MARCUS BURGHARDT — best remembered for being knocked off his bike by a dog in last year’s event — profited from a transitional day in the Tour de France to escape to victory on the 18th stage from Bourg d’Oisans to St Etienne.

FRANK SCHLECK surrendered the yellow jersey to team-mate Carlos Sastre as the Spaniard kicked away to a convincing victory on Alpe d’Huez in the 17th stage of the Tour de France.

Mark Cavendish lifted some of the gloom surrounding the Tour de France by becoming the first Briton to secure a hat-trick of stage victories in the Tour de France.

The Saunier Duval-Scott team have voluntarily withdrawn from the Tour de France in the wake of the positive drug test returned by their star climber Riccardo Ricco.

Riccardo Ricco produced a stunning final 30 kilometres in the Pyrenees to claim his second Tour de France stage victory and underline his reputation as one of the best climbers in the sport.