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<blockquote data-quote="mhku" data-source="post: 622105" data-attributes="member: 190842">Stage 20 from MONTÉLIMAR &gt; MONT VENTOUX, 167 kmAfter battling up Mont Ventoux, Alberto Contader is almost the Tour winner with only the stage in Paris tomorrow left to complete, which will be a sprinter's day.Not only did the riders have to race each other there were also estimted to be over half a million spectators lining the route to the top of Ventoux.An early breakaway group was eventually caught by the peloton although Tony Martins of team Columbia and uan Manuel Garate of Rabobank managed to stay away and the stage was won by Garate. The chasing group contained the big names of the GC and was lead up Ventoux by Andy Schleck closely followed by Contador and Armstrong with Bradley Wiggins giving all he had to stay with the group to try to keep his 4th place in the GC, finishing 10th today. Pellizotti also gave a great performance today and tried his best to catch the two lead riders towards the end of the Ventoux climb when there was a lull in the pace but he was unable to catch them as Garate responde by pulling away and Pellizotti was eventually caught by Schleck's group.Traditionally tomorrow's stage in Paris is not contested until they reach the Champs Elysee when the speed of the peloton increases and the sprinter's teams try to give their rider the best chance of winning the stage. Mark Cavendish must be favourite to win tomorrow as Team Columbia have shown consistently they know how to get their man to the line first, although Thor Hushovd and his Cervelo team will do their best to stop him.Stage 20 results:Juan Manuel GARATE&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ESP&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RAB&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 04:39:21Tony MARTIN&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GER&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; THR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:03Andy SCHLECK&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LUX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; SAX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:38Alberto CONTADOR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ESP&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; AST&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:38Lance ARMSTRONG&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; USA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; AST&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:41Frank SCHLECK&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LUX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; SAX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:43Roman KREUZIGER&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; CZE&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LIQ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:46Franco PELLIZOTTI&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ITA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LIQ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:56Vincenzo NIBALI&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ITA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LIQ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:00:58Bradley WIGGINS&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GBR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GRM&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:01:03Overall GC standings:Alberto CONTADOR&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ESP&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; AST&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 81:46:17Andy SCHLECK&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LUX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; SAX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:04:11Lance ARMSTRONG&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; USA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; AST&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:05:24Bradley WIGGINS&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GBR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GRM&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:06:01Frank SCHLECK&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LUX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; SAX&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:06:04Andréas KLÖDEN&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GER&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; AST&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:06:42Vincenzo NIBALI&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ITA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LIQ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:07:35Christian VANDE VELDE&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; USA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GRM&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:12:04Roman KREUZIGER&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; CZE&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; LIQ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:14:16Christophe LE MEVEL&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; FRA&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; FDJ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +00:14:25Green JerseyThor HUSHOVD&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NOR&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; CTT&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 260Mark CAVENDISH&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GBR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; THR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 235Gerald CIOLEK&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; GER&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; MRM&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 148Polka dot jersey Franco PELLIZOTTI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ITA&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; LIQ&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 210Egoi MARTINEZ&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ESP&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; EUS&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 135Alberto CONTADOR&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ESP&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; AST&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 126White Jersey 1.SCHLECK A. SAX 81h 50' 28&quot;2.NIBALI V. LIQ 03' 24&quot;3.KREUZIGER R. LIQ 10' 05&quot;Tomorrow is the final stage from&nbsp; Montereau-Fault-Yonne to&nbsp; Paris Champs-Élysées and is 164 km.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mhku, post: 622105, member: 190842"] [B]Stage 20 from MONTÉLIMAR > MONT VENTOUX, 167 km[/B] After battling up Mont Ventoux, Alberto Contader is almost the Tour winner with only the stage in Paris tomorrow left to complete, which will be a sprinter's day. Not only did the riders have to race each other there were also estimted to be over half a million spectators lining the route to the top of Ventoux. An early breakaway group was eventually caught by the peloton although Tony Martins of team Columbia and uan Manuel Garate of Rabobank managed to stay away and the stage was won by Garate. The chasing group contained the big names of the GC and was lead up Ventoux by Andy Schleck closely followed by Contador and Armstrong with Bradley Wiggins giving all he had to stay with the group to try to keep his 4th place in the GC, finishing 10th today. Pellizotti also gave a great performance today and tried his best to catch the two lead riders towards the end of the Ventoux climb when there was a lull in the pace but he was unable to catch them as Garate responde by pulling away and Pellizotti was eventually caught by Schleck's group. Traditionally tomorrow's stage in Paris is not contested until they reach the Champs Elysee when the speed of the peloton increases and the sprinter's teams try to give their rider the best chance of winning the stage. Mark Cavendish must be favourite to win tomorrow as Team Columbia have shown consistently they know how to get their man to the line first, although Thor Hushovd and his Cervelo team will do their best to stop him. [B]Stage 20 results:[/B] Juan Manuel GARATE ESP RAB 04:39:21 Tony MARTIN GER THR +00:00:03 Andy SCHLECK LUX SAX +00:00:38 Alberto CONTADOR ESP AST +00:00:38 Lance ARMSTRONG USA AST +00:00:41 Frank SCHLECK LUX SAX +00:00:43 Roman KREUZIGER CZE LIQ +00:00:46 Franco PELLIZOTTI ITA LIQ +00:00:56 Vincenzo NIBALI ITA LIQ +00:00:58 Bradley WIGGINS GBR GRM +00:01:03 [B]Overall GC standings:[/B] Alberto CONTADOR ESP AST 81:46:17 Andy SCHLECK LUX SAX +00:04:11 Lance ARMSTRONG USA AST +00:05:24 Bradley WIGGINS GBR GRM +00:06:01 Frank SCHLECK LUX SAX +00:06:04 Andréas KLÖDEN GER AST +00:06:42 Vincenzo NIBALI ITA LIQ +00:07:35 Christian VANDE VELDE USA GRM +00:12:04 Roman KREUZIGER CZE LIQ +00:14:16 Christophe LE MEVEL FRA FDJ +00:14:25 [B]Green Jersey[/B] Thor HUSHOVD NOR CTT 260 Mark CAVENDISH GBR THR 235 Gerald CIOLEK GER MRM 148 [B]Polka dot jersey [/B] Franco PELLIZOTTI ITA LIQ 210 Egoi MARTINEZ ESP EUS 135 Alberto CONTADOR ESP AST 126 [B]White Jersey [/B] 1.SCHLECK A. SAX 81h 50' 28" 2.NIBALI V. LIQ 03' 24" 3.KREUZIGER R. LIQ 10' 05" Tomorrow is the final stage from Montereau-Fault-Yonne to Paris Champs-Élysées and is 164 km. [/QUOTE]

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