The breakaway in the first ten kilometres of the 159km stage 16 from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice contained more than twenty riders, building a lead around two minutes. Italian Franco Pellizotti of Liquigas and Russian Vladimir Karpets of Team Katusha then jumped the breakaway, cresting the Great Saint Bernard Pass – the first of two huge climbs – 2:03 ahead of the rest of the leading pack and around five minutes ahead of the peloton.

Pellizotti and Karpets were caught by the breakaway group with 60km left to ride and the Little Saint Bernard Pass between them and the finish line. Pellizotti then kicked ahead again with Belgian Jurgen Van Den Broeck of Silence-Lotto, later joined by Frenchman Amael Moinard of Cofidis and Spaniard Mikel Astarloza of Euskaltel-Euskadi, and it was this foursome which eventually contested the stage win, with Astarloza coming out in front.

Meanwhile, back in the peloton the Schleck brothers, Frank and Andy, lead an attack with yellow jersey wearer Alberto Contador joining them, with Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans among the contenders who didn’t immediately respond.

However, in the biggest move of the day, Armstrong then took it upon himself to bridge the significant gap between the main peloton and the Contador group, bringing back memories of his seven straight Tour de France wins with an impressive riding performance.

Stage 16 results
1 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 159km in 4.14.20
2 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 6 seconds behind
3 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
4 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence – Lotto
6 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne

Top 20 of general classification after stage 16
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 67:33:15
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 1:37
3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin – Slipstream 1:46
4 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 2:17
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 2:26
6 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 2:51
7 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux 3:09
8 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 3:25
9 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 3:52
10 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 3:59
11 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 4:38
12 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 4:40
13 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia – HTC 5:05
14 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 5:26
15 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 5:40
16 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 5:56
17 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto 7:23
18 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 8:23
19 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 9:14
20 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel 10:00

Original from:

Lance Armstrong avoided disaster in Thursday’s 12th stage of the Tour de France after puncturing a back wheel tire with just 37 miles left in the 131-mile ride from Tonnerre to Vittel.

Armstrong was still third overall and riding comfortably in the main pack when a wheel-flat forced the seven-time Tour champion to the side of road for repairs as the pack sped away to Vittel.

Fortunately for Armstrong, his Astana teammates were right there to replace the punctured tire and help Armstrong catch up without suffering a significant loss.

“It is stressful with the crashes, on a stage like this where you have nothing to gain and then you lose everything because of a crash or a split in the group,” Armstrong had warned before the start of the stage. “You have to pay attention and try to avoid a crash.”

That is just what Armstrong did, despite the perilous puncture to his tire on the stage’s final stretch. Armstrong remains in third, eight seconds off the lead of Italy’s Rinaldo Nocentini, with the famous Alps mountain stages approaching.

Armstrong has historically excelled in the Alps, and is well within striking distance to overtake the yellow jersey.

Armstrong’s teammate and budding rival Alberto Contador of Spain stayed in second place overall, six seconds off the lead.

Nicki Sorensen of Demark won the stage for his first individual win at the Tour, finishing 48 seconds ahead of France’s Laurent Lefevre.

Totally Original from:

July 15, 2009: Tour de France: Vatan – Saint Fargeau (192 km):
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia – HTC       04:17:55
2 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
3 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française des Jeux
4 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
6 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
7 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
8 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
9 William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
10 Nikolai Troussov (Rus) Team Katusha
11 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre – NGC
12 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha
13 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
14 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas
15 Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano
16 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
17 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
18 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano
19 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha
20 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre – NGC

21 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux
22 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
23 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre – NGC
24 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
25 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre – NGC
26 Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
27 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano
28 Koen de Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano
29 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
30 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha
31 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
32 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
33 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha
34 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
35 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence – Lotto
36 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team
37 Steven de Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
38 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin – Slipstream
39 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
40 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence – Lotto
41 Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo Test Team
42 Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
43 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
44 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
45 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank
46 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
47 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia – HTC
48 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram
49 Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence – Lotto
50 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
51 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram
52 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto
53 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia – HTC
54 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
55 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
56 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas
57 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
58 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram
59 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
60 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team
61 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
62 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre – NGC
63 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
64 Danny Pate (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
65 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
66 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha
67 Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana
68 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram
69 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
70 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
71 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
72 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux
73 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
74 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step
75 Pierre Rolland (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
76 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence – Lotto
77 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia – HTC
78 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervelo Test Team
79 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel
80 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux
81 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux
82 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia – HTC
83 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
84 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
85 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
86 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
87 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
88 Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
89 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
90 Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank
91 Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
92 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
93 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
94 Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana
95 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas
96 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
97 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
98 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia – HTC
99 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel
100 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
101 Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
102 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin – Slipstream
103 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin – Slipstream
104 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Astana
105 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
106 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
107 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
108 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
109 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
110 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
111 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank
112 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
113 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
114 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
115 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
116 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
117 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
118 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Silence – Lotto
119 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre – NGC
120 Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas
121 Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
122 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
123 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha
124 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d’Epargne
125 Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
126 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
127 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
128 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel
129 Yury Trofimov (Rus) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
130 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
131 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
132 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel
133 Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel
134 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia – HTC
135 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
136 Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano
137 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
138 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
139 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
140 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano 0:00:24
141 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervelo Test Team
142 Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
143 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
144 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – HTC
145 Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux
146 Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano
147 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:27
148 David Loosli (Swi) Lampre – NGC
149 Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre – NGC 0:00:29
150 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
151 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha
152 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
153 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence – Lotto
154 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
155 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Silence – Lotto 0:00:34
156 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Slipstream
157 Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano 0:00:36
158 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre – NGC 0:00:38
159 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram
160 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step
161 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
162 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0:00:51
163 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana 0:00:54
164 Marcus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram
165 David Millar (GBr) Garmin – Slipstream 0:01:00
166 Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux 0:01:01
167 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia – HTC 0:01:06
168 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:01:10
169 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence – Lotto 0:03:37
170 Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d’Epargne 0:04:11
DNS Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank (Crashed yesterday. Collarbone fracture)