16.24 - Zabel's First Win Since Stage 8 in 1997
Zabel has won his first stage since stage eight of 1997. He has just beaten McEwen and Blijlevens on the line. The photo finish will decide 2nd place.

16.23 - Zabel Wins In Green
Zabel has won the stage thanks to the work of his team-men in the final kilometer.

16.22 - Zabel 3rd Wheel
Vino is burying himself for Zabel in the final lead-out... Now Fagnini

16.22 - A Sprinter's Stage
Place your bets on the sprinters. The race has just 1,000 meters to go. McEwen? Zabel? Blijlevens? Rodriguez? Vainsteins?...

16.21 - Telekom Take Over
The Telekom team is now in charge at the front of the peloton.

16.21 - Simon Caught
Simon's attack is over with 2km to go.

16.20 - Polti Dominating The Chase
Polti is driving the strung-out peloton in pursuit of Simon. He is now just 50 meters away from the peloton.

16.20 - 3km To Go
Simon is still alone at the front of the race. He has a lead of 4" with 3km to go.

16.19 - 4km To Go For Simon
With 4km to go, Simon leads the stage by 10".

16.18 - Hinault and Gwiazdowski Caught
The two other escapees were caught by the peloton at the 4km mark.

16.18 - Simon Attacks
Simon has attacked the lead group with 5.5km to go. He is alone in the front of the stage.

16.16 - Lead Just 10"
With about 6km to go, the trio are just 10" ahead of the peloton.

16.16 - Jalabert Off Back Of Peloton
Jalabert is strolling along at the back of the bunch, he has been dropped and doesn't even look interested in trying to rejoin the bunch.

16.15 - Trio Looking For Peloton
With their lead now just 15", the leading trio (Simon, Hinault and Gwiazdowski) are looking behind for the chasing peloton.

16.13 - Lead Down To 20"
A bunch sprint is looking likely given the way the teams of Polti, Telekom and Farm Frites are working at the front of the peloton. The bunch is now just 20" behind the leading trio.

16.12 - Commesso Off The Back Of Peloton
The winner of stage 18, Salvatore Commesso (Saeco) is off the back of the peloton.

16.11 - 10km To Go
The leaders have just passed under the 10km to go banner. They are 27" ahead of the peloton.

16.09 - Lead Down To 39"
Simon, Hinault and Gwiazdowski lead the fast-chasing peloton by 39".

16.07 - Farm Frites, Polti & Telekom Dominate Chase
The peloton is being driven by the Farm Frites, Polti and Telekom team. The leading trio are 13km from the finish and still hold a tender lead of 48".

16.03 - Lead Down To 1'00"
As the peloton passed the 18km mark, the leading trio's advantage was 1'00".

16.01 - 20km To Go
The chase by the sprinters' teams is not only splitting up the bunch; it's also bringing back the 3 escapees. With 20km to go, Simon's trio leads by 1'10".

16.00 - Two Echelons Form In Peloton
The peloton has split into two echelons. Some of the big names in the second group are Otxoa, Dekker, Jalabert and Durand.

15.59 - McEwen The Last 'Sprinter' In The Race To Win A Stage
Of the 'pure' sprinters still in the Tour de France for this 20th stage, Robbie McEwen (Farm Frites) was the last one to win a stage of the Tour. His win was on the Champs Elysees in 1999. The other sprinters still in the race included: Zabel (who hasn't won a stage since 1997), Blijlevens (who last won a stage in stage four, 1998), Vainsteins (who is in his first Tour), Hincapie (who hasn't won a Tour stage)...

15.55 - Peloton In Final 25km
As the peloton passed under the 25km-to-go kite, they were 1'40" behind the three leaders.

15.52 - Leading Trio's Advantage Under 2 Minutes
The leading trio are now 1'53" ahead of the chasing pelton. They have 25km to race to the finish in Troyes.

15.51 - 8 Teams Still Without A Stage Win
There are 8 teams in the race which have yet to claim a stage win this year. Three of them are represented in the break today - Credit Agricole, Bonjour and Francaise des Jeux. The other teams without a win are: Telekom, Farm Frites, Lotto, Memory Card and Vini Caldirola.

15.48 - Only 3 Bunch Sprints So Far This Year
In contrast to last year - when there were 8 bunch sprint finishes before the final stage in Paris - this year's Tour has only had 3 stages for the sprinters. They were stage 2, 3 (when Tom Steels was the winner) and stage 5 (when Marcel Wust won).

15.45 - 220km Raced
The three leaders have raced 220km. Their lead is 2'30" with 34.5km to ride to the finish.

15.43 - Simon One of Four Professional Brothers Without A Tour Win
Francois Simon, who is currently in the leading trio, has six borther - three of whom have been professional cyclists. Francois is the only one not to have won a stage of the Tour de France. Jerome won stage nine in 1988; Regis won stage 18 in 1985 and Pascal won stage 16 in 1982.

15.34 - 40km To Go
The leaders are in the final 40km of the stage. They are 2'50" ahead of the peloton.

15.30 - Lead Down To 3'00"
With about 44km to race, the leaders' advantage over the peloton is down to 3'00".

15.28 - Lead Down to 3'10"
Simon, Gwiazdowski and Hinault's lead is down to 3'10".

15.24 - Sprint Teams' Work Taking Effect
The chase by the sprinters' teams - Telekom (for Zabel), Polti (for Blijlevens) and Farm Frites (for McEwen) - has brought the lead of the three escapees back quickly. Simon's group now leads by 3'40".

15.22 - Less Than 50km To Race
The three leaders are in the final 50km. The latest time check has their advantage down under 4 minutes - 3'48".

15.18 - Peloton Behind By 4'10"
As the peloton passed the site of the 2nd sprint, they were 4'10" behind the 3 leaders.

15.18 - Polti & Telekom Take Over The Chasing Duties
The Postal train which has led the peloton for most of the day has been taken over by the Polti and Telekom teams. They are nearing the site of the 2nd intermediate sprint.

15.15 - Results of Bar-sur-Aube Sprint (199km)
1. Gregory Gwiazdowski (FDJ) 6pts 2. Francois Simon (Bonjour) 4pts 3. Sebastien Hinault (CA) 2pts

15.14 - 2nd Intermediate Sprint Due Soon
The 2nd intermediate sprint today is at Bar-sur-Aube (199km). The 3 leaders are just about to contest the sprint-competition points...

15.12 - Average Speed Picks Up For Fifth Hour
The average speed for the fifth hour was 45.5kph. The total average for the first five hours today is 39.00kph.

15.11 - Lead Over 4 Minutes
The 3 escapees are now 4'09" ahead of the Postal-led peloton. There are 57km still to race.

14.57 - 70km To Race
The three leaders have 70km to race. Their lead is 3'16".

14.55 - 2'58" Lead At 183km Mark
Simon, Hinault and Gwiazdowski lead the Postal-led peloton by 2'58" at the 183km mark.

14.54 - Vasseur Leads The Peloton
The French rider on Lance Armstrong's US Postal team, Cedric Vasseur, is at the front of the other 8 Posties who are leading the peloton. They are 2'58" behind the three leaders.

14.52 - Colombey: De Gaulle's Final Resting Place
The Tour passes the town of Colombey at the 184km mark. The town was the place where Charles De Gaulle lived after he retired as President of France in 1969.

14.48 - Farm Frites Joining Chase
The Farm Frites team has begun to help the Postal pursuit of the three leaders. The latest time check for Simon, Gwiazdowski and Hinault's lead is 2'54".

14.46 - Tomorrow Morning's Transfer Via Orient Express
The Sunday morning transfer of riders from Troyes to the start of the final stage in Paris will be on the famous Orient Express train.

14.43 - 175km Raced
The US Postal team is at the front of the peloton. They are followed by a collection of Festina riders. The peloton is 2'52" behind the 3 leaders after 175km of racing.

14.37 -Results of Cote d'Alun
The points of the final climb of the 2000 Tour were won by: 1. Sebastien Hinault (CA) 5pts 2. Gregory Gwiazdowski (FDJ) 3pts 3. Francois Simon (Bonjour) 1pt.

14.35 -Leaders On Final Climb of 2000 Tour
Francois Simon, Gregory Gwiazdowki and Sebastien Hinault have a lead of 2'30" as they approach the summit of the final climb of the 2000 Tour de France. The cat-4 Cote d'Alun is at the 170km mark.

14.26 - Lead Up to 1'52"
15H33 - 2'10" At 166km The lead of the three escapees is 2'10" after 166km of racing.

14.26 - Lead Up to 1'52"
The two Frenchman and lone Polish rider up front all represent French teams. Simon, Hinault and Gwiazdowski are now 1'52" ahead of the peloton.

14.21 - Lead Up To 1'40"
The three leaders were 1'40" ahead of the peloton when the bunch passed the summit of the Cote de Chaumont.

14.20 - Results of Cat-4 Cote de Chaumont (157.5km)
1. Simon (Bonjour) 5pts
2. Gwiazdowski (FDJ) 3pts
3. Hinault (CA) 1pt

14.18 - 1'25" Lead As 3 Approach 2nd Climb
The three leaders - Simon, Gwiazdowski and Hinault - are on the ascent of the 2nd climb today at the 157km mark. They are 1'25" ahead of the peloton.

14.16 - 3 Leaders Ahead By 1'20"
The 3 leaders have an advantage on the peloton of 1'20".

14.14 - Vainsteins Out of Break
Vainsteins has dropped out of the leading quartet. There are now three riders up front. They are: Simon (Bonjour), Gwiazdowski (FDJ) and Hinault (CA). They are 1'10" ahead of the peloton.

14.13 - Fourth Hour Average Speeds
The average speed for the fourth hour of racing is 37.4kph. The total average for the first four hours is 37.35kph.

14.12 - Vainsteins 3rd In Sprint Classification
One of the four riders up front, Romans Vainsteins, began the stage in 3rd-place in the green jersey competition. He was only 3 points shy of Robbie McEwen's 2nd place in the sprint competition with 134pts.

14.10 - Two Frenchmen In Lead Group
The riders at the front of the stage are: Francois Simon (Bonjour), Sebastien Hinault (CA), Romans Vainsteins (Vini Caldirola) and Gregory Gwiazdowski (La Francaise des Jeux). They are 55" clear of the Postal-led peloton.

14.08 - 4 Riders Up Front At 150km Mark
Simon has been joined by Gwiazdowski, Hinault & Vainsteins at the 150km mark.

14.07 - US Postal Lead The Peloton
The Postal team is leading the peloton 55" behind Simon.

14.07 - Chase Closing In On Simon
The three counter-attacking riders are now just 8" behind the stage leader, Simon.

14.04 - Simon Leads 3 Chasers By 15"
Simon leads Gwiazdowski, Hinault and Vainsteins by 15" and the peloton by 38".

14.03 - 144km Raced
Simon leads the 3 chasers by 17" and the peloton by 35" after 144km of racing.

14.02 - 3 Chasers...
Gwiazdowski (FDJ), Hinault (CA) and Vainsteins (Vini Caldirola) are in pursuit of Simon. They are 20" behind the leaders. The peloton is at 30".

14.01 - Simon's Lead 25"
Simon's advantage is a tender one. After his lead grew rapidly to 1'00", he is now just 25" clear of the peloton.

13.58 - Simon From Mesnil-Saint-Loup
The rider who is now 30" ahead of the rest of the peloton, Francois Simon, is from the town of Mesnil-Saint-Loup, 20km from the site of today's finish.

13.56 - 115km To Race
There is one rider at the front of the stage. Francois Simon leads by 45" with 115km to race.

13.55 - Lead Back to 55"
Simon is now 55" ahead of the peloton.

13.53 - Simon Pushes His Advantage Quickly...
Simon has attacked at the 136km mark. He is already 1'00" clear of the peloton.

13.52 - Attack By Simon At 136km
Francois Simon has attacked at the 136km mark. The Bonjour rider lives nearby the site of today's finish, Troyes. His lead is 30".

13.34 - Peloton At The Half-Way Mark Of Stage 20
The peloton has reached the half-way mark of the longest stage of the 2000 Tour. There has been little action in the first half of the stage. The big news so far is the withdrawal of Rabobank's team-leader, Michael Boogerd after a fall at the 64km mark.

13.27 - 130km From Finish
The peloton is all together with 130km to race to the finish in Troyes.

13.16 - Third Hour Average
The average speed for the 3rd hour is 39.1kph. The today average for the first three hours today is 37.35kph.

13.07 - Results of the Cote de Chagnon
The results at the first climb (the cat-4 Cote de Chagnon) are: 1. Richard Virenque (Polti) 5pts 2. Nico Mattan (Cofidis) 3pts 3. Morin (CA) 1pt

13.02 - Arriving at the First Climb
There are just 3 more climbs in the 2000 Tour. The first is of these cat-4 rises is about to be contested by the peloton. The Cote de Chagnon comes at the 109.5km mark.

12.54 - 150km To Race
The peloton has 150km to race. All 128 riders in the Tour are together.

12.45 - 100km Raced
The peloton is all together at the 100km mark of today's stage.

12.43 - Magnien Tries To Go Solo
Magnien has gone again as soon as his earlier, 16-strong break, was caught. His solo attempt last only a few seconds before being caught again.

12.41 - All Together At 97km
The 16 escapees have been caught at the 97km mark.

12.38 - 16 Leaders Hold Their Advantage
The 16 escapees are still 22" clear of the peloton.

12.33 - Telekom Lead The Chasing Peloton
The leading 16 are 22" clear of a Telekom-led peloton.

12.32 - The 16 Leaders...
Vasseur, Garcia-Acosta, Tauler, Vidal, Van Heeswijk, Wauters, Brignoli, Chanteur, Maignan, Padrnos, Magnien, Crepaldi, Piziks, Backstedt, Vainsteins & Nazon are the 16 riders up front. They lead by 15".

12.30 - Attack Came At 86km
The attack of the 16 riders began at the 86km mark.

12.30 - 16 Riders Escape Peloton
A group of 16 riders are trying to escape the grip of the peloton. Five riders attacked first, including Vasseur, Chanteur and Brignoli. They are being pursued by 11 others including Garcia-Acosta, Tauler, Van Heeswijk, Maignan, Crepaldi, Piziks, Backstedt, Vainsteins and Moreau. They are now 14" clear of the peloton.

12.22 - Boogerd's First Retirement From His 5 Tours
The Dutch rider who finished the 1998 Tour in 5th place overall, Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), has retired after a fall at the 63km mark. He was in 19th place overall at the start of today's 20th stage (42'13" behind the lead of Lance Armstrong).

12.18 - All Together At 78km
The peloton is now at the 78km mark. They have 176.5km to race to the finish in Troyes.

12.10 - 2nd Hour Average Speed
The average speed for the 2nd hour today was 38.5kph. The total average for the first two hours is 36.45kph.

12.03 - Boogerd Abandons
Michael Boogerd hasn't recovered from the fall. He has withdrawn from the Tour de France. There are now 128 riders in the race.

11.58 - Easing of Pace Now
The peloton has begun to relax a little after the attacking action following the sprint at 52km. The bunch is now at the 67th kilometer.

11.57 - The Fall Victims
Jimenez, Voskamp, Borgheresi and Boogerd were four of the riders involved in the fall. Boogerd is the only rider not yet back in the peloton.

11.54 - Peloton At 64km
There is no news about Boogerd's fall. The peloton is moving quickly and is now at the 64km mark.

11.53 - Boogerd Involved In Fall
Michael Boogerd was one of the riders involved in the fall.

11.52 - Fall In The Bunch
There has been a fall at the 63rd kilometer.

11.51 - All Together After 62km
The 10 riders have been reeled in. The bunch is all together at the 62km mark.

11.51 - 10 Riders Clear
There are 10 riders on the attack. The Rabobank team is at the head of the peloton to try and ensure the break doesn't succeed.

11.50 - 61km Raced
The peloton is now at the 61st kilometer. They are all together after a few escape attempts.

11.49 - Peloton Together
The three escapees have been caught by the peloton.

11.49 - Three Riders Clear
There are now three on the attack. The peloton is being led by the US Postal team.

11.47 - Peloton At 58km
The peloton is now at the 58km mark as one group. There have been several attacks after the first sprint (52km), but none have yielded any time gains.

11.46 - Attacking Action Begins
After the first sprint, the attacks for the longest stage of the 2000 Tour are beginning. The peloton is reacting swiftly to each one and the bunch is all together.

11.43 - Escape Over
The two escapees have been reeled in by the peloton.

11.43 - Fast Pace At 55km
The peloton has reacted quickly to Simon's attack. They are currently at the 55km mark.

11.42 - 2 Riders Clear
Simon has been joined by Frankie Andreu of the US Postal team.

11.41 - Attack From Simon
After the sprint, Francois Simon of the Bonjour team, has gone on the attack.

11.40 - Results of Fontaine-les-Luxeuil Sprint
The points of the first intermediate sprint (at Fontaine-les-Luxeuil, 52km) today were won by: 1. Robbie McEwen (Farm Frites) 6pts 2. Jacky Durand (Lotto) 4pts 3. Erik Dekker (Rabobank) 2pts.

11.38 - Approaching First Intermediate Sprint
The peloton is nearing the first of two intermediate sprint for the 20th stage. The Fontaine-les-Luxeuil sprint is at the 52km mark. The bunch is currently at 50km...

11.28 - Standings In Teams Classification
After 3,270km raced, the Spanish Kelme team is currently well in the lead of the teams classification. The standings with two stages to complete are: 1. Kelme-Costa Blanca 249h50'20" 2. Festina Watches at 13'42" 3. Banesto at 18'21" 4. Team Deutsche Telekom at 40'08" 5. Lotto-Adecco at 1h11'50".

11.25 - 42km Raced In Stage 20
The peloton is all together at the 42km mark of today's 20th stage.

11.25 - Best Young Rider Classification
The 2000 Tour has seen the reintroduction of the white jersey of the 'Best Young Rider'. The classification with two stage finishes to be contested is: 1. Francisco Mancebo (Banesto, Spain) 83h24'28" 2. Guido Trentin (Vini Caldirola, Italy) at 17'48" 3. Grischa Niermann (Rabobank, Germany) at 33'57" 4. David Canada (ONCE, Spain) at 59'35" 5. David Millar (Cofidis, Scotland) at 1h54'54".

11.22 - King of the Mountains Classification
The climbing prize has been dominated by the Kelme team this year. The only Colombian left in the 2000 Tour, Santiago Botero, is destined to arrive in Paris with the spotted jersey tomorrow. The standings - with just 3 low-ranked climbs today - are: 1. Santiago Botero (Kelme, Colombia) 347pts 2. Javier Otxoa (Kelme, Spain) 283pts 3. Richard Virenque (Polti, France) 262pts 4. Pascal Herve (Polti, France) 233pts 5. Lance Armstrong (US Postal, USA) 162pts.

11.18 - Standings In Green Jersey Competition
With only two stage finishes yet to be contested, the main prize-classifications have already been determined. The winner of the green jersey for the last four years, Erik Zabel, looks destined to win his 5th sprint title at the conclusion tomorrow. The top 5 in this competition are: 1. Erik Zabel (Telekom, Germany) 256pts 2. Robbie McEwen (Farm Frites, Australia) 137pts 3. Romans Vainsteins (Vini Caldirola, Latvia) 134pts 4. Erik Dekker (Rabobank, The Netherlands) 130pts 5. Emmanuel Magnien (FDJ, France) 113pts.

11.12 - First Hour Average Speed
The average speed of the grouped peloton for the first hour of the 20th stage is 34.4kph.

11.05 - Troyes' Tour History
The Tour has had 5 previous finishes in the town of Troyes. The winners have been Rene Le Greves (stage 18 in 1939), Fred De Bruyne (stage 22 in 1954), Pierre Beuffeuil (stage 20 in 1960), Roger De Breuker (stage 20 in 1963) and Manuel-Jorge Dominqguez (stage 7 in 1987).

10.58 - All Together At 27km
The 20th stage is being raced at a passive pace early. They 129 riders are all together at the 27km mark.

10.37 - 15km Raced
The peloton is all together at the 15km mark of today's stage.

10.30 - 7th Stage Start In Belfort
The site of today's start, Belfort, has hosted the Tour de France on 28 previous occassions. There have been 22 stage finishes there, and six stage starts before today.

10.22 - Peloton Together At 6.5km
The riders have 248km to race. The peloton is all together after 6.5km of racing.

10.21 - Yellow Jersey The Last To Sign On Today
Lance Armstrong, the overall leader and winner of yesterday's time trial stage, was the last rider to sign on today. His lead over the second-placed rider, Jan Ullrich, is 6'02" after yesterday's 19th stage.

10.16 - 129 Riders In The Race
There were no withdrawals after the 19th stage time trial. There are 129 riders still in the race. The 'Lanterne Rouge' - the last rider on general classification - is Olivier Perraudeau (Bonjour).

10.13 - Peloton All Together At 2km
There have been no early attacks today. The peloton is all together at the 2km mark.

10.12 - Racing In Stage 20
The riders have begun racing in the 20th stage of the 2000 Tour de France. After the 2.2km neutral zone, the official start was at 10.08am.

10.00 - Race Is In The Neutral Zone
The riders are now in the 2.2km neutral zone.

9.59 - Five Regional Departments Today
The 254.5km course today takes the Tour through five regional departments of France. Starting in the 'Territoire de Belfort' the race passes into the 'Haute-Saone' (at 3.5km), 'Vosges' (85.5km), 'Haute-Marne' (92km) and the final 63km are in the 'Aube' region.

9.54 - Final Three Climbs Of 2000 Tour
Today's 20th stage features the last of the climbing points for the 2000 Tour. All three rises today have the lowest-rank of the Tour climbs; category-4. They are the Cote de Chagnon (at 109.5km), the Cote de Chaumont (157.5km) and the Cote d'Alun (170km). Points are 5, 3 & 1 for the first three riders at the top.

9.48 - Warm Conditions For Stage 20
Today's stage will be raced under clear blue skies. The temperature at the start is 24 degrees (C) in the air and 32 degrees on the road.

9.35 - Stage 20 Due To Start At 10.00am
The longest stage of the 2000 Tour de France - the 254.5km race from Belfort to Troyes - is scheduled to start at 10.00am. There is a 2.2km neutral zone before the official start on the outskirts of Belfort.