Thor Hushovd has penetrated the day's hopeful escape - is this a repeat of his Alpine epic last year..?
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Robbie Hunter and Yaroslav Popovych sense the potential and chase, but they never get across...
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Ivan Gutierrez is setting the pace on the Col de La Colombiere, they're about three minutes in front...
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Hushod has won one sprint but then been dropped on this 1st category climb...
Damiano Cunego is getting across with Taaramae and Frohlinger...
BMC grits its teeth and settles in for a long day of chasing - Alessandro Ballan is the man leading hoere...
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The peloton climbs towards the summit of the beautiful Col de La Colombiere...
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He cannot climb well, but Mark Cavendish is a great descender..!
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Robbie McEwen is descending at a crazy speed to make sure he joins a safe group for the day...
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Tyler Farrar also wants to be sure of getting into McEwen's group for the day...
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Christophe Moreau leads the eleven escapers up the Col des Aravis - they hold a six-minute lead now...
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The Aravis rivals the Colombiere with its tranquility and beauty...
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A multi-coloured Cadel Evans climbs the Col de Saisies with no hint of his form for the day...
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Brent Bookwalter is the man doing the grind for BMC now, but there's no intention of chasing the break down...
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The Col de la Madeleine sees USA and British champions - George Hincapie & Geraint Thomas - slip out of the peloton backwards...
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Alexandre Vinokourov has gone out of the front end of the peloton - surely the Kazakh is anticipating an attack from Alberto Contador..?
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Saxo Bank has taken control of the chase from BMC - Chris Anker Sorensen drives up the pace...
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Levi Leipheimer is near the front, and ahead of Contador and Andy Schleck...
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Ivan Basso and Cadel Evans are wearing masks of pain that hint at trouble to come...
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Four minutes ahead, Luis Leon Sanchez is setting a pace that has split the escapers - only Cunego, Charteau and Casar can stay with him...
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Schleck has attacked and now has just Contador with him...
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Sammy Sanchez is trying hard to keep with the two 'stars...
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Robert Gesink is pacing a tired-looking Menchov...
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Basso is chasing a bit further back, but no-one's helping him...
Armstrong's in the Basso group and looking relaxed about his new status in this Tour...
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Michael Rogers is the leader of a bigger chase group that contains LeMevel, Sastre and Roche...
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Bradley Wiggins is by himself even further back...
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Evans is in dire straits, he'll lose about ten minutes today..!
Schleck and Contador near the summit of the Col de la Madeleine, and then its 32-kilometre descent...
Sandy Casar wins stage nine ahead of Sanchez - but they were almost caught by a group containing Contador and Schleck...
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Andy Schleck becomes the new race-leader - and this leader might last for more than just a day..!
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