Rui Costa won today’s eighth stage of the Tour de France as Thor Hushovd retained the yellow jersey as the race entered the Massif Central.

NICOLAS ROCHE notched his highest stage finishing so far in this year’s Tour de France with a fine 15th place on the leg-breaking 215 kilometre trek from Le Mans to Châteauroux yesterday.

British cycling fans endured a day of mixed fortunes today as Team Sky leader Bradley Wiggins crashed out of the Tour de France before Mark Cavendish enjoyed a stage seven success in Chateauroux.

Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford’s ambition was vindicated today as Geraint Thomas set up a first Tour de France stage win for the British squad and Norwegian prodigy Edvald Boasson Hagen.

MARK CAVENDISH yesterday scorched to the 16th Tour de France stage win of his career before hinting at the demons which lie beneath his combustible personality.

Great Britain's Mark Cavendish today scorched to the 16th Tour de France stage win of his career before hinting at the demons which lie beneath his combustible personality.

Bradley Wiggins was in confident mood as the Tour de France entered a fifth day of racing today.

DEFENDING Tour de France champion Alberto Contador punched the air in celebration at the end of yesterday’s fourth stage in Brittany — despite being beaten to victory.

Alberto Contador was beaten to victory by Cadel Evans in a dramatic finish to the fourth stage of the Tour de France in Brittany.

Mark Cavendish and his sprint adversaries will likely step to one side today, with the Tour de France fourth stage set to shake up the race for the yellow jersey.

TYLER FARRAR celebrated an emotional and long-awaited Tour de France stage win with an American Independence Day victory in Brittany yesterday.

Tyler Farrar won today’s Tour de France third stage in Brittany – giving the United States an Independence Day victory.

Belgium's Philippe Gilbert seized the Tour de France race leader's yellow jersey with victory in Les Herbiers today.

Norway’s Thor Hushovd claimed victory in the UCI Road World Championships road race in Geelong, Australia today.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

MARK CAVENDISH claimed a British record ninth Tour de France stage victory yesterday on a day when Ireland’s Nicolas Roche continued to impress.

Mark Cavendish produced another trademark sprint finish to claim his fifth stage victory of the Tour de France.

Spain's Alberto Contador stood toe-to-toe with the Schleck brothers on the final day in the Alps to strengthen his grip on the Tour de France's yellow jersey today.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has finished runner-up in the 14th stage of the Tour de France, 16 seconds behind Katusha’s Sergei Ivanov, with Hayden Roulston in third.

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.

NICKI SORENSEN broke clear late on from a long-time breakaway group of seven riders to win Stage 12 of the Tour de France as sprint king Mark Cavendish spent a well-deserved day in the peloton.

MARK CAVENDISH hailed his team-mates after regaining the green jersey with victory in stage 11 of the Tour de France yesterday – his fourth triumph in 2009.

Mark Cavendish admits his “big objective” is to win the final stage of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

MARK CAVENDISH won his third stage on the 2009 Tour de France yesterday, a 194.5-kms trek ridden at a leisurely pace in an implicit protest by the riders at a radio-ban by organisers.

Mark Cavendish produced yet another superb sprint today to take his third stage win as the Tour de France reached Issoudun.

Britain’s David Millar admitted his emotions got the better of him as he battled in vain for a third stage victory in the Tour de France.

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.

Norway’s Thor Hushovd won a sprint finish to claim Stage Six of the Tour de France today.

Mark Cavendish hailed the teamwork of Columbia-HTC after he claimed a second consecutive Tour de France stage win yesterday.

Carlos Sastre revealed his delight at finally getting his hands on the prestigious Tour de France title after clinching overall victory following the last-stage ceremonial trek into Paris.