Tour de France stage 16: Carcassonne > Bagneres-de-Luchon, 237.5kms

The peloton heads towards the Pyrenees through an allé of Plaine trees...

A sunflower watches an escape go by on a bright and sunny day...

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The peloton is strung out in Languedoc, a region of wines and farming...

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Bernhard Eisel leads a 16-man escape away after one hour's fast racing...

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Garmin-Sharp reacts to the four-minute gap by suddenly accelerating and splitting the peloton...

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Johan Van Summeren leads the action for Garmin as it closes in the bewildered escape group...

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Garmin has got Tom-Jelte Slagter safely aboard the new escape, that is the old escape plus a few extras...

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Samuel Dumoulin leads the new escape away, with the peloton happy to sit-up and watch it go away...

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The peloton passes through the Grotto of the Maz-d'Azil with a seven-minute deficit...

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Vincenzo Nibali descends from the Col de Portet d'Aspet on what seems to becoming a day off...

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Vasil Kiryineka leads the escape up the Port de Bales with a 12-minute lead - he might even win today..!

Cyril Gautier is in the thick of the action up-front, he leads three other attackers...

Gautier has provoked a final escape that contains Jose Serpa, Thomas Voeckler, and Michael Rogers...

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Rogers is emerging as the strongest as the day goes on - can he win..?!

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Ten minutes later, Thibaiout Pinto starts to attack the yellow jersey group - and he has Tejay Van Garderen in trouble..!

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Van Garderen is in deep trouble now - he'll go on to lose many minutes and any chance of a podium place in Paris...

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Arnold Jeannesson has got up to Pinot's group to help push Van Garderen and Bardet back further...

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Haimar Zubeldia is ina following trio, with Konig and Ten Dam...

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Roman Bardet will lose two-minutes to Nibali and Pinot today..!

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Jurgen Van den Broeck is a bigger loser - to the tune of three-minutes..!

Van Garderen needs Peter Stetina to help him, but he faces a loss of almost four minutes by the finish..!

Michael Rogers celebrates after winning into Bagneres-de-Luchon alone..!