Piepoli: maiden Tour de France stage win

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Leonardo Piepoli led home Juan Jose Cobo Acebo for a Saunier Duval 1-2 in stage 10 of the Tour de France, a gruelling 156 kilometre ride through the Pyrenees from Pau to a summit finish at Hautacam.

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Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto claimed the yellow jersey for the first time in his career after finishing eighth on the stage, two minutes and 17 seconds behind Piepoli.

That was enough to give the Australian a one-second advantage in the overall standings from Fraenk Schleck, who was third to arrive in Hautacam, 28 seconds after the Saunier Duval duo.

Kim Kirchen of Team Columbia started the day in yellow but struggled throughout and eventually lost more than two minutes to Evans to slip back to seventh in the general classification.

Stage 10 featured the two biggest climbs of this year's visit to the Pyrenees, Remi Di Gregorio of Francaise des Jeux made an early bid for home glory on Bastille Day by leading the way over the Col du Tourmalet.

But the young Frenchman was eventually caught on the lower slopes of the 14.4km climb to Hautacam, leaving the favourites to battle it out.

Piepoli's victory continues Saunier Duval's superb form in the mountains after Riccardo Ricco had won stage six in the Massif Central and Sunday's stage nine on the first day in the Pyrenees.

"It is true that Ricco had said I would win here, but in reality it's just a coincidence," Piepoli told letour.fr. "These things are never pre-determined, our directeur sportif is not a magician!

"In the closing stages I had Cobo with me, who has different ambitions for the general classement. I have already been fifth in a stage of the Tour, and I already have good memories of the event.

"But I still have dreams and to win a stage goes some way towards achieving one. Today this was better than a dream."

The main losers on the day were Caisse D'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde and Damiano Cunego of Lampre, who both conceded more than three minutes on Evans to effectively end their hopes of overall glory.

Stage 10 result:
1. Leonardo Piepoli (Italy/Saunier Duval) 4hrs 19mins 7secs"
2. Juan Jose Cobo (Spain/Saunier Duval) Same time
3. Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg / Team CSC ) +28"
4. Bernhard Kohl (Austria/Gerolsteiner) +1:06"
5. Vladimir Efimkine (Russia/AG2R) +2:05"
6. Riccardo Ricco (Italy/Saunier Duval) +2:17"
7. Carlos Sastre (Spain/Team CSC)
8. Cadel Evans (Australia/Silence-Lotto)
9. Denis Menchov (Russia/Rabobank)
10. Christian Vande Velde (US/Garmin-Chipotle)

Overall standings:
1. Cadel Evans (Australia/Silence-Lotto) 42hrs 29mins 09secs"
2. Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg/Team CSC) +1"
3. Christian Vande Velde (US/Garmin-Chipotle) +38"
4. Bernhard Kohl (Austria/Gerolsteiner) +46"
5. Denis Menchov (Russia/Rabobank) +57"
6. Carlos Sastre (Spain/Team CSC) +1:28"
7. Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg/Columbia) +1:56"
8. Juan Jose Cobo (Spain/Saunier Duval) +2:10"
9. Riccardo Ricco (Italy/Saunier Duval) +2:29"
10. Vladimir Efimkine (Russia/AG2R) +2:32"