TdF Stage 18 : Cahors - Angoulème

Today would be the last normal stage because after this there were only the time trial and the rid to Paris so it became a normal stage.

Early in the race a group with Casar, Boogerd, Willems and Lefevre was formed but after a crash with a dog Willems and Casar fell hard and Willems wasn't able to come back, but another Belgian Axel Merckx was able to reach the three leaders. Boogerd, Casar and Lefevre tried to get away from their companions but everything got back together for a sprint were Sandy Casar easily won before Axel Merckx.

In the peloton Euskaltal made the chase to maintain the place of Mikel Astarloza and it worked. Boonen won the sprint for the fifth place and the green jersey.

Stage Result

1 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 5.13.31 (40.38 km/h)

2 Axel Merckx (Bel) T-Mobile Team +0.01

3 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom ST

...

22. Haimar Zubeldia +8:37

23. Ruben Perez +8:37

27. Mikel Astarloza +8:37

57. Gorka Verdugo +8:37

71. Amets Txurruka +8:37

82. Inaki Isasi +9:24

99. Inigo Landaluze +9:24

104. Jorge Azanza +9:24

General Rank

1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel 86.04.16

2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto +1.50

3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel +2.49

...

5. Haimar Zubeldia +6:29

10. Mikel Astarloza +13:42

23. Amets Txurruka +45:54

40. Inigo Landaluze +1:31:16

49. Gorka Verdugo +1:49:18

51. Ruben Perez +1:53:31

82. Jorge Azanza +2:43:44

88. Inaki Isasi +2:53:52