The peloton is now fighting for 2nd-place honour. Bettini is leading...

16.37 Sandstod Absorbed By Peloton's Chase

Sandstod has been caugt by the peloton who are now in the final rush to the line.

16.37 A Win For Agnolutto!

Agnolutto has taken the seventh stage of the Tour with a 128.5km solo effort!

16.36 1km To Go For French Win

Having already acknowledge the crowds applause, Agnolutto is now just 1km away from what looks sure to be the French win the fans want.

16.35 Agnolutto Salutes His Win Early

The AG2R rider is punching the air and claiming the prize he's worked so hard for. He is now approaching the 1km to go banner. His lead is 2'22" ahead of the peloton.

16.34 Aggression Pays Off At Last

With a lead of 2'29" with just 2km to go, it seems sure that Agnolutto's early aggression will pay off with a superb solo stage win.

16.32 3km To Go

Agnolutto now has just 3km to race to Limoges.

16.31 5km To Go

Agnolutto has just passed under the 5km to go banner. His lead is now 3'02" over the peloton and 2'30" ahead of the counter-attacker, Sandstod.

16.28 7km To Go For Leader

Agnolutto is now 7km from what looks destined to be his first Tour stage win. He leads the peloton by 3'13".

16.28 Peloton Settles Down

The 10 attackers at the head of the peloton have been caught. The bunch is now 10km from the line. They are 2'42" behind Agnolutto.

16.27 Agnolutto Still Leading

Agnolutto is now 2'50" ahead of Sandstod and 3'20" ahead of the attacking peloton.

16.26 Postal Leading The Peloton

Now five US Postal riders have come to the front of the peloton to chase down the last-minute escapees.

16.25 The Attacking Riders...

The riders in attacking the peloton include Bettini, Rodriguez, Extebarria, Commesso, Madouas, Verbrugghe, Blaudzun and the yellow jersey of Elli.

16.24 Yellow Jersey Joins The Attacks

There are now 10 riders attacking the peloton. Caught up in the excitement is the yellow jersey of Alberto Elli.

16.22 Attacks In The Bunch

There are attack left, right and center now at the head of the peloton. Some of the riders involved are Paolo Bettini, Verbrugghe and David Extebarria.

16.21 128.5km Solo Effort If Agnolutto Stays Clear

The current stage leader, Agnolutto, broke free at the 77km mark. If he maintains his current lead through to Limoges, he will have spent 128.5km alone at the front of the race.

16.20 Could Agnolutto Break The French Drought

17H20 - Sandstod 3'30"'; Peloton at 4'50" Agnolutto is now about 12km from the finish. He leads Sandstod by 3'30" and the peloton by 4'50".

16.19 Could Agnolutto Break The French Drought

There were no French stage wins at all in the 1999 Tour de France. The last individual Frenchman to win a stage was Jacky Durand in stage eight of the 1998 Tour. Agnolutto now leads the peloton by 4'52".

16.16 15km To Go For Agnolutto

The stage leader, Agnolutto, is now just 15km from the finish. Each little rise in the road is making him work double-time, but he still hold an advantage of about four minutes on the peloton.

16.14 Could Agnolutto's Solo Give France A Win?

17H14 - Sandstod Holds His Advantage Sandstod continues to hold off the peloton. He is 3'52" behind Agnolutto and 38" ahead of the peloton. The Telekom-led bunch is now 20km from the finish.

16.12 Could Agnolutto's Solo Give France A Win?

Not since Cedric Vasseur in stage five of the 1997 Tour de France has a rider won a solo break in the flatter stages of the Tour.

16.10 Sandstod's 2nd Place A Tentative One

17H10 - 20km To Go For Agnolutto Agnolutto is now just 20km from the finish in Limoges. He leads the fast-chasing peloton by 4'47".

16.07 Sandstod's 2nd Place A Tentative One

The Telekom team is now just 24" behind the counter-attack of Sandstod. Agnolutto continues to lead with 22km to go. His advantage is now five minutes.

16.03 Telekom Chasing Hard Now

The Telekom team is all at the front of the peloton. Agnolutto leads Sandstod by 4'50" and the peloton by 5'30".

16.00 5'30" To Sandstod; 6'00" To Peloton

Agnolutto leads the seventh stage by 5'30" to the chasing Memory Card rider, Sandstod. The peloton is 6'00" behind the stage leader.

15.56 100km Solo For Agnolutto

Agnolutto attacked at the 177km mark of today's stage. With 28.5km left to race, the AG2R rider has now spent 100km alone at the front of the stage.

15.54 The Situation Now

Agnolutto leads Sandstodt by 6'00" and the peloton by 6'25" with the peloton currently at the 170km mark of today's stage.

15.53 Agnolutto's Lead Now 6'02"

As we await a time check on Sandstodt's attack, Agnolutto is 6'02" ahead of the peloton.

15.50 Sandstodt Attacks Peloton

With Agnolutto 32km from the finish, Michael Sandstodt (MCJ) has attack the chasing peloton.

15.49 Zabel In Virtual Green

With the points for the final sprint today still to come, Erik Zabel has pushed himself into the green jersey with his second place at the Roussac sprint. He now leads Marcel Wust by one point - 104 to 103. Points at the finish go down to the 25th rider across the line.

15.47 The Results of the Roussac Sprint

The results of the Roussac sprint (at 165.5km) are: 1. Christophe Agnolutto (AG2R) 2. Erik Zabel (Telekom) 3. Marcel Wust (Festina)

15.46 Dry Conditions Again

The rain has stopped as the peloton pass through the site of the final intermediate sprint.

15.45 Lead Under Seven Minutes

Agnolutto's lead is now 6'58".

15.45 Agnolutto Gives A Smile Of Confidence

With about 36km to go, Agnolutto has given the cameras of France Television a broad grin. It's as though he is beginning to think about his chance of being the first individual Frenchman to win a stage of the Tour since stage eight of the 1998 edition.

15.39 Rain Falling At 3rd Intermediate Sprint

Agnolutto has collected the 6pts (and 6" time bonus) as the first rider across the line of the final intermediate sprint today. With 40km to race, rain has started to fall again on the lone leader.

15.37 40km To Go

Agnolutto's lead is hovering around eight minutes with 40km to race to Limoges. The latest time check has the French rider 7'52" ahead of the peloton.

15.35 Results of the Climb

The situation at the top of the climb up the Cote de Maison-Neuve (157.5km) is this: First is Christophe Agnolutto (AG2R - 5pts), he was followed by Paolo Bettini (Mapei - 3pts) at 8'00" and Udo Bolts (Telekom - 1pt). 15.33 Bettini Coming Forward For Points

The Telekom train at the front of the peloton has been interupted by the arrival of the spotted jersey of Paolo Bettini. The Mapei rider currently leads the king of the mountains competition with 13 points to Lotto's Sebastien Demarbaix's 10.

15.31 Peloton 1km Away From Climbing Points

The peloton is 8'24" behind Agnolutto as they approach the summit of the only categorized climb today.

15.30 Lead Now 8'20"

The climb up the Cote de Maison-Neuve (157.5km) hasn't slowed down the charge of Agnolutto. His latest advantage is 8'20".

15.26 5 Climbing Points For Agnolutto

Agnolutto has worked his way over the summit of the Cote de Maison-Neuve. He has taken 5pts in the climbing competition for his effort. He is currently 7'33" ahead of the peloton.

15.24 Agnolutto Now On The Climb

The stage leader is out of the saddle and grinding his way up the only climb of the day in the big chain-ring. The category-four climb might only be 286 meters high, but the gradient appears to be making the leader work hard en-route to the 5pts on offer at the top.

15.23 80km Solo So Far For Agnolutto

After breaking free from the peloton at the 77km mark, the AG2R rider, Agnolutto, has been alone at the front of stage seven for 80km now. He has a little under 50km still to go until the finish.

15.21 50km To Go For Agnolutto

With his lead at 6'55", Agnolutto has 50km to race before the stage finish in Limoges.

15.19 Agnolutto Moves Back to 6'55"

Agnolutto has pushed his lead back up to 6'55".

15.10 6'40" Now For Agnolutto

The Telekom chase is now taking effect. In the last few minutes, the lead of Agnolutto has dropped from 6'55" to 6'40".

15.06 The Lead Now 6'55"

At the 147km mark, the lead of Agnolutto has slipped below seven minutes - but only just. His current advantage on the Telekom-led peloton is 6'55".

15.06 A Climb Due Before The Roussac Sprint

The only rise-prize today, the category-four Cote de Maison-Neuve, is due at the 157.5km mark.

15.06 Another Sprint Due at 165.5km

The third intermediate sprint of the day is due at the 165.5km mark. The points on offer are 6, 4 and 2. At the finish, the first rider across the line earns 35. The first 25 riders across the line in Limoges, earn points in the green jersey competition.

15.03 A Green Change Possible Today

At the start of today, Steels led the green jersey competition with 100 points to Marcel Wust's 99 and Erik Zabel's 94. At the first sprint, Zabel earned the 6pts for first-place, but Wust's two points currently has the Festina rider in the lead of the sprint competition.

14.53 Lead Begins To Drop

Agnolutto's lead is now down to 7'00". The lone leader reached a maximum advantage of 7'40", but it appears the work of the Telekom train is beginning to have effect.

14.45 Zabel Being Protected

With the whole Telekom team at the front of the peloton, the yellow jersey of Elli is behind seven of his team-mates. But it's the birthday boy - and the team's sprinter - Erik Zabel who is saving his energy behind Elli. Zabel is currently third overall in the green jersey competition.

14.45 The Sun Is Finally Shining On The Peloton

After a very wet start, the peloton is basking in sunshine for the first time today. The Telekom train leads the peloton in pursuit of the lone breakaway rider, Christophe Agnolutto. The AG2R rider leads the stage by 7'40".

14.38 80km For Agnolutto To Race

The stage leader, Agnolutto, is now within the final 80km. He was just talking to his team AG2R team director, Laurent Biondi, has stretched his back and is now back in the drops trying to build on his 7'40" advantage.

14.35 Elli's Lead Still Strong

Even though Christophe Agnolutto is now 7'30" ahead of the peloton, the overall lead of Alberto Elli is still secure. The AG2R escapee began the day in 82nd place, 11'02" off the lead of Telekom's Elli.

14.27 7'30" For Agnolutto

The lonely figure at the front of the Tour de France, Agnolutto, has a lead of 7'30" on the Telekom-led peloton.

14.27 'Vino' & Other Telekoms Lead The Chase

Alexandre Vinokourov and the rest of Alberto Elli's Telekom train is that the front of the chasing bunch. Agnolutto's lead is 7'20" ahead of the pink & white head of the peloton.

14.21 Lead Now 6'10"

Agnolutto is now on dry roads at the front of the race. His lead is 6'10" ahead of the peloton at the 110km mark. The bunch are still riding on wet roads.

14.16 Lead Over Five Minutes

Agnolutto is 5'15" ahead of the peloton. He has passed the 108km mark of today's 205.5km stage to Limoges.

14.08 Less Than 100km To Race For Agnolutto

Agnolutto is within the final 100km of today's 205.5km stage. His lead over the peloton is 4'10".

14.04 Rain Falling On Agnolutto's Parade

True to forecasts today, rain is falling on the riders of the Tour de France. Christophe Agnolutto leads the stage by 3'40" as he races his way through puddles and a light drizzle.

14.02 Lead Now 3'40" For Agnolutto

As the peloton pass through the feedzone at 98km, the lone rider at the head of the race, Agnolutto, has a lead of 3'40".

13.58 Lead Over 3 Minutes

At the feedzone - in Le Blanc, 98km - Agnolutto leads the peloton by 3'10".

13.56 Agnolutto's Lead Now 2'50"

The first rider to make a signifcant break today, Agnolutto (AG2R) has a lead of 2'50".

13.47 Yellow Jersey Second Oldest Rider In Tour

Alberto Elli, who is currently in the yellow jersey of race leader, is the second oldest rider in this year's Tour. Born on the 9th of March, 1964, he is 36-years-old. The oldest rider is Massimo Podenzana (Mercatone Uno) who will be 39 on July 29.

13.44 Lead Over 2 Minutes

Agnolutto's lead is 2'15" ahead of the peloton.

13.41 Agnolutto 11'02" Behind In GC

The rider at the front of the race, Agnolutto, began the day in 82nd position. He was 11'02" off the lead of Elli. He is now 1'55" ahead of the peloton which is being led by Elli's Telekom team.

13.38 Agnolutto Pushes His Lead Near 2 Minutes

The latest time check for the lone leader, Agnolutto (AG2R), is 1'48".

13.35 Lead Now Over One Minute

Agnolutto's lead is 1'10" after 84km of racing.

13.33 Agnolutto Now 45" Clear

The latest time check for the lone rider at the front of the race, Christophe Agnolutto, is 45".

13.29 Agnolutto 20" Clear At 80km

14H30 - Agnolutto Pushes His Advantage Agnolutto is now 30" clear of the peloton. 13.29 Agnolutto 20" Clear At 80km

Agnolutto has a lead of 20" at the 80km mark. He attacked just after the 2nd intermediate sprint (at 75.5km).

13.28 Agnolutto Now Solo

Christophe Agnolutto is now at the front of the race on his own. His lead is currently 12".

13.26 Results of 2nd Sprint

The results of the Martizay sprint (75.5km) are: 1. Jacky Durand (Lotto) 2. Christophe Agnolutto (AG2R) 3. Vincente Garcia Acosta (Banesto)

13.25 Four Escapees Caught

The four escapees were caught just before the 2nd intermediate sprint at 75.5km. (Results of the sprint will follow in the next flash.)

13.21 Second Intermediate Sprint Due Soon

The four leaders are nearing the second intermediate sprint at Martizay (75.5km). Their advantage is now 12".

13.18 Four Leaders At 71km

Agnolutto, Lelli, Guesdon, Bo Larson are now together at the front of the race. Their lead is 16".

13.16 Two Counter Attackers

Bo Larsen & Agnolutto have a lead of 10" over the peloton. There are two counter-attackers in pursuit. The chasing riders are Frederic Guesdon & Massimilliano Lelli. Their lead is 6" on the peloton.

13.15 The First Time Check For An Attack

The two riders up front, Bo Larsen & Agnolutto, are the first attacking riders to record a time check today. Their lead is currently 8 seconds.

13.13 Another Attack

There has been another attack. The two riders involved are Christophe Agnolutto and Nicolai Bo Larsen.

13.10 First Hour Average Speed

The pace is now much more rapid than the first hour of racing today. The average speed for the first hour was 33.1kph.

13.06 Five Riders Already Caught

The five riders have already been caught.

13.06 Five Riders Clear

There has been another attack. The five riders attempting to get the first significant break today are: Wessemann, Koerts, Durand, Heulot and Simon.

13.03 10 Riders Attempt a Break

The has been an attack by 10 riders. Included were George Hincapie (US Postal), Robbie McEwen and Glen Magnussen (Farm Frites), Francois Simon (Bonjour). They have already been caught after about 2km.

13.00 Lance Loves His Limoges Win

Lance Armstrong who won in Limoges three days after his team-mate Fabio Casartelli died after a fall, said today that his win at the site of today's finish in 1995 was better than any of his other wins. "It was better than last year, better than the worlds... It was a great day!"

12.54 It's Zabel's Birthday Today

Amidst all this work, the Telekom team is also celebrating the birthday of the Tour's four-time green jersey winner, Erik Zabel. He is 30 years old today.

12.52 A Big Day For Telekom

The Telekom team of the current race-leader, Alberto Elli, has a big day ahead of them. They already had several agendas for the 2000 Tour with the race for the green and yellow jerseys - for Zabel and pre-race favorite, Ullrich. Now they are also defending Elli's early overall lead.

12.37 Skibby Quits His 11th Tour

Memory Card's Jesper Skibby has withdrawn from his 11th Tour de France.

12.35 Skibby Quits His 11th Tour

13H35 - Escape Over The four riders have been caught.

12.35 Four Riders Attempts A Break

There has been a little surge with four riders attacking the peloton. The riders are Anthony Langella (CA), Francois Simon (Bonjour) and Christophe Mengin (FDJ) and Lauri Aus (AG2R).

12.32 Peloton All Together At 37km

The peloton is still all together after the Loches sprint. They are at the 37km mark.

12.28 Results of Loches Sprint (34.5km)

The first of three intermediate sprints has been contested. The results are: 1. Erik Zabel (Telekom) 2. Lauri Aus (AG2R) 3. Marcel Wust (Festina)

12.22 First Sprint Might Spark Things Up

The first of three intermediate sprints is due soon. The Loches sprint is at the 34.5km mark.

12.21 A 30km Stroll So Far

The riders are at the 30km mark. They have almost been racing for an hour so far, but there is little sign of any aggression in the bunch. The race is still all together.

12.12 Rain Falling At The Site of Today's Finish

The forecast for today was for a maximum of 22 degrees (C) and showers. True to form, rain has started to fall at the finish in Limoges. There are still 180km for the peloton to cover, however, before they arrive in Limoges.

12.10 25km Raced With No Attacks

The peloton is still all together after 25km of racing today.

12.02 Marie-George Buffet Following the Race Today

The French Minister for Youth and Sport, Marie-George Buffet, is following the Tour de France today. She is part of the convoy of cars following the seventh stage.

12.00 No Early Urgency

The peloton is still all together. The race radio has been quiet early in the seventh stage, with no news of any attacks - especially in comparison to the pace of the other road stages of the 2000 Tour.

11.48 All Together At 11km

The peloton is all together at the 11km mark of today's 205.5km stage.

11.46 The Other Winners In Limoges...

Other than Armstrong (in '95), the previous winners in Limoges are: Rosseel ('51), Vivier ('52), De Filippis ('60), Janssen ('63), Stablinski '67), Merckx ('70), Raas ('77), Lammerts ('85), Bugno ('88) and Bontempi ('90).

11.36 Peloton All Together After 10 Minutes of Racing

There has been no sign of any attacking intentions early in the seventh stage. The peloton is all together after 10 minutes of racing, they are currently at the 5km mark.

11.35 Armstrong The Last Winner In Limoges

There have been 11 previous Tour de France stage finishes in Limoges. The last winner in this Haute-Vienne town was none other than Lance Armstrong, who won here in 1995. He crossed the line well ahead of the peloton, giving an emotional salute to his fallen team-mate, Fabio Casartelli.

11.26 Racing at 12.25

The official start of stage seven has begun at 11.25am. There are 175 riders still in the race.

11.25 Stage Seven Rolling In Neutral

There are 3.6km of neutral before today's start proper. The riders are currently nearing the end of the neutral zone of stage seven.

11.19 Polti Down To Six Riders

With Mateos' withdrawal yesterday, there are now just six Polti riders still in the race. Rossano Brasi was one of the three who weren't allowed to start thanks to a high hematocrit reading before the first stage.

11.16 Mateos The Other Rider Not To Start

Rafael Mateos of the Polti team abandonded the Tour during yesterday's sixth stage. There are 175 riders still in the race.

11.14 The Weather Today

The conditions for the seventh stage today are a mild 22 degrees (C) in the air; with the temperature on the road 25 degrees (C). There is a light easterly breeze of about 15kph at the start.

11.10 The Sprints Today

The three intermediate sprints today are at Loches (34.5km), Martizay (75.5km) and Roussac (165.5km).

11.08 Injuries Made Worse By Mugging Last August

O'Grady is currently at a hospital in Bordeaux to see if he can have his collarbone pinned. His concern, however, is for the blow he took to his head. Last August, Stuart was mugged in Toulouse. In this incident, a blow to his head resulted in a small fracture of his skull.

11.03 O'Grady Glad He Was Wearing A Helmet

A broken collarbone might be the official reason O'Grady has given for his withdrawal, but, speaking from his hospital bed last night he said his injuries could have been much worse had he not been wearing a helmet. He took the full impact of the fall on his head.

11.00 O'Grady Out Of Tour After Yesterday's Fall

Stuart O'Grady, who was involved in a fall at the 112km mark, has had to withdraw from his fourth Tour de France. The Australian Credit Agricole rider received confirmation of a broken right collarbone courtesy of an x-ray after completing the 198.5km stage.

10.56 Stage Seven Scheduled To Start At 11.15am

The 205.5km seventh stage from Tours to Limoges is due to get underway at 12.15pm. There is a 3.6km neutral zone before the start proper today. The route features three intermediate sprints and one category-four climb today.