Rui Costa won today’s eighth stage of the Tour de France as Thor Hushovd retained the yellow jersey as the race entered the Massif Central.

British cycling fans endured a day of mixed fortunes today as Team Sky leader Bradley Wiggins crashed out of the Tour de France before Mark Cavendish enjoyed a stage seven success in Chateauroux.

MARK CAVENDISH yesterday scorched to the 16th Tour de France stage win of his career before hinting at the demons which lie beneath his combustible personality.

Great Britain's Mark Cavendish today scorched to the 16th Tour de France stage win of his career before hinting at the demons which lie beneath his combustible personality.

Tyler Farrar won today’s Tour de France third stage in Brittany – giving the United States an Independence Day victory.

QuickStep tonight had their bus checked by police on the eve of the Tour de France in a move the Belgian team described as “routine”.

Lance Armstrong's bid for a fairytale finale ended in an anticlimax today as Pierrick Fedrigo won the 16th stage of the Tour de France.

THE first Alpine stage of the 2010 Tour de France witnessed the fall of a legend as Lance Armstrong declared: “My Tour’s finished”.

Sylvain Chavanel reclaimed the race leader’s yellow jersey with victory on stage seven of the Tour de France today.

Fabian Cancellara reclaimed the race leader's yellow jersey as the Tour de France endured another bumpy ride today.

THE Tour de France peloton met a second day of destruction as rain-soaked roads wreaked havoc on the second stage from Brussels to Spa yesterday.

The Tour de France peloton met a second day of destruction as rain-soaked roads wreaked havoc on the second stage from Brussels to Spa.

Wet weather contributed to another tumultuous day as the Tour de France visited spring classics country in Belgium today.

A dog disrupted David Millar’s progress from Rotterdam to Brussels as the Tour de France hit the road today.

TOM BOONEN produced a stunning late sprint to claim a photo-finish win in the 178-kilometre Tour de France stage 12 dash from Montpellier to Castres yesterday.

Quickstep’s Tom Boonen produced a stunning late sprint to claim a photo-finish win in today’s 178-kilometre Tour de France stage 12 from Montpellier to Castres.

SOUTH AFRICA’S Robbie Hunter won stage 11 of the Tour de France from Marseille to Montpellier.

NORWEGIAN Thor Hushovd edged a tight finish to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France on the 193km route between Villers-Cotterets and Joigny.

Norwegian Thor Hushovd edged a tight finish to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France on the 193km route between Villers-Cotterets and Joigny.

FLOYD LANDIS reclaimed the yellow jersey in the Tour de France with fourth place in stage 15, L’Alpe d’Huez.

Floyd Landis reclaimed the yellow jersey in the Tour de France with fourth place in stage 15, L’Alpe d’Huez.

Lorenzo Bernucci of Italy was the unexpected victor of a dramatic sixth stage of the Tour de France in Nancy as Alexander Vinokourov threw down the gauntlet to race leader Lance Armstrong.

Tom Boonen of Belgium won today’s second stage of the Tour de France, a 181.5km ride from Challans to Les Essarts.