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Stage 18, Friday, July 20: Blagnac - Brive la Gaillarde, 222.5 km

Rated climbs:

• Km 67.5: Côte de Saint-Georges, 1.0 km @ 10.3% - Category 3
• Km 117.5: Côte de Cahors, 1.0 km @ 7.8% - Category 4
• Km 180.5: Côte de Souillac, 2.2 km @ 4.7% - Category 4
• Km 212.5: Côte de Lissac-sur-Couze, 1.9 km @ 5.7% - Category 4

The Race: A large break was allowed a short leash, but by the time the race hit the final climb, the Côte de Lissac-sur-Couze, it was in pieces with the peloton a few seconds behind them. Alexandre Vinokourov blasted out of the peloton and made common cause with Adam Hansen and Luca Paolini. Others bridged, including Nicolas Roche and Luis Leon Sanchez. The final 10 kilometers were exciting, lung-searing racing as the escapees desperately tried to stay away.

Mark Cavendish had begged his team for help in this stage, and they gave it at the end. Bradley Wiggins closed a lot of the gap, even though he has the crucial time trial tomorrow. The peloton caught the escapees in the finishing straight. Cavendish came from way back and shot by everyone in an astonishing display of speed. Cavendish has tied André Darrigade's 22 Tour stage wins.

Results: 153 riders finished today.

1. Mark Cavendish (Sky) 4hr 54min 12sec. 45.4 km/hr
2. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
3. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) s.t.
4. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Rabobank) s.t.
5. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) s.t.
6. Tyler Farrar (Garmn-Sharp) s.t.
7. Borut Bozic (Astana) s.t.
8. Sébastien Hinault (Ag2r) s.t.
9. Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
10. Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) s.t.
11. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
12. Juan José Haedo (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
13. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) s.t.
14. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
15. Koen De Kort (Argos-Shimano) @ 4sec
16. Luca Paolini (Katusha) s.t.
17. Julien Simon (Saur-Sojasun) s.t.
18. Lars Bak (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
19. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.
20. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
21. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
22. Christopher Froome (Sky) s.t.
23. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
24. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
25. Ruben Perez (Euskaltel) s.t.
26. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
27. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) s.t.
28. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) s.t.
29. Danilo Hondo (Lampre) s.t.
30. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
31. Nicki Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
32. Baden Cooke (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
33. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
34. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
35. Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.
36. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
37. Michael Schär (BMC) s.t.
38. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) s.t.
39. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
40. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
41. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) s.t.
42. Domnik Nerz (Liquigas) s.t.
43. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
44. Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
45. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) @ 12sec
46. Vladimir Karpets (Movistar) s.t.
47. Cyril Gautier (Europcar) s.t.
48. Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) s.t.
49. Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) @ 16sec
50. George Hincapie (BMC) s.t.
    

General Classification: 3,314.5 km raced so far at an average speed of 39.76 km/hr

1. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) 83hr 22min 18sec
2. Christopher Froome (sky) @ 2min 5sec
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) @ 2min 41sec
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) @ 5min 53sec
5. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 8min 30sec
6. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 9min 57sec
7. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 10min 11sec
8. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) @ 10min 17sec
9. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) @ 11min 0sec
10. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 11min 46sec
11. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 12min 54sec
12. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 14min 5sec
13. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 14min 22sec
14. Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 18min 46sec
15. Denis Menchov (Katusha) @ 22min 54sec
16. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 24min 24sec
17. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 25min 32sec
18. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) @ 29min 51sec
19. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) @ 33min 7sec
20. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 33min 50sec
21. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) @ 36min 11sec
22. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 41min 59sec
23. Michael Rogers (Sky) @ 48min 57sec
24. Mele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 52min 48sec
25. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 54min 29sec
26. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) @ 55min 8sec
27. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) @ 57min 38sec
28. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 59min 38sec
29. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) @ 1hr 2min 17sec
30. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 3min 8sec
31. Levi Leipheimer (Omega pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 6min 48sec
32. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) @ 1hr 8min 24sec
33. Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) @ 1hr 9min 20sec
34. Richie Porte (Sky) @ 1hr 18min 24sec
35. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) @ 1hr 20min 42sec
36. Gianpaolo Caruso (Katusha) @ 1hr 21min 47sec
37. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 22min 58sec
38. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 1hr 24min 46sec
39. George Hincapie (BMC) @ 1hr 25min 41sec
40. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 1hr 28min 45sec
41. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 29min 17sec
42. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) @ 1hr 32min 42sec
43. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) @ 1hr 33min 12sec
44. Andriy Grivko (astana) @ 1hr 34min 4sec
45. Jean-Christopher Peraud (Ag2r) @ 1hr 34min 6sec
46. Amaël Moinard (BMC) @ 1hr 34min 42sec
47. Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 1hr 34min 48sec
48. Michael Schär (BMC) @ 1hr 37min 48sec
49. Dominik Nerz (Liquigas) @ 1hr 37min 58sec
50. Yury Trofimov (Katusha) @ 1hr 39min 56sec

Climber:

1. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar): 134 points
2. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana): 123
3. Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff): 77
4. Pierre Rolland (Europcar): 63
5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 51

Points:

1. Peter Sagan (Liquigas): 386 points
2. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol): 264
3. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge): 238
4. Mark Cavendish (Sky): 175
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky): 146

Young Rider:

1. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) 83hr 30min 48sec
2. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 3min 16sec
3. Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) @ 1hr 0min 50sec
4. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 14min 28sec
5. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 1hr 16min 16sec

Team Classification:

1. Radio Shack-Nissan: 250hr 23min 5sec
2. Sky @ 14min 5sec
3. BMC @ 36min 25sec
4. Astana @ 39min 20sec
5. Europcar @ 1hr 4min 26sec

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Stage 18 map and profile

Stage 18 map

Stage 18 profile

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Stage 18 photos

Here they come. Mark Cavendish has come from way behind.

He's moving much faster than anyone else.

A lot faster

And the gap grows.

Peter Sagan, in the green jersey, is really fast, but look how much ground he's lost to Cavendish.

He's got it.

Cavendish ties the great André Darrigade with 22 Tour stage wins.

Peter Sagen

Juan José Haedo

Impressive display of confidence from Wiggins. He helped chase down the break and set up Cavendish for the sprint instead of saving himself for the time trial tomorrow.

Cadel Evans picked a bad week to get hit by a gut bug. What a shame.

Make way for the Manx Missile.

French president François Holland attended today's sage.

Time trial tomorrow and then the Champs Elysées are all that stand in the way of Wiggins becoming the first British Tour winner.

Peter Sagan has the points classification locked up.

Done deal. There are only 2 category 4 climbs left in this Tour, both on the final stage. Thomas Voeckler's had another terrific Tour.

Tejay Van Garderen has more than 3 minutes on Thibaut Pinot. Van Garderen's White Jersey is probably safe.

After trying to rip everyone's legs off and beat them with the bloody stumps today, Alexandre Vinokourov deserved the combativity prize.