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Moncoutie races away for Tour win


David Moncoutie
Moncoutie broke away alone with 10 kilometers left.
LEADING RESULTS
1. D. Moncoutie (Fr) Cofidis 3:54.58 2. J.-A. Flecha (Sp) Fasso Bartolo +2.15
3. E. Martinez (Sp) Euskaltel 2.17
4. T. Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole 5.58
5. E. Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile
6. R. McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
7. P. Bettini (It) Quick Step
8. D. Hondo (Ger) Gerolsteiner
9. L. Armstrong (U.S.) US Postal
10. S. O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis
OVERALL STANDINGS
1. T. Voeckler (Fr) Brioches La Boulangerie 46:43.10
2. S. O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis +3.00
3. S. Casar (Fr) FDJeux.com 4.13
4. R. Virenque (Fr) Quick Step 6.52
5. J. Piil (Den) Team CSC 7.43
6. L. Armstrong (U.S.) US Postal 9.35
7. E. Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile 9.58
8. J. Azevedo (Por) US Postal 10.04 9. J.E. Gutierrez (Spa) Phonak 10.09
10. F. Mancebo (Sp) Illes Balears 10.18

FIGEAC, France -- France was celebrating another home success on Thursday as David Moncoutie seized his chance on familiar roads to win the 164-kilometer 11th stage from St Flour to Figeac.

With the race favorites taking it easy to save their strength for the two mountain stages ahead, Moncoutie broke clear after 50 kilometers with Juan Antonio Flecha and Egoi Martinez.

And with 10 kilometers left Moncoutie raced away, finishing more than two minutes ahead of the Spanish pair.

"To win a stage on the Tour was a dream, but to do it in your home region is beyond belief," said Moncoutie of the Cofidis team, whose father is a postman in the area where the stage finished.

"I was in a state of grace. I knew the course well and when I attacked I knew the two Spaniards would not catch me as there was a long descent ahead. It's undoubtedly my best win."

Yellow jersey

Moncoutie's victory followed Richard Virenque's Bastille Day win on Wednesday, while another Frenchman -- Thomas Voeckler -- is still in the yellow jersey.

Voeckler's Brioches La Boulangere team brought the peloton home almost six minutes behind the stage winner to keep the 25-year-old in the lead.

But Voeckler is not expected to stay in first place for long as the race reaches the Pyrenees on Friday.

Lance Armstrong, seeking a record sixth straight win in the Tour, is currently sixth, nine minutes and 35 seconds down on the leader.

"I get more tired with each day," said Voeckler.

"If tomorrow I don't feel better than I did today I'm down for a hard time."

Australia Robbie McEwen stayed ahead in the points standings with a sixth-place finish, while Virenque still leads the King of the Mountains competition.

Friday's 12th stage takes the Tour to the ski resort of La Mongie, where Armstrong seized the lead decisively in 2002.


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