2007 Tour de France, Prologue to Stage 10

The 10th stage of the 2007 Tour de France on July 18 was 229.5 km long and took the riders from Tallard south through the southeastern region of Provence -Alpes- Côte d' Azur, in the individual by the department of Hautes -Alpes, Alpes- de -Haute -Provence, the Var and Bouches -du -Rhone, Marseille. The city on the Mediterranean was the 33rd time stage of the Tour. The sixth flat stage was the second longest of the Tour and had a total of four climbs to the third and fourth category on.

After the tough stages in the Alps tried early on some drivers to disengage from the main field and speculate on a win from a breakaway group out. So sat down at the beginning of a group of six on the stage leader, Simon Gerrans in, Claudio Corioni, Manuel Quinziato, Anthony Charteau, Andrij Hrywko and Philippe Gilbert drove. However, they could within the first hour of the race, which was completed at an average speed of 48.3 km / h never sell more than 50 seconds from the field and were again provided by the peloton with 37 kilometers of the race.

As a result of the merger again attacked some riders, for the time being but could not dissolve. Only Marcus Burghardt succeeded on the first mountain stage after 57 kilometers driven discontinued. He built his lead quickly to 1:40 minutes, before and behind him a ten-man chase group consisting of Andrij Hrywko, Jens Voigt, Juan Antonio Flecha, Patrice Halgand, Cédric Vasseur, Sandy Casar, Michael Albasini, Staf Scheirlinckx, Alyaksandr Kuschynski Paolo Bossoni, was formed. The group concluded on 80 kilometers at racing to Burghardt, which then eleven drivers were at the top. After they had extended their lead to about 100 km to eleven minutes before the goal, the main draw of the residue first began to decrease slightly, before leveling off in the range of ten to eleven minutes and remained constant.

Located in the rise of the third mountain stage, 32 kilometers from the finish, Voigt tested with a significant pace for the first time intensification of its competitors, but broke off the attempt after he could not bring about a significant selection. A little later attacked Halgand and sat down first with Albasini and Casar at the rear wheel off. Behind it Burghardt, Voigt, Vasseur and Scheirlinckx a brief break to a group that reached the culmination of ten seconds behind the lead group. On the descent Vasseur and Voigt caught up with the leaders and enlarged the group of five riders. Burghardt and Scheirlinckx however, fell back into a past triad. In the last climb Halgand attacked again and initially was able to shake off Casar, who, after he had found his rhythm, zoom fought back. The next attack, this time again by Voigt, followed four kilometers from the finish, but did not yield any decision. A kilometer later tried it for the first time Vasseur and then Halgand. Despite the attacks, the five drivers drove a closed to the finish line before the Stade Vélodrome. In a thrilling finish to Cédric Vasseur his second stage victory secured wafer-thin after 1997, Sandy Casar and Michael Albasini. Behind the first group reached the six relapsed driver sprinkled the goal. The peloton in which Sébastien Chavanel won the sprint to the twelfth place, went with a backlog of 10:36 minutes over the finish line.

In the four scores, there was no change to the front positions. Due to the large projection of the outliers, among whom was also a driver of the CSC team with Jens Voigt, selbiges took over for the first time since the 8th stage back the lead in the team standings.

Before the start of the stage of the already retired T- Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz the positive doping result was known. Sinkewitz had been tested at a training control with increased testosterone levels on 8 June. Whereas the German public broadcaster Das Erste and ZDF got out with immediate effect "to the investigation of the case Patrik Sinkewitz " from the live coverage of the tour.

Intermediate sprints

First intermediate sprint in Oraison ( 82.5 miles ) ( 364 m above sea level. NN )

Second intermediate sprint at Saint -Maximin- la -Sainte -Baume ( 154.5 km ) ( 291 m above sea level. NN )

Climbs

Côte de Châteauneuf -Val -Saint Donat, Category 4 ( 57 kilometers ) (. 666 m above sea level, 3.3 km à 3,1 %)

Côte de Villedieu, Category 4 ( 93 km ) ( 384 m above sea level, . 1.1 km à 5,2 %)

Cote Bastide of category 3 ( 201.5 km ) ( 352 m above sea level, . 7.5 km à 2,9 %)

Col de la Gineste, Category 3 ( 219.5 km ) ( 352 m above sea level, . 7.5 km à 3,2 %)