Edvald Boasson Hagen signs autographs for some Norwegian fans at the start...
sky
Anthiny Delaplace is one of many riders suffering with their injuries after the stage six crash...
Alejandro Valverde fell twice yesterday...
Tyler Farrar is in severe pain after falling twice yesterday and for several days before..
A six-man escape is making distance, led by Michele Albasini...
green edge
Johan Van Summeren needs his bike changed - Geoff Brown obliges...
garminmechanic
Parto of the peloton stops for a nature call - a sign that the Albasini escape is the good one today...
BMC and Sky are starting to chase after about 60-kilometres - this is a new-look Tour de France stage..!
Matthew Goss needs help from Green Edge's mechanic, Craig Geater...
green edgegeatermechanic
Team Sky has a new water-boy who goes by the name of Mark Cavendish - he's still learning the art of fetching bottles...
Cavenmdish isn't yawning while he works, he's shouting a warning to other cyclists as they too look for water bottles...
Cavendish is off-loading his precious bottles to his teamates at the front of the race - "anyone want a drink"..?
It's something of a a role-reversal as Cavendish gives a bottle to Eisel at the very front of the peloton..!
Federico Canuti has got himself into a compromising situation at the back of the peloton...
Green Edge's Albasini takes the escape past an Australian fan's camper-van at the side of the road...
fans
Marcus Burghardt is pacing the peloton in pursuit of the escape - the gap is down to about four-minutes...
David Zabriskie has joined in the chase for Garmin-Sharp - maybe Dan Martin planning an attack later..?
garmin
Martin Velits leads the escape towards the final climbs but their lead os down to about one-minute now...
Boasson Hagen is setting the pace now, the escape is over but the first battle of this Tour is about to begin...
Michael Rogers leads the race on to the final climb with five Sky teamates behind him...
Chris Froome accelerates now, the lead group is down to six riders...
Bradley Wiggins is starting to look even more powerful with the 'real' Tour beginning...
Cadel Evans is trying to match an attack by Froome in the last kilometre...
Christopher Froome wins stage seven - it is his first stage-win in his first Tour de France..!
Evans finishes ahead of Wiggins - the pair are set for some great battles in the coming two weeks..!
bmc
Bradley Wiggins has become the new leader of the Tour de France