Andre Greipel
Omega Pharma-Lotto rider Andre Greipel (R) of Germany is flanked by HTC-Highroad rider Mark Cavendish (L) of Britain during the final sprint in the tenth stage of the Tour de France 2011 cycling race from Aurillac to Carmaux July 12, 2011. Greipel won the stage. Reuters

Andre Greipel of Omega Pharma-Lotto edged Mark Cavendish at the line on Stage 10 of the Tour de France. The smile on Greipel's face as he crossed said it all. It was Greipel's first win in his first ever Tour de France.

Cavendish, the winner of two stages this year in the Tour, pushed to the line with his trademark afterburner speed, but Greipel was on his wheel. Cavendish could not hold off Greipel's hard charge to the line.

Prior to the finish, Greipel's teammate Philippe Gilbert, the green jersey holder, tried to solo finish to the end by attacking on the final categorized climb of the day, but could not hold off the peloton in the final kilometers.

Thomas Voeckler of Europcar defended his yellow jersey which he won yesterday by finishing with the field sprint.

All the major GC contenders like Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, and Alberto Contador finished with the same time.

However, another crash occurred early in the stage taking down Levi Leipheimer, Robert Gesink, and Christian Vande Velde. None appeared seriously injured and finished with the peloton.

Tomorrow's Stage 11 will likely be another sprinter's stage before the peloton hits the Pyrenees in Stage 12, which should feature the first major battle of the GC contenders.

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