Stage 9 results: Sandy Casar wins the bunch sprint after the long descent; Cadel Evans cracks on Col de la Madeleine; Andy Schleck now in Yellow

Stage 9 results
1   CASAR Sandy (FDJ)                                   5h38'10"  
2   SANCHEZ Luis-Leon (CAISSE D’EPARGNE)                
3   CUNEGO Damiano (LAMPRE - FARNESE)
4   MOREAU Christophe (CAISSE D’EPARGNE)                + 00'02"
5   CHARTEAU Anthony (BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM)
6   CONTADOR Alberto (ASTANA)
7   SCHLECK Andy (SAXO BANK) 
8   SANCHEZ Samuel (EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI)                + 00'52"
9   RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin (KATUSHA)                  + 02'07"
10  LEIPHEIMER Levi (RADIOSHACK)                        
11  GESINK Robert (RABOBANK)                            
12  VOIGT Jens (SAXO BANK)
13  MENCHOV Denis (RABOBANK)                            + 02'10"
14  DE WEERT Kevin (QUICK STEP)                         + 02'50"
15  BASSO Ivan (LIQUIGAS-DOIMO) 
16  PLAZA MOLINA Ruben (CAISSE D’EPARGNE) 
17  VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen (OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO)
18  ARMSTRONG Lance (RADIOSHACK)

General Classification after Stage 9
1  SCHLECK Andy (SAXO BANK)                            43h35'41"  
2  CONTADOR Alberto (ASTANA)                            + 00'41"
3  SANCHEZ Samuel (EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI)                 + 02'45"
4  MENCHOV Denis (RABOBANK)                             + 02'58"
5  VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen (OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO)         + 03'31"
6  LEIPHEIMER Levi (RADIOSHACK)                         + 03'59"
7  GESINK Robert (RABOBANK)                             + 04'22"
8  SANCHEZ Luis-Leon (CAISSE D’EPARGNE)                 + 04'41"
9  RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin (KATUSHA)                   + 05'08"
10 BASSO Ivan (LIQUIGAS-DOIMO)                          + 05'09"

July 12 post: It has been an eventful first eight stages and there is much more too come. After the rest day, we'll have the big alpine stage of this year's Tour going from the stage 8 finish at the Morzine-Avoriaz ski resort to the Rhône-Alpes valley town, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne some 205 km to the south.

Naturally, with any big alpine stage you can expect equally spectacular scenery to go along with exciting race action. Remember the breathtaking helicopter shots of Linus Gerdemann soloing Col de la Colombière, the last climb before the descent into Le-Grand-Bornand on stage 7 in 2007? For this stage, Col de la Colombière will be featured in the first half at km 46.

After the cat 1 Col de la Colombière, we'll have three more serious climbs climaxing with the massive Col de la Madeleine (26 km of 6.2%) before the long descent to the finish in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne which is hosting a stage finish for the first time. Col de la Madeleine is one of the more famous climbs in Tour history, first being used in 1969 and most recently in 2005 (I believe) for a total of 25 times.

A long descending finish is often more entertaining than a mountaintop finish because you get the battle going up before watching the GC contenders flirt with danger on a harrowing drop to the finish. For this stage, after the Col de la Madeleine descent, there is 13 km of mostly flat cycling to the finish where the weaker descenders will have a chance to catch back on.

Samuel Sanchez almost took the first mountain stage before the rest day so we know he's on good form and since he's one of the best descenders in the business, he would seem the logicial choice to win this stage if a break of non-GC contenders doesn't succeed. Rain and cooler temperatures are expected when the racing resumes on Tuesday which could make this stage even more treacherous. — Steve

  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 9 in english and en français (00:51) — letour.fr
  Bob Roll Previews Stage 9 (01:31) — versus

Stage 9 climbs
Km 18.5 - Côte de Châtillon - 2.1 km of 3.9% - Category 4
Km 46.0 - Col de la Colombière - 16.5 km of 6.7% - Category 1
Km 71.0 - Col des Aravis - 7.6 km of 5.9% - Category 2
Km 97.0 - Col des Saisies - 14.4 km of 5.1% - Category 1
Km 172.5 - Col de la Madeleine - 25.5 km of 6.2% - Category HC