• Tour de France, Stage 16

Fedrigo denies Armstrong victory in Pau

Pierrick Fedrigo won his third stage in four years on the Tour de France © Getty Images

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Pierrick Fedrigo launched a perfectly-timed sprint to snatch victory on Stage 16 of the Tour de France.

Fedrigo kicked late to deny Lance Armstrong a stage victory after his group wound down breakaway rider Carlos Barrero, who was unable to hold off the late advances of his fellow escapees. Armstrong finished sixth, while Sandy Casar finished second and Ruben Plaza Molina took third.

The breakaway group escaped the grasp of the peloton with just four kilometres of the 199.5km stage gone, and Barrero launched an attack with 44km to go, building up a 46 second lead, but he was wound back in in the final kilometre.

Fedrigo's victory marks back-to-back stage wins for his Bbox team, following Thomas Voeckler's victory on Tuesday, and a sixth triumph for a Frenchman on this year's Tour, the best result for the host nation since 1997.

"I have been in the front on the Tourmalet, it is not an easy place to be," Fedrigo said. I just kept on going. My family were here; my supporters were here, I just had to be at the front, I just wanted to make sure I was there."

"I thought that I had missed my Tour this year because I wasn't really feeling fantastic, I kind of wanted to reassure myself the other day with the escape and prove something to myself that I was able to take that extra step forward."

Alberto Contador holds onto the yellow jersey and maintains his eight second advantage over rival Andy Schleck after the pair crossed the line 6:45 behind the pace, with none of his rivals able to reduce their deficit.

Thor Hushovd takes over the green jersey from Alessandro Petacchi after winning the final sprint to the line, with Mark Cavendish third behind Petacchi in the sprinters' standings.

Wednesday is a rest day, with the riders returning on Thursday for the climb up to the summit of the infamous Tourmalet.

Stage 16: Bagneres-de-Luchon - Pau
1. Pierrick Fedrigo - Bbox Bouygues Telecom - 5:31:43
2. Sandy Casar - FDJ
3. Ruben Plaza Molina - Caisse d'Epargne
4. Damiano Cunego - Lampre-Farnese Vini
5. Christopher Horner - Team Radioshack
6. Lance Armstrong - Team Radioshack
7. Jurgen Van De Walle - Quick Step
8. Christophe Moreau -Caisse d'Epargne
9. Carlos Barredo - Quick Step - +0:00:28
10. Thor Hushovd - Cervelo Test Team - +0:06:45

General Classification after Stage 16
1 Alberto Contador - Astana - 78:29:10
2 Andy Schleck - Saxo Bank - +0:00:08
3 Samuel Sanchez - Euskaltel - +2:00:00
4 Denis Menchov - Rabobank - 0:02:13
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck - Omega Pharma-Lotto - 0:03:39
6 Robert Gesink - Rabobank - +0:05:01
7 Levi Leipheimer - Radioshack - +0:05:25
8 Joaquin Rodriguez - Katusha - +0:05:45
9 Alexandre Vinokourov - Astana - +0:07:12
10 Ryder Hesjedal - Garmin - Transitions - +0:07:51
21 Bradley Wiggins- Sky - +0:17:44
25 Lance Armstrong - Radioshack - + 0:33:46

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