Greg Van Avermaet extended his lead in the yellow jersey with a superb ride as Julian Alaphilippe won stage 10 of the Tour de France.

Nicolas Roche came agonisingly close to winning his first ever stage of the Tour de France yesterday but was overhauled in the closing metres before the finishing line in Brive-la-Gaillarde by Team Sky’s fast-man Mark Cavendish.

Champion-elect Lance Armstrong produced a masterful display of time-trial cycling to win the penultimate 20th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday and all but seal an incredible seventh title.