CYCLING: Burghardt wins 18th stage
Marcus Burghardt won stage 18 from Bourg d'Oisans to St Etienne as Carlos Sastre defended the yellow jersey.
The Columbia rider caught solo escapee Carlos Barredo 94km into the 197km stage and held off the Spaniard's late dash in the closing metres to register his team's fifth win of the Tour.
Sastre finished alongside his rivals in the peloton, who were conserving their energy for Saturday's time-trial.
Stage 18
| Bourg d'Oisans - St Etienne (196.5km) | | | | |
| 1 | M Burghardt | Ger | Col | 4h30:21s |
| 2 | C Barredo | Spa | Qui | 4:30:21 |
| 3 | R Feillu | Fra | Agr | 4:33:54 |
| 4 | C Le Mevel | Fra | Cre | 4:33:54 |
| 5 | M Astarloza | Spa | Eus | 4:33:56 |
| 6 | S Dumoulin | Fra | Cof | 4:37:00 |
| 7 | C Dessel | Fra | Alm | 4:37:00 |
| 8 | R Kreuziger | Cze | Liq | 4:37:00 |
| 9 | L Hoste | Bel | Sil | 4:37:00 |
| 10 | A Schleck | Lux | CSC | 4:37:00 |
| 48 | D Millar | GB | Gar | 4:37:11 |
Overall standings | Classification after stage 18 | | | | |
| 1 | C Sastre | Spa | CSC | 79h16:14s |
| 2 | F Schleck | Lux | CSC | 79:17:38 |
| 3 | B Kohl | Aut | Gst | 79:17:47 |
| 4 | C Evans | Aus | Sil | 79:17:48 |
| 5 | D Menchov | Rus | Rab | 79:18:53 |
| 6 | C Vandevelde | USA | Gar | 79:20:55 |
| 7 | A Valverde | Spa | Cai | 79:21:49 |
| 8 | S Sanchez | Spa | Eus | 79:22:06 |
| 9 | T Valjavec | Slo | Alm | 79:22:24 |
| 10 | V Efimkin | Rus | Alm | 79:24:38 |
| 71 | D Millar | GB | Gar | 81:16:30 |
Tour standings | Points classification | | | | |
| 1 | O Freire | Spa | Rab | 229 |
| 2 | T Hushovd | Nor | Cre | 180 |
| 3 | E Zabel | Ger | Mil | 176 |
| 4 | K Kirchen | Lux | Col | 145 |
| King of the Mountains | | | | |
| 1 | B Kohl | Aut | Gst | 125 |
| 2 | C Sastre | Spa | CSC | 80 |
| 3 | F Schleck | Lux | CSC | 80 |
| 4 | T Voeckler | Fra | BTL | 65 |