On a day when the defending champion, Cadel Evans’ defence of his Tour de France title disintegrated on the perilously steep slopes of the Pyrenees, Ireland’s Dan Martin turned in one of the performances of his career to finish seventh on yesterday’s 16th stage from Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon.

Pierrick Fedrigo claimed France's fourth win of the Tour de France on stage 15 to Pau today as the peloton opted for a day of respite.

Briton Bradley Wiggins survived the Tour de France’s first big mountain stage to retain the race leader’s yellow jersey, before asking “what more can I do?” when the subject of doping was again broached.

Cadel Evans is poised to win his first Tour de France title after wresting the fabled yellow jersey from the shoulders of Andy Schleck on today's penultimate stage in Grenoble this afternoon.

IF Bonnie Tyler was still holding out, she was spoilt for choice in the Alps on Thursday. There were heroes everywhere en route to the Galibier summit.

NICOLAS ROCHE paid for his exertions on Thursday when he came in over 25 minutes down on stage winner Pierre Rolland (Europcar) on yesterday’s gruelling 109 kilometre stage 19 of the Tour de France from Modane to the ski station at Alpe d’Huez in the French Alps.

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.

Andy Schleck made his claim for Tour de France victory with a solo surge to win at the highest summit finish in the race’s history today, but Thomas Voeckler retained the yellow jersey for a 10th day with another resilient performance.

The Tour de France goes uphill today with Thomas Voeckler predicting further trouble in his bid to retain the race leader's yellow jersey.

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.

Edvald Boasson Hagen today won his and Team Sky’s second stage of the 2011 Tour de France with a solo triumph in Italy.

NICOLAS ROCHE slipped back four places to 22nd on the overall general classification after yesterday’s 16th stage of the Tour de France from St Paul Trois Châteaux to Gap in the south east of the country.

DEFENDING champion Alberto Contador knows the Alps are where he must strike to win a fourth Tour de France.

NICOLAS ROCHE’S goal of a top-10 finish in this year’s Tour de France is over after a nightmare day on Saturday when he conceded almost seven minutes to his main rivals and dropped back from 11th to 18th on the overall classification.

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.

NICOLAS ROCHE finished safely in the main bunch of yesterday’s 156-kilometre 13th stage of the Tour de France from Pau to Lourdes but he slipped back one place to 11th on the overall general classification after Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert crossed the line in ninth place to usurp him of a top 10 placing.

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.

NICOLAS ROCHE consolidated his overnight position of 13th place in the Tour de France after he finished safely in the main bunch of yesterday’s rain-hit 167-kilometre journey from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur.

ANDRE GREIPEL denied Mark Cavendish in a thrilling sprint finish to win stage 10 of the Tour de France, a 158km run from Aurillac to Carmaux.

Mark Cavendish today suffered a surprise Tour de France defeat as his arch-rival Andre Greipel triumphed in Carmaux.

NICOLAS ROCHE moved upone place to 13th overall in this year’s Tour de France after he produced another superb ride on yesterday’s 208 kilometre ninth stage from Issoire to Saint-Flour.

Team Sky’s Juan Antonio Flecha and Vacansoleil’s Johnny Hoogerland were today wiped out by a television vehicle as an incident-packed Tour de France suffered further casualties in the Massif Central.

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.

Thomas Voeckler broke clear of a long-time six-man breakaway group in the final five kilometres to win stage five of the Tour de France today.

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

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.

DENMARK’S Michael Rasmussen won the eighth stage of the Tour de France by a comfortable margin and claimed the yellow jersey in the process.

Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen won the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday by a comfortable margin and claimed the yellow jersey in the process.

Lance Armstrong heads for the Pyrenees in the yellow jersey with his grip on the Tour de France as tight as ever after a 13th stage won by Robbie McEwen of Australia today.

CIARAN POWER will leave for the USA today with a smile on his face after the best performance of his cycling career in the intense heat on Saturday afternoon when he finished 13th in the Olympic Road Race.

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

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.

France’s new cycling sensation Thomas Voeckler has declared that there are “no limits” to what he can accomplish after holding on to the yellow jersey for nine days.

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.

David Moncoutie provided yet another reason for French cheer in the Tour de France with victory on stage 11 today.

ROBBIE McEWEN claimed the ninth stage of the Tour de France by a whisker in the closest finish of the Tour so far.

Robbie McEwen claimed the ninth stage of the Tour de France by a whisker in the closest finish of this year’s Tour so far.

NORWAY’S Thor Hushovd claimed his first stage victory of this year’s Tour de France as a chaotic closing 10 kilometres climaxed in a thrilling uphill sprint in Quimper.

Filippo Pozzatto timed his sprint finish to perfection to ride into Saint-Brieuc in front and hand the Fassa Bortolo team their second win of this year’s Tour de France.