Pantani crosses the line 2'45" behind Botero to take 3rd place.

16.40 - Salvodelli Is 2nd

Salvodelli has finished in 2nd place. He was 2'29" behind the winner.

16.39 - Pantani Attacks In Final Kilometer

Pantani is now rushing clear of Armstrong's group. He is in the race for 3rd place. Salvodelli has claimed 2nd.

16.37 - Botero Wins

Botero has crossed the line to take the win in stage 14.

16.37 - 2nd Win For Kelme

Botero has not only inherited the lead of the King of the Mountains prize off his team-mate Otxoa, but he has given the Spanish Kelme team its 2nd win of the 2000 Tour de France.

16.35 - 1km To Go

Botero is in the final kilometer. He is well clear of any challengers and is now on top of his gears after a last-minute fight on the final climb. He will give Colombia a stage win.

16.35 - Botero Suffering On Final Climb

Botero has the 1km to go kite in his sights. He is over 2 minutes clear of Salvodelli with Baranowski the next rider. Then comes the group of Armstrong.

16.15 - Botero Leads By 2'01"

Botero is on the descent. He led Baranowski and Salvodelli by 2'01" at the top of the Izoard.

16.13 - Herve Leads Armstrong's Group

Herve is leading the group of the leader.

16.13 - Armstrong Reeled In

Armstrong has been caught by Virenque-Pantani-Beloki-Ullrich et al.

16.12 - Botero New King Of Climbs

Botero has passed the summit. He'll be the new King of the Mountains at the end of the day.

16.12 - Llorente Holding Onto Armstrong

Armstrong is catching Heppner and is being followed by the first attacker today, Pascual-Llorente. They are just ahead of the group of Virenque and Ullrich and Beloki and Pantani.

16.11 - Pantani's Chase Closing In On Armstrong

Armstrong is 10 seconds clear of the Pantani group.

16.11 - Virenque & Pantani Driving Chase

Virenque and Pantani are in a group with Herve, Beloki, Ullrich, Beloki, Moreau.

16.10 - Botero Leads Lance By 3'11"

Lance is 3'11" behind the stage leader Botero.

16.09 - Ullrich Back With the Virenque Group

Ullrich is now back with Pantani and Virenque.

16.09 - Botero at 228km Mark

Botero is still at the head of affairs. He is now at the 228km mark.

16.08 - Pantani Back With Virenque's Group

Pantani is now back with the group of Virenque. Ullrich is just closing a small gap to this group with the help of Guerini.

16.07 - Armstrong Talking To Team Management

Armstrong has been picking up the wire on his right shoulder to chat to the team car. He must be tying to find out the details of the leading riders...

16.05 - Armstrong Passes Den Bakker

Armstrong has caught and passed the early escapee, Den Bakker.

16.05 - Herve Back With Virenque Now

Herve is leading Virenque, Beloki, Moreau and Ullrich.

16.04 - Botero Still Leading

Botero is still up the front of the race. There are no time checks to Baranowski or the chase by Armstrong.

16.03 - Armstrong Has Gone

Lance is now well clear of Conti and Pantani. He is out of the saddle and committing himself to the chase of the stage leaders.

16.03 - Armstrong Alone

Armstrong's efforts have dropped Pantani who is now riding with Conti.

16.02 - Armstrong & Pantani Pass Conti

Marco and Lance have passed Roberto Conti. Herve has caught Marco and Armstrong.

16.02 - Herve Drops Virenque

Herve has dropped his team-mate, Virenque.

16.01 - Ullrich Losing Ground

Ullrich is off the back of the small group led by Beloki.

16.01 - Armstrong Now Leads Marco

Lance has come to the front of Marco they are now 3'27" behind Botero's lead.

16.00 - 35" To Baranowski

Botero leads the race by 35" to the 2nd rider on the road, Baranowski. Salvodelli is 52" behind in 3rd.

16.00 - Herve Driving Chase

Herve leads Virenque ahead of Moreau, Ullrich, Beloki, and Guerini.

15.59 - 17" Advantage for Lance & Marco

Lance and Marco are 17" clear of Ullrich's group.

15.59 - Botero 3'37" Ahead of Lance

Botero is at the front of the race 3'37" ahead of Lance and Marco.

15.58 - Pantani Driving Along With Armstrong

Pantani and Armstrong continue to gain time on Virenque, Beloki, Herve, Moreau and Ullrich.

15.57 - Botero Solo Up Front

Botero has dropped Baranowski at the front of the race. He is the sole stage leader.

15.57 - Pantani and Armstrong Clear

Pantani and Lance are now ahead of the rest of the peloton. They have dropped Virenque and Ullrich.

15.56 - Ullrich Can't Cope

Ullrich is losing touch with the Pantani surge.

15.56 - Lance On Richard's Wheel

Pantani leads Virenque... Livingston and Lance have matched the Ventoux winner's effort.

15.55 - Pantani Lights Things Up

Pantani is being chased by Virenque as the Italian attacks the Postal-led peloton.

15.55 - Zulle Loses Touch With Peloton

Zulle has lost touch with the yellow jersey group, as has Mattan.

15.54 - Botero and Baranowski's Lead

The two leaders - Baranowski and Botero - are 1'10" ahead of Den Bakker.

15.53 - 50" To Odriozola's Group

B&B are 50" ahead of Odriozola, Heppner and Pascual-Llorente.

15.53 - B&B Continue To Lead

With 28km to go, Baranowski and Botero are 17" ahead of Salvodelli.

15.52 - Eki, Tyler, Kevin... Then Lance

The Postal crew at the front of the peloton is Ekimov, Tyler Hamilton, Kevin Livingstong and Lance Armstrong. They are shadowed by Guerini, Ullirhc, Beloki, Moreau and Pantani.

15.48 - Eki Leads For Lance

Ekimov is leading three other Postal riders ahead of the yellow jersey of Lance Armstrong. They are 4'06" behind the lead of Baranowski & Botero.

15.48 - B&B Lead Salvodelli By 250 Meters

The break of Baranowski and Botero is about 250 meters ahead of the chase by Salvodelli.

15.47 - Conti's Attack Gains A Gap

The leaders are 3'15" ahead of Roberto Conti and 3'54" ahead of the Armstrong group.

15.46 - Salvodelli Chasing

Salvodelli has reacted he is 12" behind the two leaders.

15.46 - Poland & Colombia Lead By About 200m

The Botero and Baranowski break has now gained a lead of about 200 meters on the remnants of their escape group.

15.45 - 2 Leaders Now

Botero and Baranowski are in the lead of the race.

15.44 - Botero Attacks Up Front

Botero has attacked at the front of the race. Baranowski is the only rider to match the Colombian's effort.

15.43 - Conti Attacks

Roberto Conti has attacked the Armstrong group.

15.42 - 4'20" For 8 Leaders

The US Postal chase is reeling in the leading 8. The latest check is 4'20".

15.41 - Marco & Lance Side-By-Side

The first two across the summit of the Ventoux, the last Hors Category climb raced this year - Pantani & Armstrong - are now side by side in the peloton. Just behind is Escartin and Virenque. To the right is Jimenez and Ullrich.

15.39 - 32km To Go

Pascual-Llorente continues to lead the 8 escapees with 32km to race.

15.39 - 4'40" To Eight Leaders

The 8 are still all together with an lead on the Armstrong group of 4'40".

15.38 - Olano Drops Off Armstrong Group

Olano has dropped out of the Armstrong pack. He has been joined by the Luxembourg Postie, Joachim Benoit.

15.37 - George's Job Done

There are now five Posties left in front of Lance. George Hincapie is now off, as is their Norweigen recruit, Kjaergaard.

15.33 - Big George Leads The Peloton On the Izoard

US Postal's George Hincapie is doing his sacrificial turn at the front of the peloton as they begin their ascent of the Izoard. The peloton is 5'10" behind the leading 8.

15.31 - About 35 In Armstrong's Group

There are about 35 riders in the group of the yellow jersey. Festina's Joseba Beloki is hovering around the yellow jersey, as is Richard Virenque and Jan Ullrich.

15.29 - Peloton Behind By 4'45"

The US Postal train is leading the peloton 4'45" behind the eight escapees.

15.29 - Kelme Lead The Eight Onto the Izouard Climb

The 8 leaders are now on the climb of the Col d'Izouard. The two Kelme riders are at the front of the break.

15.27 - Kelme & Banesto Hold The Advantage

With two riders present in the break Kelme and Banesto hold the advantage if the leading 8 are able to hold off the peloton in the rush to the line. All four of these teams - Botero and Pascual-Llorente (for Kelme) and Baranowski and Odriozola (for Banesto) have previously proven they're no schmoes on the climbs.

15.25 - Eight Approaching Col d'Izouard

The eight leaders now have 36.5km to race. They are approaching the climb of the Col d'Izouard.

15.24 - 4'51" For Leading 8

The latest deficit of the US Postal-led peloton to the 8 leaders is 4'51".

15.18 - 40km To Go

The 8 leaders have 40km to race. Their latest leading margin was 4'48".

15.17 - 7 Posties With Lance: 2 Telekoms With Jan

At the front of the peloton are eight Postal riders - seven of Lance's team-mates, and then the yellow jersey himself. Then come two Telekoms, Wesseman and Guerini, ahead of the current second-overall, Jan Ullrich.

15.13 - Lead Up To 4'30"

The eight leaders now have an advantage of 4'30" on Armstrong's group.

15.12 - Lead Now Over 4 Minutes

The peloton of Armstrong is 4'08" behind the eight leaders.

15.10 - 45km To Go

The leading group - Baranowski, Odriozolo, Pascual-Llorente, Botero, Heppner, Den Bakker, Rous and Salvodelli - have 45km to race to the finish in Briancon.

15.06 - Peloton in Feedzone

The US Postal team has led the main peloton into the feedzone. They are 3'45" behind the leading eight riders.

15.06 - Botero Best-Placed Of Break

The Colombian, Botero, is the best-placed of the riders up front of the stage. He began the day in 19th - 13'11" off Armstrong's lead.

15.03 - Leaders In 2nd Feedzone - 50km To Go

The 8 leaders are now in the second feedzone of the day. They have 50km to race. The leaders are 3'40" clear of Armstrong's group.

15.02 - The Eight Riders Up Front

The leading group is: Odriozola & Baranowski (Banesto), Botero & Pascual-Llorente (Kelme), Heppner (Telekom), Rous (Bonjour), Den Bakker (Rabobank) and Salvodelli (Saeco).

15.00 - 8 Leaders

Botero has caught the seven leaders.

15.00 - Botero 15" Behind Leading Group

The seven leaders are about to be caught by Botero's chase. The lone Colombian in the Tour de France is just 15" behind the group of Odriozola.

14.59 - Over 20km of Descending

The descent from the Col de Vars is about 25km long. Once in the valley the final challenge for the day is the monument of the Col d'Izouard - the Hors Category rise climbs for 14.1km at an average gradient of 7.2 per cent.

14.57 - Peloton Behind by 3'10"

Armstrong's group is now 3'10" behind the leading seven riders.

14.56 - Botero Closing In On Lead

The seven leaders are only 23" clear of Botero's chase.

14.52 - Leaders Gain Advantage on Descent

The latest time check has the peloton 3'13" behind the leading 7. Botero is closing in on the seven leaders. He is now just 50" away from the front of the race.

14.51 - The Situation On The Descent: 60km to Go

The 7 lead Botero by 1'00" and the peloton of the yellow jersey by 2'20". They have 60km to race today.

14.49 - Points of Col de Vars Climb

The results at the 177.5km summit were: 1. Heppner 30pts; 2. Odriozola 26pts; 3. Pascual-Llorente 22pts; 4. Baranowski 18pts; 5. Salvodelli 14pts; 6. Rous 12pts; 7. Den Bakker 10pts; 8. Botero 8pts at 1'20; 9. Hamburger 6pts 2'10"; 10. Virenque 4pts at 2'16"; 11. Herve 2pts; 12. Otxoa 1pt.

14.47 - Hamburger Cooked

Bo Hamburger has been caught by the peloton after his escape in the valley between cat-1 climbs.

14.45 - Results of Col de Vars

The results at the 177.5km climb were: 1. Heppner; 2. Odriozola; 3. Pascual-Llorente; 4. Baranowski; 5. Salvodelli; 6. Rous; 7. Den Bakker; 8. Botero at 1'20; 9. Hamburger 2'10"; 10. Virenque at 2'16".

14.42 - 2'26" Behind At Summit

Virenque grabbed the points for 9th place 2'26" behind the leading 7. Full results will follow.

14.42 - Otxoa & Virenque Back With Bunch

After their attack near the summit, Otxoa and Virenque were reeled in by Guerini and Ullrich. Hervie now leads his Polti team-mate toward the minor points at the summit.

14.41 - Otxoa Surges

Otxoa has made a surge near the summit of the Col de Vars. He is chased by Virenque.

14.40 - 7 Leaders Over The Summit

The two Banesto riders led the 7-man break over the summit of the Col de Vars.

14.39 - Virenque & Otxoa Moving To Front Of Yellow Group

Virenque and Otxoa are also up the front of Armstrong's group. The group is currently being led by Van De Wouwer (Lotto).

14.38 - After 8km of Climbing

After eight kilometers of climbing on the Col de Vars, the seven led Botero by 1'20"; Hamburger by 1'45"... We await the time of the peloton.

14.34 - The Lead Of Seven

The leading 7 have an advantage of 1'50" on Botero then Hamburger a further 10" behind. The yellow peloton is at 2'50".

14.32 - Bolts Bringing Ullrich To Front

Udo Bolts is bringing Jan Ullrich up to the front of the Armstrong pack. Lance is still there with four US Postal team-mates.

14.30 - After 6km Of Climbing

After 6km of climbing the 7 Leaders are 1'55" ahead of Hamburger, the counter-attack by Botero is 2'15" behind. The peloton of Armstrong is 3'10" behind.

14.28 - Rous Comes Back To Lead Group

There are now 7 leaders. Rous is back with the others at the front of the race.

14.27 - Magusson Back In Armstrong's Group

After his attack in the valley, Magnusson has been caught by the peloton of Armstrong.

14.26 - 6 Leaders

The six leaders are Salvodelli, Heppner, Den Bakker, Pascual-Llorente, Odriozola and Baranowski.

14.25 - Botero At 2'30"

Botero is 2'30" behind the leading pack. They peloton of Armstrong is at 3'10".

14.25 - Rous Losing His Grip

Rous is the first of the 7 leaders to lose contact at the front of the race. There are 61.5km to race.

14.23 - 7 Still Together

The 7 leaders are riding as one group. They have a lead of 1'35" on Hamburger and 3'20" on the peloton.

14.22 - Zabel Off The Back of Yellow Pack

Zabel has lost touch with the main peloton.

14.22 - Heulot Abandons

There are 142 riders in the race. The latest retirement was Stephane Heulot (FDJ).

14.21 - 3.5km Of Climbing

As they pass the 3.5km mark. The 7 riders up front have a lead of 1'20" on the chase of Hamburger, 3'00" on Botero and 3'20" to the peloton.

14.20 - Julich Loses Touch Of Yellow Pack

Bobby Julich is off the group of Armstrong.

14.19 - Five Posties Lead Armstrong

There are five Postal riders in front of Lance Armstrong at the head of the yellow pack. Then comes the pink of Mercatone Uno and the blue and white of the Banesto riders.

14.18 - Jalabert Goes Off The Back... Again

As the road rises, L. Jalabert again goes off the back of the yellow pack.

14.18 - Kelme Attacks Peloton

Botero has attacked the group of Armstrong.

14.16 - Magnusson Drops Out of Chase

Magnusson has dropped out of the chase with Hamburger. He is on his way back to the US Postal-led peloton.

14.15 - Current Leading Margin

The 7 have a lead of 1'20" to the two chasers and 3'40" on the peloton of the yellow jersey.

14.12 - Heppner & Pascual-Llorente Not Working

The Telekom and Kelme riders in the lead group aren't doing any work. This group is now on the climb of the Col de Vars - 3km shorter than the last climb, but steeper by .5 of a per cent.

14.08 - Col de Vars Due Soon

The peloton is now at the 166km mark. The next climb is the Col de Vars - a 10.3km ascent at an average gradient of 6.8 per cent. The summit of the 3rd climb today is at the 177.5km mark.

14.07 - Banesto With 2 Up Front

The Banesto team is the only squad with two riders in the leading break. They are Baranowski and Odriozola. They have 1'15" on Magnusson & Hamburger and 2'52" on the yellow jersey's group.

14.05 - Yellow Group 2'52" Behind 7 Leaders

The Armstrong group - which includes Ullrich, Jalabert, Olano, Pantani, Zulle amongst others - is 2'52" behind the 7 leaders. Hamburger and Magnusson are in the middle, 1'15" off the lead.

14.03 - Four Full Teams Now

With Verbrugghe's retirement, there are now just four complete teams in the race. They are: US Postal, Banesto, Telekom & Rabobank.

14.03 - Verbrugghe Abandons

Rik Verbrugghe has retired from the Tour de France. There are 143 riders still in the race.

14.01 - US Postal Lead The Peloton

The Posties are at the front of the chasing peloton. Their deficit is 2'45" on the 7 leaders - Baranowski, Odriozola, Pascual-Llorente, Heppner, Salvodelli, Rous & Den Bakker.

13.59 - 160km Raced

The leading 7 are passed the 160km mark. They have a lead of 1'15" on two Scandanavians, Magnusson and Hamburger. The yellow jersey's peloton's last time check was 2'15".

13.57 - Jalabert & Olano Join Armstrong's Group

After Jalabert being dropped on the climb and Olano crashing on the descent, the two ONCE leaders are now back with the group of Armstrong.

13.56 - The Situation Now

The 7 leaders have an advantage of 1'07" on Magnussen & Hamburger. The peloton of the yellow jersey is now at 2'15".

13.51 - Results of Sprint

The first three at the sprint (154km) were: 1. Jon Odriozola (Banesto) 6pts 2. Dariusz Baranowski (Banesto) 4pts 3. Didier Rous (Bonjour) 2pts.

13.49 - Leaders 1km From Sprint

The lead group is now 1km from the second intermediate sprint.

13.46 - 7 Lead by 1'00"

The 7 leaders are 1'00" clear of Armstrong's group. Then comes a group led by the ONCE team which are 1'10" behind the leaders.

13.45 - The Seven Leaders

The 7 riders up front are: Baranowski, Odriozola (Banesto), Heppner (Telekom), Pascual-Llorente (Kelme), Den Bakker (Rabobank), Salvodelli (Saeco) & Rous (Bonjour).

13.44 - 151km Raced

There are now 7 riders up front. They have a lead of 40" on the group of the yellow jersey.

13.43 - 5 More Attack Front Group

Baranowski, Pascual-Llorente, Heppner, Salvodelli & Rous are now in pursuit of the two leaders.

13.42 - Den Bakker & Odriozola Lead 8"

The two leaders have an advantage of 8" at the front of the race.

13.41 - The Attackers

The attacking riders are Den Bakker and Odriozola.

13.40 - New Attack

A Rabobank and a Banesto rider have attacked the lead group at the 145km mark.

13.39 - 102km To Race

The front pack is at the 147km mark. They have 102km to go to the finish.

13.38 - Otxoa & Herve Caught

After opening up a small lead, Herve and Otxoa are now back in the main peloton at the front of the pack.

13.38 - Otxoa Won't Work

With several of his Kelme team-mates behind, Otxoa isn't working at the front of the stage. Herve is pushing the King of the Mountains jersey on the hips to try and encourage him to work, but he insists on waiting.

13.37 - Herve & Otxoa Attack

On the descent, a big group has formed. At the front Herve and Otxoa have opened up a lead on the bunch which includes the yellow jersey.

13.34 - Jalabert Back in Front Group

Laurent Jalabert and Tyler Hamilton have now rejoined the lead group.

13.33 - Big Lead Group Now

On the descent the lead pack has gained weight. There are now about 30 riders in the front pack. They inlcude: Armstrong, Pantani, Ullrich, Guerini, Otxoa, Baranowski, Jimenez, Virenque... There is now news at all about Zulle.

13.30 - 109km To The Finish

The peloton is on the descent of the Col d'Allos. There are now 109km to race today.

13.28 - Yellow Jersey Now In Front Group

The leaders have regrouped on the descent. Lance is now in the lead group.

13.28 - Full Results of Col d'Allos

The top 12 at the summit were: 1. Herve (Polti) 30pts; 2. Pscual-Llorente (Kelme) 26pts; 3. Otxoa (Kelme) 22pts; 4. Botero (Kelme) 18pts; 5. Baranowski (Banesto) 14pts; 6. Conti (Vini) 12pts; 7. Vinokourov (Tel) 10pts; 8. Jimenez (Ban) 8pts; 9. Mancebo (Ban) 6pts; 10. Van de Wouwer (Lotto) 4pts; 11. Nardello (Mapei) 2pts; 12. Virenque (Polti) 1pt.

13.25 - Yellow Jersey 30" Behind At Top

Armstrong was 30" behind at the top of the climb.

13.24 - Herve Takes 30pts

Herve caught Pascual-Llorente just near the summit and gained the 1st place at the top. The Kelme rider was 2nd and the King of the Mountains 3rd.

13.23 - Olano Punctures

Olano has punctured on the descent. He has fallen. We're waiting on more news.

13.22 - The Results of Col d'Allos

The results are: 1. Herve (Polit) 30pts; 2. Pascual-Llorente (Kelme); 3. Otxoa; 4. Botero; 5. Baranowski; 6. Conti; 7. Vinokourov; 8. Jimenez. Nardello was at 20". Armstrong was 30" behind.

13.18 - Leaders Over Summit...

The leading two groups are now over the summit. (Results will follow shortly).

13.17 - Virenque's Surge Caught By Yellow Group

Virenque has been caught by the group of Armstrong. Pantani has lost contact with this elite bunch.

13.16 - Virenque Attacks His Group

Virenque has attacked his group and is now the eighth rider on the road.

13.16 - 12km Of Climbing

Llorent leads Baranowski, Jimenez, Mancebo, Otxoa, Vinokourov and Conti by 18". Next is a group with Virenque at 40".

13.14 - 16 Riders In Armstrong's Bunch

There are now 16 riders in the group with Lance. They include Ullrich, Guerini, Livingston. They are closing in on Van De Wouwer who was an early attacker.

13.14 - Guerini's Group...

Guerini leads Ullrich in the group which includes Armstrong. Also present are three Festina riders, and two Postal riders.

13.13 - Guerini Drives Armstrong Group

The Telekom rider, Guerini is driving a group of 20 riders which includes the yellow jersey of Armstrong. 14H12 - Etxebarria Off Back Of Bunch Etxebarria is also off the back of the peloton.

13.12 - 9.5km Of Climbing

The situation just explained was after 9km of climbing. The leader has been on the climb of the Col d'Allos for 9.5km.

13.11 - Virenque Now Chasing

Richard Virenque is now also in pursuit of the leaders. He is on his own in the middle of the peloton and the group of Mancebo.

13.10 - The Situation Now...

Pascual-Llorente leads a group of six by 35". The six are: Baranowski, Conti, Otxoa, Botero, Van de Wouwer, Vinikourov & Herve. At 45" are a group which includes Jimenez, Mancebo & Bolts. The yellow jersey's peloton is at 1'05".

13.08 - Jalabert Already in Trouble

Laurent Jalabert is one of a handful of riders off the back of the peloton. Others include Van Bon and McEwen.

13.07 - Pascual-Llorente Still At Head of Stage

The first attacker, Pascual-Llorente is alone at the front of the race.

13.07 - 3 More Attack

The latest attackers are Niermann, Jimenez and Mancebo.

13.06 - Six More Now Off Front of Peloton

There are six more attackers. They are: Rodrigues, Zberg, Serrano, Bolts, Tauler and Herve.

13.04 - Van De Wouwer Also Off The Front

Van De Wouwer (Lotto) is also on the attack. The Kelme leader has an advantage of 1'00".

13.03 - Vinokourov, Baranowski & Conti Join the Action

Telekom's Vinokourov, Banesto's Baranowski and Vini Caldirola are also in the chase of Pascual-Llorente. We have no time checks at this stage.

13.01 - Two More Attack

Mattan and Botero are chasing as well. They are now with Oxtoa and Arrieta.

13.00 - Arrieta and Otxoa Chasing

Banesto's Arrieta and the King of the Mountain, Otxoa are now in pursuit of the leader, Pascual-Llorente.

13.00 - No Climbing Points Before Today For Pascual-Llorente

Javier Pascual-Llorente was in 59th position at the start of the day (40'37" behind Armstrong). He had no climbing points before the start of the stage.

12.58 - Lead Now 50"

The Kelme rider is now 50" clear of the peloton.

12.57 - Backstedt First Rider Off The Back

The Swede on the Credit Agricole team, Magnus Backstedt is the first rider off the back of the peloton on the Col d'Allos.

12.56 - 121km - 28" Lead For Pascual-Llorente

Pascual-Llorente's lead is 28" at the 121km mark.

12.55 - Pascual-Llorente's Lead 16"

The Kelme rider just eased off the front, but his lead is already 16".

12.54 - Kelme Rider Moves To The Front

A Kelme rider is the first to attack the lead of the Postal train. The rider is Pascual-Llorente.

12.53 - 119km Raced

The peloton is now at the 119km mark. The Posties are still up front. The pink of the Telekom team can be seen behind the Postal train...

12.52 - Climbing Bikes Out For Hamilton & Armstrong

While seven of the Postal riders are on white bikes, the two main climbers of the team - Tyler Hamilton & race leader, Lance Armstrong - have special carbon-colored Trek bikes for the climbing stages.

12.47 - On The 2nd Climb

The peloton is now on the climb of the Col d'Allos. The US Postal rider, Frankie Andreu, is setting the pace at the head of the grouped peloton.

12.45 - Sandstod Retires

One of the riders we saw on the attack a lot during the first week, Michael Sandstod, (MCJ) has retired from the race. There are now 144 riders still in the Tour de France.

12.45 - Average Speed For Fourth Hour...

The average speed of the 4th hour is 31.3kph. The total average after four hours of racing is 28.1kph.

12.43 - The Climber's Classification After First Climb

The top four places of the King of the Mountain competition before this category-1 rise to the Col d'Allos - and after the cat-2 Cote de Canjuers - has Otxoa in the lead with 165pts. The next 3 riders are: Botero with 161pts; Mattan 158pts and Virenque 104pts.

12.40 - Near The Start of Col d'Allos

There has been little to report so far today. The peloton has ridden at a relatively easy tempo into a slight headwind. But they are now near the foot of the Col d'Allos - and you can bank on the action heating up soon... The climb's summit is at the 127km mark after a 13.4km slog up an average gradient of 6.1%.

12.29 - The Posties One of 5 Complete Teams

There are now just five full teams in the Tour de France. They are: US Postal, Banesto, Rabobank, Telekom and Lotto. All nine riders of the Postal team are at the front at the moment. At the back sits their man in the overall lead, Lance Armstrong.

12.27 - 145km To Go

The riders are in the 104th kilometer today. The peloton is being led by the US Postal rider, Joachim and Andreu. The bunch has ridden as one group for the first 104km today.

12.26 - Monument to Coppi & Bobet

There is a monument to Fausto Coppi (Italy) and Louison Bobet (France) is 2km from the summit of the 'Hors Category' Col d'Izouard. Between them, they won 5 Tours de France (Coppi in 1949 & '53, and Bobet in 1953, '54 & 55). Flowers have been layed at the base of the monument today.

12.11 - 98km Raced

The peloton is now at the 98km mark. The bunch is all together with a little over 16km to ride before they begin the ascent of the Col d'Allos.

12.06 - Botero Closing In On Otxoa's Climbing Prize Lead

Two Kelme riders lead the King of the Mountains competition. Javier Otxoa - the winner of stage 10 - began the stage with 153 points. The minor places at the start of today are Botero 151pts; Mattan (Cofidis) 138pts. Then comes last year's winner, Virenque (Polti) with 89pts.

12.00 - 158km To Race

The peloton has covered 91km at an easy pace. They have 158km to race to the finish. The next real challenge, however, is the Col d'Allos (at the 127km mark). The cat-1 climb is 13.4km long at an average gradient of 6.1 per cent.

11.44 - Third Hour Average Speed

The average for the 3rd hour is 28.4kph. The total average speed for the first three hours today is just 27kph.

11.35 - An 80km Stroll Early Today

The peloton is now at the 80km mark. They have been racing for two hours and 54 minutes.

11.28 - Peloton At 75km

The peloton has passed the first feedzone, they are all together at the 77km mark.

11.25 - Peloton At Feedzone

The bunch is now arriving at the first of two feedzones for today's stage. The first feed is at the 73km mark in the town of Saint-Andre-les-Alpes.

11.23 - Peloton Still All Together

There have been no attacks yet today. The peloton is all together after 2 hours and 45 minutes of racing.

11.15 - Col d'Allos Merckx's Last Summit Win...

The 2nd climb today, the Col d'Allos, was the last mountain prize won by the winner of five Tours de France, Eddy Merckx. This prime was won by the Belgian champion in 1975. Merckx also won the Tour's King of the Mountains classification twice (in 1969 & '70).

11.09 - Briancon's Tour History

At 1,335 meters above sea-level, the site of today's finish, Briancon, is one of the highest big townships in France. The Tour has hosted 29 stage finishes in Briancon before today. The last winner here was the Olympic champion from 1996, Pascal Richard. He won at Briancon in '89.

11.00 - 62km Raced

The peloton is all together at the 62nd kilometer.

10.51 - Average Speeds

The average speed for the second hour of racing today was 29.4kph. The total average for the first two hours today is 25.35kph.

10.50 - Accident In Tour de France Yesterday

There was an accident involving a 12-year-old boy in the caravan of the Tour de France in yesterday's 13th stage. The boy is in hospital and is still in intensive care. An official statement about his condition will be made this afternoon. Last night Jean-Pierre Courcol, the president of the 'Directoire des Editions Philippe Amaury', and Bernard Hinault visited the hospital on behalf of the Tour last night but wasn't able to speak with his parents.

10.46 - Results of First Intermediate Sprint

The results of the sprint at Castellane at 55km are: 1. Zabel (Telekom) 6pts 2. McEwen (Farm Frites) 4pts 3. Simon (Bonjour) 2pts.

10.45 - Gino Bartali Souvenir At Col d'Izouard Today

Today's stage features a special souvenir for the winner of the 1938 & '48 Tours de France, Gino Bartali. The Italian champion passed away on 12 May this year - the day before the start of the Giro d'Italia. The orignal 'Iron Man' won the climb over the Izouard in 1948.

10.26 - Quiet Race So Far

The peloton is riding at an easy pace, and there have been no attacks as yet.

10.12 - 38km Raced In One & A Half Hours

The peloton is now only at the 38 kilometer mark. They have been racing for an hour and a half already and are obviously content to hold the action back for the big climbs later in the stage.

10.01 - Still All Together

The 14th stage has begun at an easy pace. The peloton is all together after the descent of the Cote de Canjuers.

9.51 - Race Radio Now Due At 10.15am

The length of today's stage is playing havoc with the information services. The race radio is now expected to start filtering information through at 10.15am.

9.48 - Peloton All Together At 1st Summit

The peloton was all together at the summit of the first climb (19.5km).

9.47 - Results of Cote de Canjuers

The results of the cat-2 climb at 19.5km are: 1. Mattan (Cof) 20pts; 2. Virenque (Plt) 15pts; 3. Otxoa (Kel) 12pts; 4. Botero (Kel) 10pts; 5. Baranowski (Ban) 8pts; 6. Voskamp (Plt) 6pts; 7. Madouas (Fes) 4pts; 8. Dekker (Rab) 3pts; 9. Escartin (Kel) 2pts; 10. Van Bon (Rab) 1pt.

9.35 - Results of First Climb Due Soon

Apologies for the lack of information today. The race radio is due to start feeding information on the race through from 10.00am onward. The peloton is currently in the last kilometer of the climb to the cat-2 Cote de Canjuers (19.5km). Results will follow shortly.

9.23 - Peloton Now At 15km

The peloton in today's race is currently on the approach of the Cote de Canjuers' summit. They are all together at the 15km mark.

9.22 - Col d'Izoard

The 'Hors Category' Col d'Izoard was been raced 29 times by the Tour. The last time was in 1993 when Claudio Chaippucci was the winner. The time before, in 1989, the reigning Olympic champion, Pascal Richard took the points. The name of this famed climb is now emblazoned on one of the VIP buses which is at the finishing line of each Tour stage.

9.19 - Col de Vars

The cat-1 Col de Vars (2,109 meters high, at kilometer 177.5 today) has been raced by the Tour 31 times before. The last time was in 1993 when Davide Cassani won the points. Cassani, who rode the Tour nine times, is now one of the commentators for Italian television.

9.16 - Some History About Today's Big Climbs... Col d'Allos

The cat-1 climb at 127km, the 2,250 meter Col d'Allos, has been raced 32 times in the history of the Tour de France. The last time was back in 1975 when the legendary Eddy Merckx won the climbing points.

9.08 - 10km Raced

The peloton is all together at the 10km mark of the 14th stage.

9.07 - Tour VTT In 1998 Raced 8 Stages Over Today's Course

The mountain bike Tour de France - the Tour VTT (Velo Tout Terrain) - was last raced in 1998. The 8 stage course was the reverse of today's 249.5km stage.

9.02 - All Together At 4km

The peloton is all together at the 4th kilometer today. The first challenge is the cat-2 climb of the Cote de Canjuers at the 19.5km mark.

8.49 - Weather Conditions At The Start

The 14th stage will be raced under clear blue skies. The temperature at the start today was 24 degrees (C) in the air; and 28 degrees (C) on the road.

8.44 - The Climbing Challenges of Stage 14

The 249.5km course from Draguignan to Briancon features four climbs – one cat-2 (the 840m Cote de Canjuers, 19.5km); two cat-1 (the 2,250m Col d’Allos, 127km and the 2,109m Col de Vars, 177.5km) and one ‘Hors Category’ (the 2,360m Col d’Izoard, 228km).

8.43 - Racing

The official start time of the 14th stage is 8.41am.

8.42 - No Overnight Withdrawals

There are 145 riders at the start today. The were no overnight withdrawals. The rider who currently holds the title of 'Lanterne Rouge', as the last rider in the overall classification is Kelme's Francisco Leon. The Spaniard is 1h42'17" behind Lance Armstrong after 2,109.5km of racing.

8.38 - Big-Name Retirements Yesterday

The two riders who finished 4th and 5th overall in the 1999 Tour de France - Laurent Dufaux (Saeco) and Angel Casero (Festina) - were two of the five riders who abandoned the Tour in yesterday's 13th stage. Another big-name to withdraw was the Italian champion, former world number-one, Michele Bartoli (Mapei).

8.35 - Start-Proper Due At 8.37am

There is a 4.3km neutral zone which takes riders to the outskirts of Draguignan and to the site of the official start today. The estimated time of the start-proper is 8.37am.

8.19 - An Hour & A Half Sans-Race Radio

There will be no race radio (giving updates of the race) for the first hour-and-a-half of today's stage. Reports are due to start filtering through at 11.00am. (Stay tuned, however, incase this situation improves.

8.16 - Stage 14 Scheduled To Start At 9.30am

The 14th stage, the third longest of the 2000 Tour de France, is due to begin at 8.30am today. The riders face 249.5km kilometers as the race heads north from the Var region to high-altitude town of Briancon in the Alpes.