Luis-Leon Sanchez won the stage in Foix by 47 seconds from Peter Sagan, Sandy Casar, Philippe Gilbert and Gorka Izaguirre Insausti. Sanchez secured Spain a first stage win in the Pyrénées this year, while Sagan added to his Green Jersey points total. He now has 333 points with André Griepel closest on 236 and Goss (203). These were the remaining contenders from a large early break.
The race was marred by carpet tacks being put on the road towards the top of the Mur de Péguère. It is thought that the tacks were put on the road after the escape group had passed and before the Yellow Jersey group arrived. Out of some 50 riders still in the Yellow Jersey group by the top of the climb some 30 punctured – Cadel Evans three times, Bradley Wiggins once and Vincenzo Nibali once. Evans had big problems getting fresh wheels and Wiggins persuaded the Yellow Jersey group to stop racing. Only Pierre Rolland attacked but later stopped. It is said he did not know what the situation was when he attacked. Evans eventually managed to rejoin the Yellow jersey group, so there were no changes to the leading overall places.
Hopefully tacks on the climb is an isolated incident. If they had been put on the descent it would have been terribly dangerous. As it Robert Kiserlovski crashed on the descent and has had to abandon. I hope his crash wasn't caused by a tack in his tyre.
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Jim, as proof to my fairness and good will, I will once more comment in humorous terms rather than with my patronizing and moralizing voice.
Methink the « Tour » has been taken over by The Wine Spectator. After “defecting” from Bobby Parker, Greg “Jay” Millar and “Luis-Leon” Sanchez Campo won one stage each after joining the rival magazine. My rating: 99/100 !
For once, here’s “Health Food” with a positive effect on sportsmen’s performance. The US are always right: they have a common department, called Food & Drugs Administration (FDA). True, the Brits also have BSA, i.e. Beverage & Syringes Administration, I had forgotten. In France, it’s all down to “Brigade des Stup”, where “stup” stands for stupid.
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