Vasseur sprints to victory

Published Wednesday, July 18, 2007

MARSEILLE, France (AP) - Cedric Vasseur of France won the 10th stage of the Tour de France today, his first win in cycling’s biggest race since 1997.

Vasseur, who competes for the Quick Step team, narrowly outsprinted four other riders in a breakaway group that had pushed ahead of the main pack.

He beat fellow Frenchman Sandy Casar by inches across the finish line, while Swiss rider Michael Albasini was third in the 142.6-mile stage from Tallard to Marseille.

Vasseur plans to retire at the end of the year.

"I think I can leave cycling with my head held high," he said.

The leaders crossed the finish line 10 minutes, 39 second ahead of the peloton.

Michael Rasmussen wore the race leader’s yellow jersey as he led the pace out of the mountains and back on the flat roads for the 10th stage - the midpoint of the race.

The 142.6-mile stage began shortly after the German cycling federation said Patrik Sinkewitz, a T-Mobile team rider who dropped out of the Tour after being injured in a collision with a fan, had tested positive for high levels of testosterone. The test was June 8 - a month before the race began.

T-Mobile, which has enacted some of the toughest anti-doping policies among pro teams, temporarily suspended Sinkewitz.

Two German public television stations that had been broadcasting the Tour responded by saying they were dropping their coverage "until further notice."

Sinkewitz was in a Hamburg hospital being treated for facial injuries, including a broken nose, and other injuries from Sunday’s collision with a fan. A team official said Sinkewitz was having surgery on his jaw.

The revelations threatened to overshadow today’s stage, a mostly flat route from Tallard to Marseille that favors speedy riders such as Tom Boonen, who holds the green jersey as best sprinter.