Cycling – Tour de France:Ireland's Nicolas Roche is back on track for a top 15 finish at the Tour de France after coming home seventh in today's Bastille Day stage. With the race leaders finishing back in the peloton, Roche climbs to 13th in the overall standings.
Portugal’s Sergio Paulinho took the stage, initially joining a six-man breakaway before accelerating away with Vasili Kiryienka in the final 15 kilometres and beating the Belarus rider in a sprint finish.
More than 13 minutes behind were Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) in seventh and Remi Pauriol (Cofidis) in eighth after the duo broke off the front of the peloton.
The top of the general classification standings were unchanged, with Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) retaining the race leader’s yellow jersey with a 41-second advantage over Alberto Contador (Astana). Their closest rival is more than two minutes behind.
The 179km 10th stage from Chambrey to Gap as the 97th Tour left the Alps behind was ridden at a sedate pace, half an hour behind the slowest anticipated schedule issued by race organisers.
Stage result
1. Sergio Paulinho (Portugal / RadioShack) 5hrs 10mins 56secs
2. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus / Caisse d'Epargne) same time
3. Dries Devenyns (Belgium / Quick-Step) +1:29"
4. Pierre Rolland (France / Bbox - Bouygues)
5. Mario Aerts (Belgium / Omega Pharma - Lotto) +1:33"
6. Maxime Bouet (France / AG2R) +3:20"
7. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R) +12:58"
8. Remi Pauriol (France / Cofidis) +13:57"
9. Mark Cavendish (Britain / HTC - Columbia) +14:19"
10. Alessandro Petacchi (Italy / Lampre)
11. Thor Hushovd (Norway / Cervelo)
12. Robbie McEwen (Australia / Katusha)
13. Lloyd Mondory (France / AG2R)
14. Sebastien Turgot (France / Bbox - Bouygues)
15. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne)
16. Sebastian Lang (Germany / Omega Pharma - Lotto)
17. Juergen Roelandts (Belgium / Omega Pharma - Lotto)
18. Kristjan Koren (Slovenia / Liquigas)
19. Damien Monier (France / Cofidis)
20. Matti Breschel (Denmark / Saxo Bank)
Overall standings
1. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank) 49h 00m 56s
2. Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana) +41"
3. Samuel Sanchez (Spain / Euskaltel) +2:45"
4. Denis Menchov (Russia / Rabobank) +2:58"
5. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Belgium/Omega Pharma-Lotto) +3:31"
6. Levi Leipheimer (U.S. / RadioShack) +3:59"
7. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / Rabobank) +4:22"
8. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) +4:41"
9. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +5:08"
10. Ivan Basso (Italy / Liquigas) +5:09"
11. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic / Liquigas) +5:11"
12. Ryder Hesjedal (Canada / Garmin) +5:42"
13. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R) +6:23"
14. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan / Astana) +6:31"
15. Michael Rogers (Australia / HTC - Columbia) +7:04"
16. Carlos Sastre (Spain / Cervelo) +7:13"
17. Bradley Wiggins (Britain / Team Sky) +7:18"
18. Cadel Evans (Australia / BMC Racing) +7:47"
19. Thomas Lofkvist (Sweden / Team Sky) +8:03"
20. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / RadioShack) +9:05"
King of the Mountains
1. Jerome Pineau (France / Quick-Step) 91 points
2. Anthony Charteau (France / Bbox - Bouygues) 90
3. Christophe Moreau (France / Caisse d'Epargne) 62
4. Mario Aerts (Belgium / Omega Pharma - Lotto) 58
5. Damiano Cunego (Italy / Lampre) 56
6. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank) 50
7. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) 47
8. Sandy Casar (France / FDJ) 43
9. Samuel Sanchez (Spain / Euskaltel) 40
10. Sylvain Chavanel (France / Quick-Step) 36
Sprinter standings
1. Thor Hushovd (Norway / Cervelo) 138 points
2. Alessandro Petacchi (Italy / Lampre) 131
3. Robbie McEwen (Australia / Katusha) 116
4. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) 98
5. Mark Cavendish (Britain / HTC - Columbia) 97
6. Sebastien Turgot (France / Bbox - Bouygues) 86
7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Team Sky) 82
8. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 74
9. Gerald Ciolek (Germany / Milram) 71
10. Sylvain Chavanel (France / Quick-Step) 69
Youth standings
1. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank) 49h 00m 56s
2. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / Rabobank) +4:22"
3. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic / Liquigas) +5:11"
4. Cyril Gautier (France / Bbox - Bouygues) +30:18"
5. Julien El Fares (France / Cofidis) +30:29"
6. Rafael Valls (Spain / Footon) +31:29"
7. Pierre Rolland (France / Bbox - Bouygues) +32:59"
8. Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark / Saxo Bank) +46:01"
9. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) +51:08"
10. Arkaitz Duran (Spain / Footon) +52:19"
Team standings
1. Caisse d'Epargne (Spain) 147h 07m 02s
2. RadioShack (United States) +31"
3. Astana (Kazakhstan) +14:54"
4. Rabobank (Netherlands) +15:38"
5. AG2R (France) +16:52"
6. Omega Pharma - Lotto (Belgium) +19:37"
7. Liquigas (Italy) +30:42"
8. Bbox - Bouygues (France) +36:55"
9. Team Sky (Great Britain) +40:31"
10. Cofidis (France) +43:24"