Stage 16

The road

At the start

Eight seconds, and Merckx's stage

The Port de Balès changed this Tour — a dropped chain, a group that did not wait — and Alberto Contador leads Andy Schleck by eight seconds. Today crosses the same four passes Eddy Merckx crossed in 1969, when he attacked at the foot of the Aubisque and reached Mourenx eight minutes clear: Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque, and then a long valley run into Pau. Nobody is expected to try it again.

How it was won

1. 1126 km to go

   Moreau takes the Souvenir Jacques Goddet

   At the roof of the Tour, Christophe Moreau leads a ten-man break over the Tourmalet ahead of Fedrigo and Cunego. On the climb their lead over an Astana-led peloton grows by more than three minutes; this break is going all the way.

2. 260 km to go

   A truce on the Aubisque

   The expected attacks never come. In the last two kilometres of the Aubisque the fiercest fighting in the whole race is between Moreau and Fedrigo for forty mountains points, and the 39-year-old takes them.

3. 344 km to go

   Barredo goes alone

   Forty-four kilometres out Carlos Barredo puts his head down and rides away from the other nine, a Quick Step rider chasing what Chavanel found in the first week.

4. 43 km to go

   Eleven seconds

   Horner and Plaza drive the pursuit through the last kilometres and Barredo's half-minute becomes eleven seconds with three to go. He is caught at the flamme rouge and the sprint is on.

5. 5At the line

   Fedrigo's third

   Pierrick Fédrigo wins the sprint on the Place de Verdun from Sandy Casar and Rubén Plaza, with Armstrong, Moreau and Horner behind them. Eight minutes back the favourites arrive together, having attacked nobody all day. Everything is being saved for tomorrow.

The result