slashed Thor Hushovd's arm a few years ago. Weren't those hands banned? What gives?

    Great coverage,
    thanks.
    Lew

    Hello Lew. You’re right. The Big Green Hands are distributed by PMU – a chain of Parimutuel betting parlors that sponsors the green points jersey. The PMU vehicle in the commercial caravan hands them out all along the route about an hour or two ahead of the peloton. They have been officially banned from the last kilometer of stage finishes, so while you see them now and then, you sure don’t see as many at the finish as we did in years past. There were days when the peloton would fly into a see those things. Enforcement is especially strict when they Tour expects a field sprint, but you do still see them now and then.

  • 01:48 PM: CSC on the front

    Bjarne Riis has three fantastic climbs in this race: brothers Andy and Frank Schleck along with Carlos Sastre. Unfortunately, none of these men can time trial with GC contenders Cadel Evans, Denis Menchov or even Christian Vande Velde. So, it seems highly likely that CSC will throw everything it has at the favorites in the mountains today and tomorrow, trying to get some time for one of its climbers.

  • 01:50 PM: Dumoulin dropped from the lead at 55km

    Now we have four at the front:

    Sebastien Rosseler (Quick Step)

    Christophe Le Mevel (Credit Agricole)

    Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)

    Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom)

  • 01:51 PM: Two others in the second group

    We now have IDs on two other men in the big chase group. They are:

    Milram's Christian Knees and Garmin-Chipotle's Ryder Hesjedal, the lone Canadian in this year's Tour.

  • 01:53 PM: 14km to the summit

    We have four leaders with a five-minute gap on the peloton. Then a second group of 24 riders is sitting in between, about 1:30 behind the leaders. Dumoulin, who was with the leaders when they went clear at about 40km into the race, is dangling in between the leaders and the second group, having been dropped by the pace on the climb.

  • 01:54 PM: Cunego attacks

    Damiano Cunego (Lampre) has jumped clear of the peloton with a teammate and a man from Francaise des Jeux.

  • 01:55 PM: Hesjedal leads the second group

    The big group is about two minutes behind the lead group.

  • 01:57 PM: Voeckler, Le Mevel and Schumacher lead

    Rosseler has now also been dropped from the lead, following Dumoulin in going backwards on the climb.

  • 01:58 PM: Winding, winding

    The narrow road has a great, smooth surface as we climb up towards France.

  • 01:58 PM: Le Mevel now dropped

    And only two men remain at the very front. Stefan Schumacher and Thomas Voeckler lead the race at 57km.

  • 01:59 PM: And then it was one...

    Voeckler has been dropped by Schumacher, the Gerolsteiner rider who wore the yellow jersey early on in the Tour.

  • 02:00 PM: Two small groups in between pack and 24-man group

    Gravity and the hot pace are sorting things out on the Col de la Lombarde this afternoon.

  • 02:02 PM: Up through the valley

    After a seemingly unending series of switchbacks has ended, riders are now on a beeline route up the valley towards the HC peak. Schumacher is going it alone at the front of the race, more than two minutes ahead of the big chase group and more than five minutes ahead of the peloton.

  • 02:04 PM: Chase group composition

    Unless some guys have slipped out without us seeing them, the big chase group on the road contains the following:

    Popovych (Silence-Lotto)

    Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC)

    Jens Voigt (CSC)

    Haimar Zubeldia (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    Amets Txurruka (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Nicolas Portal (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Marcus Burghardt (Columbia)

    Hincapie (Columbia)

    Kanstantin Sivtsov (Columbia)

    John Lee Augustyn (Barloworld)

    Gianpaolo Cheulo (Barloworld)

    Murilo Fischer (Liquigas)

    Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre)

    Cyrl Dessel (AG2R)

    Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank)

    Oscar Freire (Rabobank)

    Phillipe Gilbert (FDJ)

    Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis)

    Danny Pate (Garmin-Chipotle)

    Ryder Hesjedgal (Garmin-Chipotle)

    Christian Knees (Milram)

  • 02:05 PM: Reader question

    Reader David R. writes in with a question we get quite often here:

    Hello Live Update Guy,
    I watch in amazement as those climbers seem to spin their way up the Alps. Can you give us an idea of what size chainrings and cassettes riders will be using in the mountains so that I can try to duplicate an alp climb where I live (on a 1/10th scale!)?
    Hello David, yours is one of the most frequent questions we get during the grand tours. Fortunately, we have a tech geek of Lennard Zinn’s caliber, whose favorite pastime happens to be counting the teeth on cogs when he visits a big race, and he answers that very question in his column today.

  • 02:07 PM: Two small groups comes together

    In between the field and that 24-man group, two small groups have come together. In the mix are Cunego and a Lampre teammate. CSC is patrolling the front of the pack.

  • 02:08 PM: Haack, pi-tou!

    That's the sound of Oscar Freire and Marcus Burghardt getting spit out of the big chase group.

  • 02:08 PM: 10km to the summit

    At 62km into the race, the leaders are about to see 10km to the summit of the Col de la Lombarde.

  • 02:12 PM: Third group composition

    That nine-man group off the front of the peloton includes:

    Sylvester Szmynd (Lampre)

    Sandy Casar (FDJ)

    Remi Pauriol (Credit Agricole)

    Peter Weening (Rabobank)

    Tadej Valjavec (AG2R)

    Matteo Carrara (Quick Step)

    David Moncoutie (Cofidis)

    Maxime Monfort (Cofidis)

  • 02:15 PM: Cunego's group at 1:25 ahead of peloton

    And the 22-man group is ahead of them, still about three minutes behind Schumacher, who is driving th e race alone.

  • 02:16 PM: Sebastien Chavanel throws in the towel

    Laterne Rouge Chavanel has abandoned. Now Wim Vansevenant has picked up the torch as the last man on the GC list.

  • 02:19 PM: 152 riders in the race

    Other men near the tail end of the race:

    Matthieu Sprick (Bouygues Telecom)

    Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas)

    Christophe Riblon (AG2R)

    Bernard Eisel (Columbia)

    Along with laterne rouge Wim Vansevenant, these men are all about two and a half hours down on the general classification.

  • 02:20 PM: Cunego's group picks up Freire

    The three-time world champion is fading back. As a sprinter, starting the climb early in a front group and fading back to the peloton is a great strategy for getting over the big mountains.

  • 02:22 PM: Schumacher a few K from the summit

    Jersey flapping open, sunglasses on the back of his head, Gerolsteiner's Schumacher is plowing on solo. The German rider has made an impression this year, busting out a huge time trial ride to put himself into the yellow jersey earlier, and now climbing an HC mountain alone.

  • 02:24 PM: Schumacher passes 5km to the summit

    Riding 2009 Shimano Dura-Ace on his Specialized S-Works SL2, Schumacher will be the first man back into France.

  • 02:26 PM: Once over the top

    Schumacher and the rest will face a screaming descent down to Isola. At 93km into the race, Isola will also be the site of the feedzone, where riders will take on food and drink before beginning the merciless climb up the Col de la Bonette.

  • 02:27 PM: Voeckler still dangling out there

    Schumacher is being trailed by his earlier breakaway partner, Thomas Voeckler, at about 2:30. The big chase group is another 1:30 more behind the Frenchman.

  • 02:29 PM: Le Mevel is still out there, too

    Also in between Schumacher and the big chase is Le Mevel.

  • 02:30 PM: 25km of climbing

    Is what awaits the field on the Col de la Bonette. The climb averages more than 6 percent, with the last third averaging 9 percent. In all, riders will have climbed 11,000 vertical feet at day's end.

  • 02:33 PM: How do you spell tempo?

    CSC. They drive what's left of the peloton.

  • 02:34 PM: Schumy 1km to the summit

    After a long grind, he's seeing more sky than mountains up ahead.

  • 02:35 PM: Fans are packing the Alpine summit

    And Schumacher will have the stage to himself under sunny Italian skies.

  • 02:36 PM: Schumacher out of the saddle

    And out of Italy. He's now bombing down into France.

  • 02:38 PM: Tight, steep turns

    Schumacher can't relax just yet, as the initial part of the descent is very technical. Soon, though, it opens up into straighter roads where he can loosen up and recover from his big effort.

  • 02:39 PM: 74km in, 83km to go

    For Stefan Schumacher. The shattered chase group and field are still many minutes from summiting the first HC climb of the day at 73km.

  • 02:40 PM: Le Mevel is ahead of Voeckler

    Coming up to the summit.

  • 02:41 PM: At 4:30 behind Schumacher

    The big chase group goes over the top.

  • 02:42 PM: Schumacher tucked

    On a two-lane road, Schumacher has his chest on his handlebars, his head down over his front wheel.

  • 02:44 PM: CSC on the front

    Of course they are. It looks like only 40 men or so are left in the pack. It's going to be a BIG grupetto today...

  • 02:45 PM: Peloton at 9 minutes behind

    Schumacher has been bombing down the mountain solo for minutes now; meanwhile the peloton is still a ways from the summit.

  • 02:47 PM: Situation recap

    Moving free from a five-man breakaway, Schumacher went over the Col de la Lombarde alone. His breakaway partners Le Mevel and Voeckler pursued him, each alone, followed by a big chase group of about 22 men. Behind them, an 8-man group containing Cunego drove on. Then, finally, came what was left of the pack.

  • 02:49 PM: Peloton up and over the summit

    At more than 9 minutes behind Schumacher, Stuart O'Grady (CSC) leads the pack down.

  • 02:53 PM: KOM results

    1. Stefan Schumacher (Geroslsterin) 20 points

    2. Christophe Le Mevel (Credit Agricole) 18

    3. Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) 16

    4. Yaroslav Popovych (Silence-Lotto) 14

    5. Kanstantin Sivtsov (Columbia) 12

    6. Jens Voigt (CSC) 10

    7. Cyril Dessel (AG2R) 8

    8. John Lee Augustyn (Barloworld) 7

    9. Sebastien Rosseler (Quick Step) 6

    10. Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) 5

  • 02:54 PM: Freire safely in the bunch

    As the pack descends through the winding curves.

  • 02:55 PM: 89km

    Schumacher is still on the descent, but getting close to the bottom in Isola.

  • 02:57 PM: Safe descent

    Under dry skies on not-brand-new roads, riders have plenty of grip on the descent.

  • 02:59 PM: Reader question

    Reader Pamela B. writes in to ask:

    Hello LUG,
    I can’t help but shudder when I watch these guys flying down the cols and Pereiro’s comment that he thought he was going to die in his crash on Sunday makes me wonder. I remember that horrible crash of Fabio Casartelli, but how many others have died in the Tour?
    Hello Pamela,
    Given the speeds that we see at the Tour, the race has a remarkable safety record. There have been only four rider fatalities in the Tour since its first edition in 1903 and only two of those were the result of high-speed crashes on descents. As you mentioned, Fabio Casartelli died in 1995 on a fast descent of the Col de Portet d’Apset. Before that, the only other rider to die in a crash on a descent was Francisco Cepeda, who died after falling down a ravine on the Col du Galibier in 1935.

    Of course, we all remember the death of Tom Simpson as he was climbing the Ventoux in the 1967 Tour. The only other Tour-related rider fatality came in 1910, when Aldophe Heliere drowned on a rest day break in the French Riviera.

    A lot of the credit has to go to the skill of riders, but some belongs to the organizers of the Tour and the French gendarmes as well.

    Of course, we’ve seen some absolutely horrible crashes that we thought were going to result in serious injuries at bare minimum. In addition to Pereiro’s accident on Sunday, the other one that sticks in our mind was that horrible crash in the 1996 Tour, when Johan Bruyneel (Rabobank) went off the road on that epic stage to Les Arcs. He fell about 35 feet… and scrambled back up to the tarmac, looking for his bike.

  • 03:00 PM: Cancellara flats

    As CSC continues to drive the peloton.

  • 03:02 PM: The gap is 10 minutes to the peloton

    In between Schumacher and the pack, the two main chase groups have come together. CSC is sitting up a bit on the front of the peloton, waiting for their man Cancellara to get back on after his wheel change.

  • 03:02 PM: Popovych down

    And back up again. Must have touched wheels, but he's good to go now.

  • 03:05 PM: Where's the yellow jersey?

    CSC's Frank Schleck is in the yellow jersey in the main peloton, which is being driven by his teammates. Schumacher has a 10-minute lead, and a group of about 30 riders has nearly five minutes, but we have a lo-ong way to go the finish. First, it's up and over the monster Col de la Bonette, then it's a bomber 23km descent into the finish in Jausiers.

  • 03:07 PM: Upcoming history

    The Col de la Bonette is the highest climb the Tour has ever gone over at 2802 meters (9,192 feet).

  • 03:08 PM: Coyot goes down hard

    Arnaud Coyot (Caisse d'Eparnge) lost the tire off his front rim and went down in a cloud of dust.

  • 03:09 PM: Coyot is holding his hip.

    It's not clear whether his tire rolled before the crash and caused it, or was simply a result of the accident. He went off the side of the road on a straight stretch before a corner, sliding in gravel.

  • 03:10 PM: Peloton through the feedzone

    Australia's Stuart O'Grady leads the group, and goes digging for lunch in his musette.

  • 03:11 PM: Schumacher still alone at 101km into the race

    He's riding comfortably in the drops, with a 5-minute lead over a big chase of about 30 riders.

  • 03:14 PM: The men in the chase group

    Here are the riders sitting halfway between the pack and Schumacher:

    Popovych (Silence-Lotto)

    Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC)

    Jens Voigt (CSC)

    Haimar Zubeldia (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    Amets Txurruka (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne)

    Nicolas Portal (Caisse d'Epargne)

    George Hincapie (Columbia)

    Kanstantin Sivtsov (Columbia)

    John Lee Augustyn (Barloworld)

    Gianpaolo Cheulo (Barloworld)

    Murilo Fischer (Liquigas)

    Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre)

    Cyrl Dessel (AG2R)

    Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank)

    Phillipe Gilbert (FDJ)

    Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis)

    Danny Pate (Garmin-Chipotle)

    Ryder Hesjedgal (Garmin-Chipotle)

    Christian Knees (Milram)

    Sylvester Szmynd (Lampre)

    Sandy Casar (FDJ)

    Remi Pauriol (Credit Agricole)

    Peter Weening (Rabobank)

    Tadej Valjavec (AG2R)

    Matteo Carrara (Quick Step)

    David Moncoutie (Cofidis)

    Maxime Monfort (Cofidis)

  • 03:15 PM: Coyot back on the bike

    After that nasty spill, the Caisse d'Epargne rider is going again.

  • 03:20 PM: The best-placed rider in the chase group

    is Tadej Valjavec (AG2R), who sits in 13th at 6:27.

  • 03:21 PM: We're climbing now

    No rest for the weary, as the chase group hits the lower slopes of the long, long climb.

  • 03:21 PM: Pate fading

    After his all-day effort on on stage 15, Garmin-Chipotle's Danny Pate looks tired. He's going out the back of the big chase group.

  • 03:23 PM: Schumacher sees 25km to go

    Going through the little town of St-Etienne-de-Tinee, Schumacher's gap is 4:30 to the chase group and a whopping 12 minutes to the pack.

  • 03:24 PM: Dangle, dangle

    Christophe Le Mevel (Crédit Agricole), who was part of the original five-man breakaway that sprung Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner), is still chasing Schumacher alone, with the big chase group behind.

  • 03:25 PM: Dumoulin dropped

    Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), who was also part of that five-man move, faded back to the big chase group, but now he's going out the back of that bunch as well.

  • 03:26 PM: Cunego drives it

    Cunego hasn't exactly dazzled in this year's Tour, but he is by no means giving up. He's on the front of the chase group, climbing out of the saddle.

  • 03:30 PM: Dodgy Riccò

    Reuters reported this morning that Saunier Duval's Riccardo Ricco tried to avoid doping testers. According to French Anti-Doping Agency, Ricco tested positive for EPO after the stage 4 - despite trying to make a run for it. "When he saw that he was to be tested, he escaped," AFLD President Pierre Bordry told reporters before the 16th stage. "But he was caught by the stewards between two cars. We then told him that as he had tried to avoid the test, he would be tested every day." Ricco was thrown out of the race by ASO, and then fired from his team.

  • 03:33 PM: Five HCs in two days

    After today's climb-fest, the race will tackle the stage that may well define the entire race. Stage 17, from Embrun to the summit of a little bump called L'Alpe d'Huez, features three HC climbs. In all, riders will climb nearly 15,000 vertical feet on tomorrow's stage. L'Alpe d'Huez has seen 24 stage finishes over the years, but only two Tour winners have won there: Fausto Coppi in 1952 and Lance Armstrong in 2001 and 2004. This will be the pure climber's last chance to put time into the GC contenders who can time trial well, such as Cadel Evans, Denis Menchov and American Christian Vande Velde.

  • 03:34 PM: Le Mevel caught

    After a long day out there, Le Mevel has been reeled in by the chase group.

  • 03:39 PM: Holy &*#!

    Our man Neal Rogers just got into the press room from driving the course. He had some words about the final climb of the day. We won't print most of them. "It's just incredible," Rogers said. "Really good crowds. But man, is that last part steep. Nasty, that' the only word for it. It's nasty. It reminded me of Filllmore in San Francisco - it's just a wall."

    "You really have to see the climb to believe it," he said. "It's a monster. You look up and you see these vehicles that are just little shiny dots, and that's where you're going. Then you get there, and you look up again."

  • 03:40 PM: Grupetto!

    Rogers spoke to Garmin sprinter Julian Dean at the start, who said he's be keeping a close eye on the time cut times today. Even though it will be a big grupetto, it's a relatively short stage, so the time limit could be tight.

  • 03:40 PM: Pop, pop, pop

    Riders are coming off the chase group and the peloton on the long grind.

  • 03:42 PM: Freire, Vansummeren, Sorensen coming off

    CSC is drilling it like Postal of old.

  • 03:43 PM: Cancellara cut adrift

    With his yellow number 13s pinned on upside down (like many riders, the Swiss man is superstitious), big Fabian Cancellara is fading from the pack, his work done for the day.

  • 03:46 PM: Chavenel drives the chase

    And they've got a ways to go. A truly beautiful day for it, though.

  • 03:47 PM: 117km done, 40km to go

    Schumacher is still out there alone, although his gap is now down to 2:30. The yellow jersey group of about 40 riders is about 9:30 behind Schumacher.

  • 03:49 PM: Reader question, speaking of *&(#!

    Reader Sean in Denver writes in to ask:

    Hey LUG,
    You've talked a lot about nature breaks and the courtesy of waiting for the yellow jersey. But I'm assuming all of this has to do with a number 1. What happens if a rider has to do a #2. Do they find the nearest bush or do the support cars carry TP?
    Well Sean,
    Now there’s an unusual question. Generally riders don’t find themselves in that position. A light breakfast and a morning constitutional generally allow riders to avoid that problem. Nonetheless, it does happen. Most often, when we hear about it, it involves a rider suffering from stomach problems. Most recently, Ivan Basso lost 48 minutes in a stage that went up the Stelvio. He had to stop three times on the way up that climb after suffering from what was some form of food poisoning. He was afforded a degree of privacy by a team car that would stop and block the view of the tifosi along the course.

    One of our favorite stories from the old days on that topic involved Tom Simpson, as told by one of his domestiques on the old Peugeot team. Riding in his first Tour, the young rider was resplendent in his team kit, with his while cap perched perfectly atop his head. Suddenly his team leader dropped back and demanded his hat.

    ”You got your own hat!” the rider exclaimed.

    ”I know, I know,” said Simpson. “but, I need to take a @$%^ and need something to wipe my &$$.”

    Ahhh, the life of a domestique.

  • 03:50 PM: Pi-tou!

    Het Volk winner Phillipe Gilbbert and Haimar Zubeldia are spit out of the peloton.

  • 03:52 PM: Chavenel drives for his teammates

    With teammates Maxime Monfort in the hunt for the white jersey and David Moncoutie looking for a result on the stage, Cofidis' Chavanel is burying himself on the front of the chase group.

  • 03:54 PM: Schumacher's GC postiion

    After leading the race early on, Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) now sits in 29th overall, 22:30 behind CSC's Frank Schleck.

  • 03:55 PM: All the favorites

    Are in the CSC-led group, 8:30 behind Schumacher. Vande Velde is there. Evans is there. Menchov is there. Kohl is there. And of course the CSC trio of Andy and Frank Schleck and Carlos Sastre are tucked safely in.

  • 03:57 PM: 37km to go

    For Schumacher. Can he hold it to the line?

  • 04:00 PM: Four fallen off the chase group

    The four have come of the pace of the chase group:

    Matteo Carrara (Quick Step)

    Mikel Astarloza (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    Amets Txurruka (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank)

  • 04:02 PM: 36km to go for Schumacher

    The German has a two-minute lead on his chasers.

  • 04:04 PM: Help a brother out!

    Andy Schleck is again selling out for his brother Frank, setting a mean tempo on the front of the peloton. but what helps his brother is hurting many others. Out the back go a few men.

  • 04:04 PM: Cunego dropped

    The chase group is coming undone into two or three groups as the climb steepens up.

  • 04:05 PM: White jersey Nibali on the back half of the split

    Liquigas' Vincenzo Nibali is feeling the wrath of Andy Schleck.

  • 04:07 PM: Chasers closing on Schumacher

    Who STILL has 10km to climb.

  • 04:08 PM: Selection time

    It's a very short list in the yellow jersey group now. Maybe 12 men are able to remain under the conditions Andy Schleck is setting.

  • 04:09 PM: In the yellow jersey group

    Both Schlecks, Sastre, Kohl, Menchov, Evans, Kreuziger, Sanchez, Valverde, Kirchen, Efimkin, Arvessen.

  • 04:10 PM: Arvessen takes up the pace setting

    Having dropped back from the chase group, Kurt-Asle Arvessen goes immediately to work on the front of the very select yellow jersey group.

  • 04:11 PM: Vande Velde in difficulty

    Christian Vande Velde is dangling just behind the yellow jersey group. He will have to make a big effort to chase back on down the descent to prevent losing time to the GC contenders.

  • 04:12 PM: The situation on the road

    Stefan Schumacher at 33km to go, with a 45-second lead on a 10-man chase group. Behind that are a few shards from the chase group, then a very select group of GC contenders. That yellow jersey group sits about five minutes behind Schumacher.

  • 04:14 PM: Chase group composition

    Columbia's George Hincapie and Kanstantin Sivtsov, Silence's Yaroslav Popovych, Caisse d'Epargne's Nicolas Portal, Barloworld's John-Lee Augustyn and AG2R's Tadej Valjavec.

  • 04:18 PM: Early chase group shards picked up by yellow jersey group

    As the best climbers in the world settle into their tempo in the yellow jersey group, some of the riders from the early chase group - once 24-strong - are fading back.

  • 04:19 PM: Arvessen cashes in

    After giving his all for his teammates, Arvessen blows. He's going backwards now as the yellow jersey group motors on.

  • 04:19 PM: 28km to go for Schumacher

    He has 24 seconds on a small chase group. The yellow jersey group is about 3:45 behind Schumacher.

  • 04:20 PM: 4km to the summit for Schumacher

    He could well hold his lead all the way to the line. After the summit, it's a long, fast downhill to the finish.

  • 04:21 PM: Check that

    Schumacher's chasers are closing quickly. They can see him just up the road now.

  • 04:22 PM: Catch!

    Schumacher is reeled in by 8 riders.

  • 04:24 PM: L'Alpe d'Huez winners

    Tomorrow's stage finishes atop L'Alpe d'Huez. Here are the men who have won there:

    Tour de France stage atop the legendary Alpe d'Huez climb, the climax of

    this year's mountain stages:

    1952: Fausto Coppi (ITA)

    1976: Joop Zoetemelk (NED)

    1977: Hennie Kuiper (NED)

    1978: Hennie Kuiper (NED)

    1979: Joachim Agostinho (POR)

    Joop Zoetemelk (NED) (yes, there were TWO stage finishes on L'Alpe d'Huez that year)

    1981: Peter Winnen (NED)

    1982: Beat Breu (SUI)

    1983: Peter Winnen (NED)

    1984: Luis Herrera (COL)

    1986: Bernard Hinault (FRA)

    1987: Federico Echave (ESP)

    1988: Steven Rooks (NED)

    1989: Gert-Jan Theunisse (NED)

    1990: Gianni Bugno (ITA)

    1991: Gianni Bugno (ITA)

    1992: Andy Hampsten (USA)

    1994: Roberto Conti (ITA)

    1995: Marco Pantani (ITA)

    1997: Marco Pantani (ITA)

    1999: Giuseppe Guerini (ITA)

    2001: Lance Armstrong (USA)

    2003: Iban Mayo (ESP)

    2004: Lance Armstrong (USA)

    2006: Frank Schleck (LUX)

  • 04:25 PM: Vande Velde still fighting behind yellow jersey group

    Christian Vande Velde was one of the many victims of Andy Schleck's pace in the yellow jersey group. He is suffering to stay close, but cannot regain the elite 8-man group.

  • 04:27 PM: Who can hang

    Those in the yellow jersey group:

    Both Shecks and Sastre (CSC)

    Evans (Silence)

    Menchov (Rabobank)

    Sanchez (Euskatel-Euskadi)

    Kirchen (Columbia)

    Kohl (Gerolsteiner)

    Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  • 04:27 PM: Valverde attacks

    Nothing do, though.

  • 04:28 PM: CSC delivery

    Fading back from that front chase group, Jens Voigt comes back through the yellow jersey group bearing supplies for his mates. He goes down the line, pulling bottles out of his jersey pockets and jersey neck.

  • 04:31 PM: The front of the race

    Having caught Schumacher, the front of the race is now:

    Hincapie, Sivtsov, Arroyo, Portal, Popovych, Augustyn, Valjavec, Casar and Schumacher.

  • 04:32 PM: Kirchen yo-yoing

    Kirchen faltered a bit there in the yellow jersey group, but soldiered his way back into the mix.

  • 04:32 PM: Two minutes is the gap, nearing the summit

    Schumacher is dispatched from the group that caught him after a long solo effort.

  • 04:33 PM: Chavanel and Monfort dropped

    The Cofidis pair blow on the yellow jersey pace.

  • 04:35 PM: C, S, C

    There are 9 men in the yellow jersey group. Four of CSC riders: Andy Schleck and Jens Voigt are drilling it. Frank Schleck and Carlos Sastre are sitting in.

  • 04:36 PM: As if the 9-percent grade wasn't enough

    The riders face a stiff headwind up the summit. Voigt drives is, his face snarling.

  • 04:37 PM: Don't look down

    With under a K to go to the summit, the mountainside drops off like a cliff to the side.

  • 04:37 PM: Barloworld's Augustyn attacks

    The youngest rider in the Tour launches himself off the front of the race. He's got a good gap.

  • 04:38 PM: John-Lee Augustyn is .3km to the summit

    The young South African is killing it. He's off the front of the with two groups behind.

  • 04:40 PM: Top of the world

    Or at least the paved top of Europe. And Augustyn goes over alone. Now it's down, down, down from the highest paved road in Europe into Jausiers, 1600 meters below.

  • 04:41 PM: Valverde in trouble

    The Spanish champion is dangling off the back of the yellow jersey group, Kirchen is the last man in the line.

  • 04:41 PM: The first group is up and over

    Hincapie, Sivtsov and the others are over the Col de la Bonette.

  • 04:42 PM: Kohl leads the yellow jersey group over

    Valverde is now chasing back on down the descent.

  • 04:42 PM: KOM leader Kohl leads

    The yellow jersey group down the descent.

  • 04:43 PM: At the front of the race, Augustyn

    Who just made himself a tidy 5,000 Euros for taking the HC summit.

  • 04:43 PM: Off the side of the mountain!

    Augustyn hurdles down a steep, steep mountainside. He can't get back up.

  • 04:44 PM: His bike slides down out of reach

    A spectator come down to help him up. But he has no bike!

  • 04:45 PM: Team cars are way back

    Augustyn has no spare bike anywhere near, as the team cars are way back down the mountain.

  • 04:46 PM: Valverde and Kirchen chasing back on

    The pair pass Augustyn, who is standing helplessly by the side of the road, waiting who knows how long for a bike.

  • 04:47 PM: Augustyn missed the corner

    As the front group was regaining him, Augustyn simply missed a righthand turn and went straight over the mountainside, sliding down the loose dirt and rock. He was able to slow and then stop his slide, but his bike was another story.

  • 04:48 PM: Situation on the road

    Lead group has split into two 4-man groups (now without Augustyn). The yellow jersey group is about 1:42 behind the front of the race. Valverde and Kirchen are still chasing desperately to regain that group.

  • 04:50 PM: results of the second KOM

    1. Augustyn 40 points

    2. Dessel 36

    3. Arroyo 32

    4. Popovych 28

    5. Casar 24

    6. Hincapie 20

    7. Valjavec 16

    8. Sivtosov 14

    9. Portal 12

    10. Schumacher 10

  • 04:51 PM: Menchov dropped on the descent

    The Russian is struggling on the descent. He has fallen of the yellow jersey group.

  • 04:52 PM: 13km to go

    The front group has 1:45 on the yellow jersey group.

  • 04:52 PM: Leading the race

    Popovych, Dessel, Arroyo and Casar are working together off the front of the race. Hincapie, Sivtsov and two others are chasing behind. Then comes the yellow jersey group.

  • 04:53 PM: Evans puts in an effort

    With his rival Menchov in trouble, Evans is giving it full stick on the descent, trying to widen the gap.

  • 04:54 PM: Evans has 8 seconds on Menchov

    And he's working for more.

  • 04:55 PM: 10km to go

    Dessel is on the front of the four-man move.

  • 04:56 PM: This is no freewheeling descent

    The riders are sprinting out of each corner, killing themselves to either open or close gaps.

  • 04:58 PM: Four men together off the front

    Popovych (Silence), Casar (FDJ), Dessel (AG2R) and Arroyo (Caisse d'Eparnge) have 6km to go with 30 seconds lead on the next group.

  • 04:59 PM: Sanchez gets a gap on the yellow jersey group

    Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel-Euskadi) has opened up a 10-second gap to the rest of his companions in teh yellow jersey group.

  • 05:00 PM: 4km to go for the four leaders

    Hincapie and Sivtsov (both Columbia) are 30 seconds behind. The yellow jersey group is another minute-plus behind them.

  • 05:01 PM: 2km to go

    Casar, Popovych, Arroyo and Casar are the men in with a chance for the win.

  • 05:02 PM: Valjavec, Hincapie and Portal are 30 second behind

    With 1.5km to go for the leaders.

  • 05:03 PM: Casar closes

    Then Arroyo takes a dig.

  • 05:04 PM: Dessel bombs into last corner

    Then comes across the narrow finish for the win!

  • 05:04 PM: Hincapie leads second group across for fifth

    Schumacher comes in alone behind the second group.

  • 05:05 PM: The yellow jersey group battle

    CSC leads into the finish

  • 05:05 PM: Andy Schleck leads all the way across the line

    Evans and Frank Schleck are right in there, as is Kohl. But not Menchov!

  • 05:06 PM: 30-plus seconds from Evans to Menchov

    The CSC boys put some time into Menchov, but could not shake Evans.

  • 05:07 PM: No sign of Vande Velde

    The American came off the yellow jersey group a few K from the HC summit. He has yet to finish.

  • 05:08 PM: Vande Velde finishes about 2:30 behind yellow jersey group

    That's a big hit to his GC position.

  • 05:11 PM: The GC shake up

    Here was the GC at today's start:

    1. Frank Schleck (LUX), CSC at 63:57min21sec

    2. Bernhard Kohl (AUT), Gerolsteiner at at0:07

    3. Cadel Evans (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 0:08

    4. Denis Menchov (RUS), Rabobank at 0:38

    5. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle at 0:39

    6. Carlos Sastre (ESP), CSC at 0:49

    7. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Team Columbia at 2:48

    8. Vladimir Efimkin (RUS), Ag2r at 3:36

    9. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Caisse d'Epargne at 4:11

    10. Samuel Sanchez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi at 4:34

    The top three will remain the same, but Menchov has lost more than 30 seconds, which will cause him to slot in behind Sastre. And Vande Velde has dropped down by 2:30. Sastre and Sanchez stayed in the front group, as may have Efimkin. Valverde and Kirchen finished just behind the yellow jersey group.

  • 05:13 PM: The top 10

    1. Cyril Dessel (FRA) ALM - 157km in 4h31’27" (34.702km/h)

    2. Sandy Casar (FRA) FDJ

    3. David Arroyo (ESP) GCE both same time

    4. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) SIL at 3"

    5. George Hincapie (USA) THR at 24"

    6. Nicolas Portal (FRA) GCE at 24"

    7. Tadej Valjavec (SLO) ALM at 24"

    8. Stefan Schumacher (GER) GST at 1’03"

    9. Andy Schleck (LUX) at 1’28"

    10. Bernhard Kohl (AUT) GST at 1’28"

  • 05:15 PM: Signing out

    Thank you for tuning in to VeloNews.com for another great stage live from the Tour de France. Check out our main site and Tour de France site for complete results, stories and photography from today's stage. Tune in tomorrow at 6:30am EST for stage 17, the queen stage from Embrun to L'Alpe d'Huez.