Dean clearly veering left and therefore moving off his line to try and box Renshaw in, but I imagine nothing will be done about that.

Giving Renshaw last place on the stage would have sufficed. Barredo and Costa went at it after a stage and escaped with a fine.

Utterly ridiculous decision to exclude Renshaw. In real time Dean clearly trys to veer across him. FUMING. The pushing with his head was all he could to to hold his position.

I know Mark isn't everyones cup of tea but his turnaround in form has been awesome in the last week.

Quite clearly Cav needs to go earlier than he has been. Once he goes 400 out he's never gonna be caught. He's been going too late with the others. I've said this to cycling friends all year. He ain't a Robbie McEwan who can nick it. He needs to go early. Once he's gone he is GONE and pulling away.

Chapeau to Pettachi this year mind.

Really hope Andy Schleck beats the "dubious" Contador..................just worry about Andy's TT'ing.

On a non-TDF note, get your money on the Australians cleaning up at the Commonwealths.

Be interesting to see what standard of team the home nations can send given the games clash with the European Championships, which are a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics.

Daft really, as host nation at the Olympics we should be allowed to enter one in each event without the need to qualify.

Back with TDF it looks like it's swinging Contador's way. Schleck's going have to destroy him in the Pyranees now.

The whole thing merely confirming the Commonwealth Games place in sport as a glorified sports day rather than a major championships.

Well who needs a train, Cav proved (not that it needed to be proved) that he can sprint quite well on his own. Shame that it was just for second though.
Also good point by ITV commentary today, how come Ranshaw was kicked off the tour but the two guys who had a full on fight, were only fined?

Bradley Wiggins has labelled his form as ''consistently mediocre.''
''I've got nothing. I just haven't got the form, as I did last year.''

Wish he'd have given us a clue before the start instead of stating he'd had the ''preparation of his life.''
It would have saved me quite a substantial amount of my 'hard-earned' on a top 5 finish.

Alberto has endeared himself to the French.

He's standing on the podium and they're all booing…!

Disastrous turn of events for Schleck. Contador really profited from Sanchez pacing him down the descent.

You're absolutely correct, Contador got lucky being with Sanchez. Contador is a better descender than Schleck, but having Sanchez pick the line helped no end. Schleck was only 10-15 secs down going over the summit.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/skarpi/4527797541/in/set-72157623714438050/Picture[/url from the Saxo Bank teamcar.

Cycling etiquette says you dont attack when something like that befalls a fellow rider, bang out of order from Contador that. Here's hoping he gets a puncture or falls off tomorrow or Thursday and Schleck f.offs into the distance.

Not really the done thing to launch an attack when somebody has a mechanical. Complete lack of class from Contador.

A few years back Armstrong went down on a climb after snagging his wheel on a fans' bag and one of the Euskaltel riders (Iban Mayo IIRC) neutralised the elite group until he rejoined them.

It's a shame the same sportsmanship wasn't used today.

The thing was, Schleck had just started an attack before his chain fooked up, and although Contador accelerated with him, he couldn't quite get onto Andys wheel. It would have been very interesting but for the malfunction.
Schleck was spitting feathers when he crossed the line.
Think tomorrow could be make or break time, I reckon Schleck is gonna take it to him.

Also Armstrong did it when Ullrich went off his back years ago. Contador might be about to become a 3 time champion but this win will be tinted by his actions today. Even if he didn't know about the problem when he attacked, he will have done at some point between the attack and the end of the stage, had lots of time to slow down.

Contador was bang out of order yesterday. If he wins this year then he has done so by typical Spanish style poor sportsmanship. He'll win the tour due to a mechanical problem. It appeared to me that Schleck had shot the bolt yesterday. Contador missed the break completely. Only Vino had gone with him.

As much as I hope Schleck hands it to him today I doubt it will happen. He used a massive amount of energy yesterday.

I love the way Contador is talking up the time trial by pointing out that Schleck won the Luxembourg national time trial, so must therefore be rated in that discipline. What he means is "he beat his brother in a race down the shops".

Tomorrow's stage will be must see. TdF at it's best.

Chuckled at that myself. Think I read somewhere that there were 6 entrants in total.

The Tour De France doesn't get any better than that. The 2 best riders out there going all out up the Tourmalet.

Schleck and Contador take a bow

Brilliant stuff

Who needs a lead-out man? Cavendish is so much quicker than anyone else. Blown them all away on the streets of Bordeaux.

Brilliant stuff from Cavendish

With a couple of good time trialers tomorrow and Paris Sunday could GB catch the french stage total this year?

So Contador will win the Tour by 39 seconds. Ironically the exact amount of time he gained on stage 15 when taking advantage of Schleck's misfortune.

4, but you were close.

Better from Schleck than I was expecting and I would say pretty much everybody else. Well done to that man, just a shame that Contador's chain didn't come off today, then we could have had some justice

My prediction for Le Tour.

I'll get mi coat