Michael Rogers claimed a first ever Tour de France stage victory as he outsprinted Thomas Voeckler.

Defending champion Chris Froome was hoping to avoid any lingering after effects of his fourth stage crash as Marcel Kittel claimed a hat-trick of Tour de France wins in Lille on Tuesday.

On a day when the defending champion, Cadel Evans’ defence of his Tour de France title disintegrated on the perilously steep slopes of the Pyrenees, Ireland’s Dan Martin turned in one of the performances of his career to finish seventh on yesterday’s 16th stage from Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon.

Pierrick Fedrigo claimed France's fourth win of the Tour de France on stage 15 to Pau today as the peloton opted for a day of respite.

NICOLAS ROCHE finished 19th in yesterday’s 18th stage of the Tour de France after a dramatic day in the Alps which saw Thomas Voeckler cling to the yellow jersey for an 11th consecutive day while Alberto Contador saw his hopes of a fourth title all but disappear.

Andy Schleck made his claim for Tour de France victory with a solo surge to win at the highest summit finish in the race’s history today, but Thomas Voeckler retained the yellow jersey for a 10th day with another resilient performance.

The Tour de France goes uphill today with Thomas Voeckler predicting further trouble in his bid to retain the race leader's yellow jersey.

IRELAND’S Nicolas Roche moved up one place to 21st on the overall classification at the Tour de France yesterday after he finished 14th on a testing 179 kilometre stage from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy.

NICOLAS ROCHE slipped back four places to 22nd on the overall general classification after yesterday’s 16th stage of the Tour de France from St Paul Trois Châteaux to Gap in the south east of the country.

DEFENDING champion Alberto Contador knows the Alps are where he must strike to win a fourth Tour de France.

The Tour de France's overall favourites fought out a stalemate on the final day in the Pyrenees as Belgium's Jelle Vanendert claimed victory at Plateau de Beille.

HE may have finished over two minutes behind stage winner Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) but Ireland’s Nicolas Roche gave the strongest indication yet that he’s bang in line for a top 10 overall finish at this year’s Tour de France after he produced a superb ride up to the summit of Luz Ardiden in the Pyrénées on the toughest stage of this year’s race yesterday.

Thomas Voeckler successfully defended the race leader's yellow jersey on Bastille Day, but defending champion Alberto Contador lost time to his overall rivals on the first mountain stage of the 2011 Tour de France.

NICOLAS ROCHE consolidated his overnight position of 13th place in the Tour de France after he finished safely in the main bunch of yesterday’s rain-hit 167-kilometre journey from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur.

ANDRE GREIPEL denied Mark Cavendish in a thrilling sprint finish to win stage 10 of the Tour de France, a 158km run from Aurillac to Carmaux.

Team Sky’s Juan Antonio Flecha and Vacansoleil’s Johnny Hoogerland were today wiped out by a television vehicle as an incident-packed Tour de France suffered further casualties in the Massif Central.

ANDY SCHLECK yesterday blasted Alberto Contador after the Spaniard seized the Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey by taking advantage of his rival’s mechanical problem.

Alberto Contador today seized the Tour de France lead after taking advantage of yellow jersey incumbent Andy Schleck’s mechanical problem on stage 15.

FRENCHMAN Thomas Voeckler dashed clear of a long-time six-man breakaway group in the final five kilometres to win the fifth stage of the Tour de France yesterday.

Thomas Voeckler broke clear of a long-time six-man breakaway group in the final five kilometres to win stage five of the Tour de France today.

DENMARK’S Michael Rasmussen won the eighth stage of the Tour de France by a comfortable margin and claimed the yellow jersey in the process.

Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen won the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday by a comfortable margin and claimed the yellow jersey in the process.

France’s new cycling sensation Thomas Voeckler has declared that there are “no limits” to what he can accomplish after holding on to the yellow jersey for nine days.

Lance Armstrong landed what could prove a decisive blow on his biggest rivals today with a performance devastating to two of the men who hope to deny him a record sixth Tour de France victory.

David Moncoutie provided yet another reason for French cheer in the Tour de France with victory on stage 11 today.

ROBBIE McEWEN claimed the ninth stage of the Tour de France by a whisker in the closest finish of the Tour so far.

Robbie McEwen claimed the ninth stage of the Tour de France by a whisker in the closest finish of this year’s Tour so far.

NORWAY’S Thor Hushovd claimed his first stage victory of this year’s Tour de France as a chaotic closing 10 kilometres climaxed in a thrilling uphill sprint in Quimper.

Filippo Pozzatto timed his sprint finish to perfection to ride into Saint-Brieuc in front and hand the Fassa Bortolo team their second win of this year’s Tour de France.

TOM BOONEN of Belgium took the sixth stage honours yesterday in another day of thrills and spills on the Tour de France.

Tom Boonen of Belgium took the sixth stage honours today in another day of thrills and spills on the Tour de France.

FRENCH champion Thomas Voeckler relieved Lance Armstrong of the yellow jersey after the 200 kilometre fifth stage of the Tour de France from Amiens to Chartres.