Orica GreenEdge pipped Mark Cavendish’s Omega Pharma-Quick Step squad by a single second to win today’s team time trial in the Tour de France and make it two stage victories in as many days.

Irish duo Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) survived another day of carnage at the Tour de France yesterday but world champion Mark Cavendish wasn’t so lucky as he crashed heavily inside the final three kilometres on the run-in to the finish in Rouen.

Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) came close to winning his first ever stage of the Tour de France when he came seventh on yesterday’s third stage from Orchies toBoulogne-sur-Mer in the north of the country.

IRELAND’S Nicolas Roche moved up one place to 21st on the overall classification at the Tour de France yesterday after he finished 14th on a testing 179 kilometre stage from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy.

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”.

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.

It’s been a fabulous start to the 2010 Tour de France for the sole Irish rider in the race, Nicholas Roche.

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 VISIBLY emotional Heinrich Haussler had the “perfect” day after a stunning Stage 13 ride saw him earn his first Tour de France victory.

Heinrich Haussler’s daredevil descending saw the Cervelo TestTeam rider earn his first Tour de France victory today in the 200km ride from Vittel to Colmar.

BRITAIN’S David Millar came agonisingly close to a third Tour de France stage victory of his career as Norway’s Thor Hushovd won a sprint finish to win Stage Six yesterday.

SYLVAIN CHAVANEL bade farewell to Cofidis by delivering a second Tour de France stage win for the French team in the 163-kilometre flat stage from Roanne to Montlucon yesterday.

Sylvain Chavanel bade farewell to Cofidis by delivering a second Tour de France stage win for the French team in the 163-kilometre flat stage from Roanne to Montlucon.

LUIS LEON SANCHEZ’S enterprise paid off with a flying solo escape in the final five kilometres to win the seventh stage of the Tour de France from Brioude to Aurillac yesterday.

Luis Leon Sanchez’s enterprise paid off with a flying solo escape in the final five kilometres to win the seventh stage of the Tour de France from Brioude to Aurillac.

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.

Belgium’s Tom Boonen won stage six of the Tour de France after Bradley Wiggins marked the 40th anniversary of the death of the great Tom Simpson with a lengthy solo break.

Filippo Pozzato won the fifth stage of the Tour de France on a photo finish today, while favourite Alexandre Vinokourov lost significant time after crashing.

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.

Team CSC’s Jens Voigt won stage 13 of the Tour de France on Saturday after a sprint finish with Oscar Pereiro coming into Montelimar.

Ireland's Ciaran Power came 13th in the men's raod race in Athens today.

Frenchman Jean-Patrick Nazon produced a superb sprint finish to claim the third stage of the Tour de France today.

OSCAR FREIRE surprised himself and the Saarbrucken crowd gathered to cheer an Erik Zabel win by denying the German rider a victory on home soil yesterday.