07.15 - Tour de France: Stage 11

The Tour de France greets its first fields of Lavender in 2010...

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Stephane Auge is leading a very optimistic escape away - they have no hope of staying away today..!

Thor Hushovd is one sprinter hoping to win more points at the end of the day...

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Auge, Geslin and Benitez are on the day's only climb with a slender lead of less than four minutes...

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It's another un-official rest-day for riders like Andreas Kloden, who spends some time with former teamate Brian Holm at Columbia's team car...

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Hushovd is in deep discussion with fellow Norwegian, Edvald Boasson-Hagen - are Sky and Cervelo joining forces for the finish today..?

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It is his last Tour, so Lance Armstrong is getting a lot of unsolicited offers for his retirement...

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Auge leads the escape past the halfway mark, their lead is stuck at four minutes still...

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Andy Schleck is far from being under pressure as race-leader...

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Martin Maaskant is loading up with bottles for his thirsty colleagues at Garmin...

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One of Maaskant's bottles has gone to Millar and then to Zabriskie, who's sort of organising a chase at the front...

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Zabriskie shares the work with Grabsch from Columbia and Bole from Lampre...

What words of wisdom is Armstrong, at 38, passing on to Cavendish, at 25? I can promise it had nothing to do with cycling..!

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Is that Andy Schleck seeking words of wisdom from arch-rival, friend, and favourite to win, Alberto Contador..?

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The Yellow, Green and Polka-Dot horses are outpacing the peloton with ease today...

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Saxo Bank appears to be trying to shed some riders on the exposed road to the finish...

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No prizes for guessing who's in front with 50-metres to go...

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Too easy again - Mark Cavendish wins stage eleven after a bumpy prelude to the sprint from Mark Renshaw and Julian Dean...

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Erik Zabel applauds Cavendish at the podium - the Manxman has passed Zabel's record of 12 wins as an active Tour cyclist today, and there's a lot more to come his way..!

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Alessandro Petacchi is the new Green jersey leader after today's sprint...

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