The Tour ended its brief sojourn in Germany and Switzerland with all the major awards apparently settled: a second yellow jersey for Lance Armstrong, a fifth green for the German Erik Zabel and the red-spotted king of the mountains jersey for Santiago Botero of Colombia.

Only the intervention of fate can deprive them, while the young Spaniard Francisco Mancebo is untouchable in the white jersey of best young rider, and Botero's Kelme team are guaranteed the best team prize.

One subsidiary classification remains up for grabs, however: the "combativity" prize for the most aggressive rider. Points for this are awarded daily and totted up as the race progresses, with the leader wearing a special red race number. It is nip and tuck between Botero and Erik Dekker of the Netherlands, but yesterday the 1998 and 1999 victor Jacky Durand moved into the frame to raise French hopes that they may at least win this minor consolation prize when the Tour ends on Sunday.

Rather inevitably, given that the French have won a total of two stages in the last two Tours, Durand did not actually cross the line first in yesterday's 154-mile stage, which went to Salvatore Commesso.

The Neapolitan earned his points for launching the day's winning quintet virtually as the start flag dropped, in the face of protests from Armstrong who likes such lengthy days in the saddle to pass quietly and intervened personally to try to stop the initial offensives. But once Commesso and co had disappeared, the peloton grumbled a little then got on with getting through the day, while the leaders raced to a 27-minute lead.

The recalcitrant five also included one German, Jens Voigt, the Frenchman Jean-Cyril Robin and the Kazakh Alexandr Vinokourov.

The hundreds of placards welcoming Telekom team home to Germany could not will Vinokourov to the stage win; he did his utmost to outmanoeuvre Commesso but gave best to the Italian's speed in the final metres.