2010 Tour de France, Stage 11 to Stage 20#Stage 17

The 17th stage of the 2010 Tour de France on July 22, led over 174 km from Pau to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet. On this mountain stage, there were two intermediate sprints and four climbs, including one of the honorary category, two of the first category and a 4th category. With the Tourmalet, the highest point of this year's Tour de France was reached on 2115 meters again. The winner of this mountain stage got the special prize Souvenir Henri Desgrange. As with the Voretappe 172 of the 198 registered participants were at the start.

Race course

At 12:30 clock the driver reached the zero kilometer mark after a 6.8 km drive through the neutral zone. Again, some drivers tried to drive away immediately, including Tony Martin, but at first no one was left out. Kristjan Koren took another breakaway. He was persecuted by the six riders Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Alexander Kolobnew, Marcus Burghardt, Rémi Pauriol and Rubén Pérez. The field had let the group and at the first mountain stage, which won Kolobnew, the septet had more than three minutes ahead. There were trying to withdraw from the field José Iván Gutiérrez, Daniel Lloyd and Stéphane Augé. Due to the pace of work Team RadioShack, the trio but was recaptured. After Astana took back control. Meanwhile left Simon Spilak the tour. Ignatas Konovalovas tried a new attack. In the field Samuel Sánchez fell heavily, could, however, get on your bike again. The field took out pace and Sánchez was driven by his team ahead again. Meanwhile, Carlos Sastre went to Konovalovas forward.

Boasson Hagen won the first intermediate sprint. The projection of the Group continued to increase and grew up before the second mountain stage, the Col de Marie- Blanque, to over nine minutes. In Verfolgerduo, further three minutes back was to the extreme, Sastre came in from the rise back his companion, who later fell back into the field. Sastre was now on his own and at first did not come closer to the top group. In the field the first drivers already lost the connection. In the top group Flecha won the mountains classification before Koren and Pauriol. Sastre still secured the last five points and had his unemployment gap on the summit down to 1:20 minutes. Also, the field reduced the gap again something in the Omega Pharma-Lotto and Team Saxo Bank took the lead. In the flat passage before the next pass Sastre lost ground against the leading group on the ground. His residue increased to over four minutes and also the field went back closer to him.

In the ascent to the Col du Soulor Astana again made the pace work. The back open-minded on the flat riders now fell again from the peloton back and modeled the Gruppetto. Well, among other things could also Yaroslav Popovych and Sylwester Szmyd the pace no longer go along. Sastre made on the rise again time well to the leading group. There initially led Burghardt, then Kolobnew increased the pace, the first Pauriol, but then the others followed. Before the field crossed the road a flock of sheep, which it had to briefly take out pace, but there was no one there to harm. The mountains classification winner in the top group Burghardt before Koren and Pérez. Just under three minutes later Sastre reached the mountain classification and grabbing himself again the last five points. Around one and a half later the Minten led by Stuart O'Grady field on a wet road again lost some time on the descent because of moderate tempo. In the flat passage Boasson Hagen also won the second intermediate sprint of the day. The residue of Sastre grew in the flat piece again steadily, even before the final climb he was just under 120 kilometers solo flight between the top group and field of this again obtained.

About four minutes before the field led by Boasson Hagen lead group reached the climb to the Col du Tourmalet. The field went out on top in the increase with Astana. In the meantime, the team Rabobank involved in the leadership, while Sastre lost contact. At the top gradually some drivers lost the connection and it formed a duo from Kolobnew and Burghardt. Fabian Cancellara took the lead in the field. Christophe Moreau fell back, which Anthony Charteau definitively the mountain jersey secured, as by this stage no more mountain points were awarded. As Chris Anker Sørensen tempo work took over in the field, Cadel Evans and Ivan Basso also fell back. Kolobnew and Burghardt went on at the top, while the field was collecting little by their former companions. In front sat Kolobnew from Burghardt off and was now traveling alone. The field was getting smaller, Alexander Vinokourov was now tearing. Jakob Fuglsang increased the pace and the favorite group always continued to shrink. About ten kilometers from the finish attacked Carlos Barredo. Andy Schleck sat by and only Alberto Contador was able to follow him. Behind them was Joaquim Rodríguez. Schleck made further pace, but could not shake Contador of his wheel. The duo eventually overtook even up to this time leader Kolobnew. Their advantage quickly grew to over a minute on the group of the other driver standings, led by Robert Gesink. Short term Contador attacked Schleck, but even this could not shake its competitors. Schleck took the lead again and drove up to Contador, who did not intervene in the sprint for the stage win, as the finish line first. In the chase group Joaquim Rodríguez broke away from his companions and came with 1:18 minutes behind in third place. The fifth-placed Samuel Sanchez was able to pull eight seconds on Denis Menshov. Lance Armstrong crossed the finish line in 17th with 4:12 minutes behind.

Sprints

Second intermediate sprint in Adast ( 141.5 km ) ( 470 m)

The aim of the Col du Tourmalet ( 174 km ) ( 2115 m)

Climbs

Côte de Renoir, category 4 ( 13.5 km; 347 m; 2.2 km of 6 %)

Col de Marie- Blanque, category 1 ( 56.5 km; 1035 m; 9.3 km à 7,6 %)

Col du Soulor, category 1 ( 117.5 km; 1474 m; 11.9 km à 7,8 %)

Col du Tourmalet, honorary category ( km 174; 2115 m; 18.6 km à 7,5 %)

Tasks

209 - Simon Spilak ( Lampre- Farnese Vini ): task during the stage

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