Russia's Serguei Ivanov broke away from a three-man escape group inside the last 10 kilometres to win the ninth stage of the Tour de France today.
Stuart O'Grady, the Australian sprinter who holds a massive lead over the favourites after yesterday’s successful break, did enough to keep the yellow jersey of race leader.
Lance Armstrong and the other leading candidates for overall victory, who dropped nearly 36 minutes on Sunday, were content to stay in the pack and conserve energy, with five gruelling mountain stages to come over the next six days.
The first of those is tomorrow when the peloton will tackle three massive climbs, over a 209-km course from Aix-les-Bains up to the fearsome Alpe d'Huez.
Ivanov was one of three riders denied permission to start the Tour last year after blood tests revealed they had high haematocrit levels.
The Fassa Bortolo rider joined David Etxeberria of Spain, who finished second, and Australian Brad McGee, who crossed the line in third, after the duo had attacked 36 kms into the 185-km stage from Pontarlier to Aix-les-Bains.