Tour de France Stage 18: Gap > Alpe d'Huez, 168.5km

Peter Kennaugh for Sky, and Jesus Hernandez for Saxo-Tinkoff, are jousting as the race explodes on the Col de Manse...

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Laurent Didier attacks now, the peloton is in shreds on this first climb of the day...

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Arnold Jeannesson joins in the fun and games - something has to give soon..!

Tejay Van Garderen moves to the front, this is the start of the day's main escape...

Jesn Voigt, Tom Danielson and Van Garderen lead this powerful move away - to a lead of almost nine-minutes...

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Team Sky chases at the head of a peloton that doesn't know what hit it...

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The peloton speeds down a descent in the Alps, heading for a double-date with the Alpe d'Huez...

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Saxo-Tinkoff attack Sky on a 3rd-category ascent, with Paulinho and Roche the crazy animators..!

Alberto Contador is starting to strip while Paulinho and Roche try to cross the gap the the escapers...

Contador is clearly not comfortable with the growing heat, or is the pressure starting to tell..?

Moreno Moser leads the escape in to the Col de Ornan - the Saxo-Tinkoff pair have got no-where near to catching them...

Van Garderen has launched himself ahead on the first ascent of Alpe d'Huez...there's a long way still to go..!

Tour de France 2013 - 18. Etappe Gap - "Alpe d'Huez"

Van Garderen has been caught by Riblon and Moser on the Col de Sarenne...

Tour de France 2013 - 18. Etappe Gap - "Alpe d'Huez"

The straggly peloton climbs the Sarenne almost eight minutes later...

Moser heads towards Alpe d'Huez, alone with a lead of two minutes over Riblon and Van Garderen...

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Andy Schleck has launched a counter-attack and is about six-minutes down on Moser...

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The Movistar team start the second ascent of Alpe d'Huez at full tilt - they've caught Schleck but are still five minutes behind Moser/Riblon/Van Garderen...

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Van Garderen has now passed both Moser and Riblon and seems set for an amazing stage-win..!

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Riblon passes the 'Irish Corner' and is determined to catch Van Garderen...

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Igor Anton attacks from the group of favourites - the finale has started..!

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Chris Froome shows everyone how to attack - and how strong he is..!

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Richie Porte clams things down and shouts a warning at an overly enthusiastic fan..!

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Froome makes another attack about halfway up the last climb...

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Joaquim Rodriguez attacks now - the pace has pushed Contador, Mollema and Valverde out of the challenge today...

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Riblon has caught Van Garderen in thr last kilometres and has this stage-win in the bag now..!

Quintana emerges ahead of Rodriguez with two-kilometres left...

Froome has let Quintana and Rodriguez go - he's extended his lead on Contador though..!

Jacob Fuglsang has a had a much better day, he moves up the G.C..

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Contador has had a bad day - he'll just salvage his 2nd-place overall from Quintana..!

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Bauke Mollema has had a really awful day - he drops well out of the top three places overall..!

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The grupetto climbs towards the finish at Alpe d'Huez, cheered on by an army of fans on this famous mountain...

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