Norway national champion Kurt-Asle Arevsen (CSC) won stage eleven of the Tour de France to Foix on Wednesday after being in the 12-rider break that shaped the 167.5km stage across the foothills of the Pyrenees.
Arvesen jumped away with Martin Elmiger (Ag2R) with four kilometres to go, they were joined by Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) and Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank) but Arvesen lead out the sprint and won with a late bike throw to the line.
Elimger was second, just a couple of inches behind, and Ballan third. The rest of the break finished 14 seconds behind after failing to catch the later attackers in the run-in to Foix.
?This is unbelievable. It?s great to win like that,? Arvesen said after indicating with his fingers his small winning margin in the sprint.
?It was a very tactical final but fortunately everything went well for me. I had good legs and that made a difference.?
?I?ve had an up and down season. I was really down in the Tour of Switzerland and wasn?t sure if I?d get a place in the CSC Tour team. I went home and had some good massage and managed to win the Norwegian national championships. That was the first day I?d felt good for a long time and it got me in the team. I felt good today as well and it?s unbelievable to have won.?
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EVANS SAFE IN YELLOW JERSEY
Cadel Evans (Silence) finished safely in the peloton at 14-51, and so kept his one-second lead on Frank Schleck (CSC) and the yellow jersey.
Evans was lead home by several but not all of his team mates and seemed happy to let the break take the glory and save his strength for the decisive stages in the Alps.
2006 Tour winner Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d?Epargne) made a solo attack before the mid-race Col du Portal, perhaps to try and move up the overall standings. But first Silence and then CSC let him hang off the front before sweeping him up in the final kilometres.
The truce between the overall contenders is expected to continue on Thursday during the 112th stage from Lavelanet to Narbonne near the Mediterranean coast.
The stage could be perfect for Mark Cavendish (Columbia) but another breakaway is expected to form early on the stage and so could stop the young Brit?s chance of winning a third stage in this year?s Tour de France.
TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: STAGE 11 RESULTS 1. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) CSC-Saxo Bank 167km in 3h 58mins 13 secs
2. Martin Elmiger (Swi) Ag2r
3. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre
4. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank at 1sec
5. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Credit Agricole at 2secs
6. Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom at 14secs
7. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas
8. Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux
9. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
10. Marco Velo (Ita) Milram all same time.
British
37. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Chipotle at 14m 51secs
126. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld at 22m 14secs
130. Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia at 22m 14secs
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 11 1. Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto in 46h 42m 13secs
2. Frank Schleck (Lux) CSC-Saxo Bank at 1sec
3. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Chipotle at 38secs
4. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner at 46secs
5. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank at 57secs
6. Carlos Sastre (Spa) CSC-Saxo Bank at 1m 28secs
7. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Columbia at 1m 56secs
8. Juan Cobo (Spa) Saunier Duval at 2m 10secs
9. Riccardo Ricco (Ita) Saunier Duval at 2m 29secs
10. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Ag2r at 2m 32secs
British
50. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Chipotle at 35m 22secs
102. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld at 1h 16m 21secs
156. Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia at 1h 52m 4secs
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TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: STAGE REPORTS
Stage 10: Evans takes yellow jersey by one second
Stage nine: Ricco wins in the Pyrenees
Stage eight: Cavendish wins again in Toulouse
Stage seven: Sanchez takes action-packed stage
Stage six: Ricco storms to win
Stage five: Cavendish takes first Tour win
Stage four: Schumacher wins TT and takes race lead
Stage three: Dumoulin wins stage from break
Stage two: Hushovd wins chaotic sprint
Stage one: Valverde wins
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TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: NEWS
Analysis: Tour de France rest day summary
Cavendish battles through Pyrenees
Evans suffers but takes yellow jersey [stage 10]
Analysis: Hautacam shakes up 2008 Tour
Ricco silences critics with solo attack in Pyrenees [stage nine]
Cavendish talks about his second stage win [stage eight]
Beltran heads home but doubts remain about other Tour riders
David Millar: the dope controls are working
Manuel Neltran tests positive for EPO at the Tour
Comment: How the Tour rediscovered its spirit
Doping back in Tour de France headlines
Millar: close but no cigar in Super-Besse [stage six]
Super-Besse shows form of main contenders [stage six]
Millar to go for yellow [stage six]
Team Columbia's reaction to Cavendish's win [stage five]
Cavendish talks about his Tour stage win
Tour comment: Why Evans should be happy [stage four]
Millar: Still aiming for Tour yellow jersey [stage 4]
Who is Romain Feillu?
Cavendish disappointed with stage two result
Millar too close to Tour yellow jersey
Stage 2 preview: A sprint finish for Cavendish?
Millar happy after gains precious seconds in Plumelec
Valverde delighted with opening Tour stage win
Comment: Is Valverde's win a good thing for the Tour?
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