Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has signed a two-year deal to race with Team Saxo Bank from next season.

ALBERTO CONTADOR edged closer to Lance Armstrong’s record number of victories yesterday as the American’s Tour de France career came to an end.

Alberto Contador claimed overall victory following the final stage of the Tour de France today.

Andy Schleck was forced to change his bike on today's final stage of the Tour de France after suffering mechanical trouble while racing Alberto Contador.

The titanic tussle for the 2010 Tour de France title is set to end in Alberto Contador’s favour after the defending champion increased his advantage in today’s penultimate stage.

THE battle for the race leader’s yellow jersey will take place today as Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck face into today’s 52-kilometre time-trial from Bordeaux to Pauillac.

Mark Cavendish was able to look over his shoulder as he sprinted to yet another sensational victory on stage 18 of the Tour de France in Bordeaux today.

The Tour de France concludes in Paris this weekend with the duel for the race leader's yellow jersey set to end in Alberto Contador's favour.

ALBERTO CONTADOR emerged from a mist-shrouded Col du Tourmalet yesterday with his Tour de France race lead intact and one foot on the top of the Paris podium.

Andy Schleck took the stage finish atop the Col du Tourmalet but will require a miracle if he is to usurp the yellow jersey of Alberto Contador after today’s epic stage 17 of the Tour de France.

Andy Schleck planned to go on the attack today in his bid for Tour de France glory.

ANDY SCHLECK appeared calm and relaxed ahead of his yellow jersey showdown with Alberto Contador as the duo prepare to race to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet in stage 17 of the Tour de France today.

THE farewell victory Lance Armstrong hoped for failed to materialise yesterday as the seven-time Tour de France winner was beaten to the line in Pau.

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.

Alberto Contador has apologised for taking advantage of rival Andy Schleck’s mechanical problem to seize the Tour de France race leader’s yellow jersey.

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.

TOUR DE FRANCE leader Andy Schleck believes he fared better in the latest battle with nearest rival Alberto Contador yesterday as the race entered the Pyrenees.

The latest bout in the battle for the Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey ended in a stalemate in the Pyrenees today.

Lance Armstrong was among the riders dropped as the Tour de France peloton entered the Pyrenees today.

Controversial Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov won the 13th stage of the Tour de France today.

NICHOLAS ROCHE continues to ride exceptionally well as leader of his Ag2R Mondiale team in the Tour de France, finishing in 20th place yesterday on stage 12, just 31 seconds behind stage winner Joaquin Rodriguez (Team Katusha).

The 13th Tour de France stage win of Mark Cavendish’s career today came at a cost as Mark Renshaw, the Briton’s HTC-Columbia leadout man, was expelled from the race for headbutting.

There was plenty of excitement in today’s stage of the Tour de France, a 179 kilometre run from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.

ANDY SCHLECK has laid down the gauntlet to Alberto Contador as the race for the Tour de France became a duel following yesterday’s second Alpine stage.

Sandy Casar has won today's 204.5-kilometre ninth stage of the Tour de France from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.

LANCE ARMSTRONG’s demise as a contender for the 2010 Tour de France was met with sorrow by his biggest rival, Alberto Contador.

Team Sky’s Simon Gerrans has been ruled out of the Tour de France after X-rays showed he has a broken arm, the British team announced today.

When he announced the 2010 Tour de France would be his last, Lance Armstrong would not have expected it to end so soon.

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.

Britain's Mark Cavendish today recorded the 12th win of his Tour de France career with victory on stage six.

THE winning feeling returned for Mark Cavendish on the fifth stage of the Tour de France after a fraught and forgettable period on and off the bike.

Mark Cavendish stuck two fingers up to his critics – in a metaphorical sense this time – with victory on the fifth stage of the Tour de France.

Alessandro Petacchi won the fourth road stage of the Tour de France into Reims 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 crash-strewn final three kilometres of the first road stage of the Tour de France was won by Alessandro Petacchi in Brussels today.

Scotland's David Millar was in a borrowed green jersey as the Tour de France took to the road today.

Lance Armstrong’s final Tour de France will begin in Rotterdam tomorrow – and the favourite for the race is taking the seven-time champion’s bid for an eighth title seriously.

Frank Schleck clinched overall victory ahead of Lance Armstrong on the final day of the Tour de Suisse.

Mark Cavendish today completed the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, a day after being involved in a mass pile up.