Stage 19 Goes To The Sprinters

Most people, including myself, expected stage 19 of the Tour de France to be won by a breakaway or by an attack from one of the leading climbers, but that was not to be. The peloton caught up to the breakaway a couple of kilometers from the finish line, and the race leaders decided to wait until tomorrow's huge climb to make their final attacks. That left stage 19 to the sprinters.

In a very exciting sprint, Brit Mark Cavendish of Columbia won his fifth race of this year's tour and picked up five points on the green jersey. But that five points probably won't mean much, because the current green jersey holder, Norway's Thor Hushovd of Cervelo, finished second. If he just finishes sort of close to Cavendish in Sunday's sprint, the green jersey is his. The third place finisher in stage 19 was German Gerald Ciolek of Milram. (Cavendish and Hushovd are pictured).

Stage 20 will be for the best climbers. It features a finish on top of the biggest and hardest mountain of this year's Tour. If a rider still dreams of finishing on the podium in Paris, this is the stage and the mountain where he must earn it. Here are the current standings:

YELLOW JERSEY (OVERALL LEADERS)
1. Alberto Contador (Astana)
2. Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank)..........4.11
3. Lance Armstrong (Astana)..........5.21
4. Bradley Wiggins (Garmin)..........5.36
5. Andreas Kloden (Astana)..........5.38
6. Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank)..........5.59
7. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas)..........7.15
8. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin)..........10.08
9. Christophe Le Mevel (Francaise)..........12.37
10. Mikel Astarloza (Euskadi)..........12.38

GREEN JERSEY (SPRINTERS)
1. Thor Hushovd (Cervelo)..........260 pts
2. Mark Cavendish (Columbia)..........235 pts
3. Gerald Ciolek (Milram)..........148 pts
4. Jose Rojas (Caisse)..........126 pts
5. Nicolas Roche (AG2R)..........122 pts

POLKA DOT JERSEY (CLIMBERS)
1. Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)..........196 pts
2. Egoi Martinez (Euskadi)..........135 pts
3. Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouyges)..........99 pts
4. Alberto Contador (Astana)..........98 pts
5. Christophe Kern (Cofidis)..........89 pts

TEAM LEADERS
1. Astana
2. Garmin-Slipstream..........16.14
3. AG2R La Mondiale..........23.45
4. Saxo Bank..........24.32
5. Liquigas..........43.52