THE RACE IS ON
Glimpse some of the best images so far from the early stages of the Tour de France.
''I had a problem with my handlebars, which knocked into another rider's saddle,'' Contador said after safely completing the stage in 12th place. ''It pushed me toward the spectators on the side, and I went into them and the bike hit me on the right knee again.''
Sanchez moved into second place overall, followed by Australia's Cadel Evans.
''I'm so happy to win this stage as it was important for me and my whole team,'' Sanchez said through a translator. ''It was really a hard stage today. The roads were thin the whole day long.''
Veteran Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov fractured his right thigh bone and withdrew after crashing near the halfway point of the 129-mile route from Issoire to Saint-Flour in the Massif Central. He was to be taken by helicopter to La Pitie Salpetriere hospital in Paris and will undergo immediate surgery, his team said.
Spain's Juan Antonio Flecha was hit by a car late on, and took down Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland with him as he flew sideways off his saddle. Both got up and kept riding. Defending champion Alberto Contador fell early on, but the Spaniard was unharmed and rode on.
''Even before the accident a lot of cars brushed right past us,'' Sanchez said. ''I understand that guests want to have a close look at the race, but we need to get a message across to the organizers so that the drivers are more careful.''
Organizers said they have excluded the car that caused the incident from the rest of the race, without providing further details.
Flecha did not speak to reporters as he boarded his team bus. Sky's team manager, Dave Brailsford, is considering a formal complaint.
''We might bring the matter forward tomorrow, but tonight we are not making comments'', Brailsford said.
Voeckler was also slightly hurt in the incident, but was careful not to criticize the driver.
''It was very possible it could have happened to me, I was lucky not to fall,'' Voeckler said. ''My ankle really hurts because he went into me. I'm not here to cause controversy, but it's very regrettable.''
Contador, who also crashed on Stage 5, fell early but recovered to finish the stage in 12th place.
''I had a problem with my handlebars, which knocked into another rider's saddle,'' Contador said. ''It pushed me toward the spectators on the side, and I went into them and the bike hit me on the right knee again.''
Also, RadioShack's last hopes of winning the Tour appear to have been dashed after team leader Andreas Kloeden injured his back in a fall.
Hushovd had worn the yellow jersey since his Garmin-Cervelo team won last Sunday's team time trial, but the burly sprinter looked tired as he rolled over the line several minutes behind Voeckler. Voeckler once defended the yellow jersey for nine days during the 2004 Tour, but he could not match Sanchez as he turned out of a corner and accelerated in the last 300 yards.
''These are good times. I wouldn't have bet on taking the yellow jersey today,'' Voeckler said. ''Time passes and I appreciate this one even more.''
Frenchman Sandy Casar finished third, and all three had been part of a breakaway early in the stage.
Flecha and Hoogerland had also formed part of the same early break, but their chances of a stage victory ended with about 22 miles to go when a Tour car swerved into Flecha's side. Neither rider appeared badly hurt.
Vinokourov, who has said he will retire from cycling at the end of the season, was caught in a heavy crash that sent him and about 30 other riders tumbling like a house of cards. Several other riders retired as well.
Vinokourov was carried up a small bank by an Astana teammate and staff member. They had rushed to him as he lay next to a tree. They helped him to his feet by putting their arms around him.
Contador, having survived that early scare, stayed bunched in with the main pack, along with other Tour contenders such as Evans and Andy Schleck.They all crossed the line safely, choosing not to chase Voeckler - who is not a Tour contender.
Voeckler and Casar, both former stage winners, increased the tempo in the first big climb of the day - the 4.8-mile ascent up Col du Pas de Peyrol. The small front group was more than three minutes ahead when it reached the top.
As the pack approached Col du Perthus, a mass crash had stricken riders. Among them were Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Frederik Willems, both Belgians on Omega Pharma-Lotto's team, and American David Zabriskie of the Garmin-Cervelo team. All three quit the race injured.
At the front of the peloton, in a show of solidarity, Philippe Gilbert and Fabian Cancellara asked the pack to wait for other fallen riders, including Garmin-Cervelo's David Millar, who struggled on.
That extended the lead of the front five riders - and Voeckler's group was more than seven minutes in front after completing the 2.7-mile Col du Perthus.
Voeckler and Hoogerland took turns going in front down the descents and up smaller climbs like Col de Cere and Cote de la Chevade - with Casar, Sanchez and Flecha still in the mini-group of five.
After completing the final tough climb of the day up Col de Prat de Bouc, Voeckler's group led the pack by 4:40.
After a Tour car took down Flecha and Hoogerland - who came close to landing in a barbed-wire fence - three riders were left to contest the stage, which culminated in a short, twisty and sharp climb to Saint-Flour.
''It's a shame for them because they rode hard with us all day,'' Sanchez said. ''It's a pity they had to give up the stage win because of the crash.''
Monday's rest day comes at a perfect time for the battered riders.

"I suffered to get this result," said Contador, before hoisting the victor's cup, the Arc de Triomphe looming spectacularly in the background. "I don't have words to express what I feel."

Off to one side, Lance Armstrong applauded and then, without much fanfare, headed toward the exit.
"I need a cold beer," he said when asked his thoughts at the finish line.

Rarely has the emergence of a sport's newest superstar dovetailed so neatly with the departure of the last one.
Contador held off a next-to-last day challenge from Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, his runner-up for a second consecutive year, draining much of the drama from the 20th and final stage. Denis Menchov of Russia was third overall.
Armstrong completed his last Tour in 23rd place, 39:20 behind Contador, his former teammate and rival. Armstrong's crash-filled journey was a far cry from the third-place finish he posted in 2009 on his return from a four-year retirement.

Schleck vows he'll win the yellow jersey one day. That promise could produce the next great Tour rivalry, The high-drama point in the race came in Stage 15. Wearing the yellow jersey, Schleck mounted an attack against Contador on a Pyrenean climb. Suddenly, Schleck's chain came undone, and he pedaled in vain. Contador sped ahead, and by the stage finish, had taken yellow and 39 seconds on Schleck — his margin of overall victory.

Lance Armstrong said his hopes of Tour de France victory are finished after he struggled in the Alps and was caught up in three crashes during an eighth stage won by Andy Schleck of Luxembourg on Sunday.
World champion Cadel Evans of Australia took the yellow jersey at the end of the stage, with overnight leader Sylvain Chavanel — like Armstrong — falling behind the top contenders on the tough La Ramaz climb.
The Texan crossed the finish line nearly 12 minutes behind Schleck after the 117.4-mile run from Station des Rousses to the Morzine-Avoriaz ski resort.
"My Tour is finished," said Armstrong, who holds a record seven Tour victories and is riding in what he says will be his last try in cycling's showcase event. The 38-year-old plunged to 39th place overall.
Armstrong said he had a "very, very bad day," but will continue the three-week race that ends July 25 in Paris.
Schleck showed he's one of the world's best climbers by surging to the head of the pack with less than a mile left and winning a two-man sprint ahead of Samuel Sanchez of Spain.
Schleck, the Saxo Bank team leader, clocked 4 hours, 54 minutes, 11 seconds, while Sanchez had the same time.
Dutch rider Robert Gesink was third, 10 seconds back — as were defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain, and Evans.
Armstrong was 11:45 back, in 61st place.
Evans, a two-time Tour runner-up, leads Schleck by 20 seconds overall and Contador by 61 seconds. Schleck was runner-up last year.
Armstrong is 13:26 back, having begun the day in 14th place, 3:16 behind Chavanel.
With about 12 miles to go, shortly after La Ramaz, Armstrong was held up by a rider who crashed in front of him. Though the Texan did not fall, he was slow to get back on his bike, showing exasperation at his third mishap.
Earlier, with less than 32 miles to go, Armstrong tumbled to the asphalt while trying to negotiate a roundabout along with the pack. His team quickly got him another bike and he returned to the race with the back of his jersey and his bib numbers torn.