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.

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.

Wolves have signed former Bristol City goalkeeper Adriano Basso on a short-term contract until the end of the season.

LEST you think London Fashion Week is just about the clothes; think again.

Franco Pellizotti emerged triumphant from a gruelling final climb to claim the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia today.

Dungannon's Kris Meeke and Killarney's Paul Nagle (Peugeot 207 S2000) have moved into a two point lead in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series after today's victory in the Sata Rally Azores.

Ireland's, Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle (Peugeot 207 S2000) have won the Rally Internacional de Curitiba in Brazil, the second round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

Bristol City 0 Portsmouth 2

Bristol City 0 Hull 1

IF Bristol City begin next season in the Premier League, much of it will be due to manager Gary Johnson’s flashes of inspiration in the early hours.

THE Sheffield half-marathon, a 13-mile test of physical and mental strength which yesterday snaked it way past Bramall Lane, provided the perfect metaphor to sum up the contrasting ways these two sides are ending the season.

ADRIANO BASSO admitted he is on a mission to reach the Premier League and fulfil his dream of playing in the next World Cup.

Bristol City 1 Middlesbrough 2

FOR most footballers, a guaranteed place in the starting XI — not to mention a healthy pay-packet — is the essence of happiness.

Celtic were sent crashing out of the CIS Insurance Cup as Hearts booked their place in the semi-finals.

The absence of a certain Texan for the first time in eight years should create a wide-open Tour de France.

DICK POUND believes cycling “is in the toilet” following the latest doping scandal to rock the sport.

LANCE ARMSTRONG’S anointed heir Ivan Basso will launch his bid for the vacant Tour de France throne in Strasbourg next July.

LANCE ARMSTRONG retired from cycling yesterday after winning a seventh Tour de France title and still at the height of his powers.

Lance Armstrong quit cycling with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today and named Italian rider Ivan Basso as his likely successor.

Lance Armstrong has still to win a stage at this year’s Tour de France but Paolo Salvodelli today became the second of his Discovery team-mates to cross the line first with an impressive victory in Revel.

JAN ULLRICH has all but given up on his challenge to Lance Armstrong on this year’s Tour de France and admitted he is fighting Michael Rasmussen for a place on the podium.

A gruelling stage 15 saw George Hincapie become first team-mate of Lance Armstrong to win a stage at this year’s Tour de France as the six-time champion retained the yellow jersey against the challenge of Ivan Basso.

Lance Armstrong survived a series of attacks to retain the yellow jersey on stage 14 of the Tour de France, which was won by Austrian rider Georg Totschnig.

SIX-TIME winner Lance Armstrong lost the Tour de France yellow jersey after another dramatic day of climbing which handed Germany’s Jens Voigt the race lead for only the second time in his career.

Lance Armstrong won his fifth stage of the 91st Tour de France today to all but seal his sixth successive victory and a pre-eminent place in the history of cycling’s greatest event.

LANCE ARMSTRONG gave another demonstration of his total superiority over the Tour de France by sprinting to his fourth stage win of this year’s event.

Lance Armstrong gave another demonstration of his total superiority over the Tour de France by sprinting to his fourth stage win of this year’s event.

LANCE ARMSTRONG took what looks like an unshakeable grip on the yellow jersey in yesterday’s time-trial with a performance worthy of a man about to enter history by becoming the first cyclist to win a sixth Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong is back in the yellow jersey with which he has become so closely associated after a typically powerful surge to victory on stage 15 of the Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong outsprinted Ivan Basso to claim a 13th stage triumph in the Pyrenees and remain on course for a record sixth Tour de France victory.

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.