With 60 km to go the 5 men on the BOD start the first 2nd category climb. They have 4'20 on the peloton.



Sastre still has 3 team mates with him with 18 km to go. The last 2nd category climb can be decisive, although there is a final climb to the finishing line.



With 10 km to go Sastre is now the only CSC man on the 23 group. Phonak has two riders with 30'' on the peloton. Axel Merckx and Moerenhout are trying to increase that gap.



Final climb! With the Phonak men being caught, Ghisaberti attacks from the left...



...Scarponi try to follow Ghisaberti, with Bertagnoli behind him. Sastre has Bettini on his wheel...



...Sastre is out of the discussion for the win, and it will be between Merckx, Ghisalberti and Cunego who is coming from the left...



And Cunego is the strongest! Sastre arrives with the fist men, as well as the yellow jersey.



After the first men arrive we got this picture from the crash of a young australian rider...Simon Gerrans

Mancebo wears the yellow jersey today but he has only 7 seconds on Valverde and 22'' on Vinokourov. It should be an exciting finish.



Wih no one on the BOD, CSC is helping on the persecution. With 85 km to go there's a 3'07 gap.



And the break is really resisting despite AG2R and Caisse D'Epargne work. They still have 3'40 with 25 km to go.



And with 10 km to go and only 2 km to the end of the climb Di Luca, S. Sanchez, Boogerd and Valverde attack! Basso tries to go as well as almost the entire group..



The french champion, Fédrigo, is the first on the descent and he might go for the win...



...and Fédrigo wins!!



Basso arrives with the main group with all the favorites with about 2'40. Fédrigo takes the yellow!!!

At the half of the race the BOD has 6'16 on the peloton. R. Verbrugghe, H. Haussler, R. Laiseka, C. Moreau and the spanish champion, J. M. Gárate who is the best placed on the GC, 5'38 behind the leader.



With 13 km to go the break is caught. We're starting the final descent that will bring the peloton to the final climb. 50 men still there.



As the break is caught Cunego immediately attacks. He's trusting on his downhill skills.



With Cunego back in the pack, he attacks continue and Sastre tries to go with Gilbert, Eltink and Van den Broeck.



The peloton reacts again and only Van den Broeck resists.



Sastre launches another attack with 2.5 km to go...he knows Cunego and Bettini are faster than him on the final sprint...



...Axel Merckx passes through Sastre with Scarponi and Cunego also coming...Bettini is a bit behind...



...and Merckx wins the stage! Cunego and Bettini are 2nd and 3rd. Sastre arrives with the main group.

With 8 km to go and no other sprinters on CSC squad, O'Grady has to get McEwen's wheel- The fight for a good position has begun!



With 5 km to go there are 3 very strong trains and some intruders. At right, Rabobank is bringing Freire and Davis is on his wheel. At center, Davitamon is bringing McEwen with O'Grady on his wheel and Bettini trying to get his place. At left, Milram has Zabel and Petacchi.




Oh and what happened to Davitamon's train??! Van Bon opened too soon and McEwen just doesn't sprint and seems that he's trying to get someone's wheel...



...finally McEwen goes but Freire is now miles away, and still with Davis on his wheel...



...smart move by Davis and now it's between him and Freire...



...victory for Allan Davis!!



Bettini got third, O'Grady 4th, McEwen 5th and Hushovd 6th.

With 100 km to go threre is a 7 men breakaway with CSC man Nicki Sorensen, M. Ardila (Rabobank), E. Leblacher (FDJ), J. Vansummeren (Lotto), I. Parra Pinto (Cofidis), G. Guerini (Telekom) and P. Halgand (Credit Agricole). Thet have 10'15 on the peloton.



At the start of the third 1st category climb Basso attacks!



Basso has 1'30 to the peloton but being alone it won't be easy to resist.



And Basso is caught as the BOD still has 7'10 on the peloton.



At the start of the last climb the BOD has 3'26. Still 25 km to go so it won't be easy for them.



As the peloton starts the climb Sinkewitz and Vinokourov attack. Vino's move should provoke reactions!



With 12 km to go Halgand and Vansummeren have a gap to the rest of the break who now have Vino with them. But the peloton is not far.



And the 2nd group is caught and only two men are on the front.



With 5 km to go the peloton has caught everybody. CSC has Basso, Kroon and Sorensen.



Final sprint is launched...



Victory for Alejandro Valverde! With the stage bonus he's only 2 seconds behing Fédrigo who is Paris Nice 2006 winner!!