Contador changed his bike. UCI has announced a "surprise" bike control at finish line to check all bikes meet the 6.8kg min. weight rule

— the Inner Ring (@inrng) July 18, 2013

Rumours about Contador. Although he looks finished.

Froome finally looks tired.

Contador now over a minute behind the froome group

shepherds crook to trip a few of them up and face plant would make them think.....

Cat among Pidgeon s....

all sorts of Fines and penalties to be branded about... to the "Human " Froome.

Crowd ruining this IMHO, stop touchg the riders you idiots.

Froome in trouble.............

Sticking his hand up for the service..........

Quintana attacks.............

Looks like Porte took an 'illegal feed' and handed it to Froome

What would have happenned if Porte had been taken out by that spectators flag
Is it just 'tough'

yep...............just tough luck, you get back on the bike and keep going. !

So technically only Porte can be punished for getting the gels.

Naughty from Sky.

Thank goodness Froome had Porte there today - he looks like he needs all the help he can get!

Maybe Froome tried too hard to stay with Rodriguez and Quintana - he can afford to let them both go, they were never going to get 5 minutes on him. He needs to have something left for tomorrow!

Riblon hits the head of the race and attacks straight away............looks good for the stage win

Not really naughty, just tactical. They had the two riders there, and that's what domestiques are for really - ensuring the leader doesn't do anything detrimental.

Double post deleted

Riblon look fairly happy................

Chapeau !

Cheers

Vive la Riblon!! Saved the Tour

Shame for TJ

Yeah the crowd have been awful, most of them seem more concerned about getting their faces on TV than caring about the riders

Froome won't get any penalties, by the rules he didn't do anything wrong as it was Porte who took the drink and food.

Well done to Riblon, but have to feel sorry for Van Garderen, if he hadn't had the mechanical issue or the stage had been just 1km shorter, he probably would have won it.

WOW !

So Glad for the winner of the stage. Very worthy and appropriate.

Best Tour for Years, everything is just blood n guts .

Sorry for TJ ( Jammer Jonge) But it was going to France all the way in the Destiny.

That Cont ador just hasnt got it but he never gives up. But Kreizinger is trhe better rider.

Well done Froome Dawg, gutsy but you gotta know to back off.

PORTE .....hero ...utter utter.... hero. Froome knows it and doesnt hide it. Team work boyz.

How many races to go? I'm clueless on Tour DE France rules

3 more stages - 2 more Alps days tomorrow and Saturday, then the usual procession into Paris on Sunday, which isn't a race until it hits the Champs-Elysees and the sprinters fight for the stage win.

Bit rubbish from Eurosport there.............they left the coverage before Contador came in

Flicked to IV4 and they were still showing the live feed for another few minutes

Looks like Vroome only had a so-so day. Did he attack too early on the lower slopes, perhaps?

The overall result is excellent though: Contador can't do mountains anymore!

Thanks
It's the first time I've really watched the Tour. Exciting stuff.

Contador's 2nd place looks like it's under threat tomorrow and Saturday!

Don't think he attacked too early, he just miscalculated how much he needed to eat earlier in the stage and ran out of energy!

He still managed to get rid of Contador though, so despite the bad last few km it wasn't a disaster. Porte basically saved the day though, Froome would have been in a lot of bother if Porte hadn't got back to him. I think he realised earlier on that he was running out of energy, and got the team to tell Porte to try to get back to him rather than saving his legs.