The commentators said this would be the longest stage of the Tour. It seems it was also ridden in sunny weather with just a little break from the heat. In the end, Mark Cavendish was finally able to pull out all the stops and take the stage, and is the best young rider, for Team Columbia.

Both new USA teams are enjoying a successful Tour, so far.

The standings:

Stage 5 results Top 10
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia 5.27.52 (42.45 km/h)
2 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
3 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
4 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
5 Baden Cooke (Aus) Barloworld
6 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld
7 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis – Le Crédit par Téléphone
8 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence – Lotto
9 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
10 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30

GC Top 10
1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner 19.32.33
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia 0.12
3 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto 0.21
5 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 0.33
6 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.37
7 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia 0.41
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia 0.47
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 0.58
10 José Iván Gutierrez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 1.01

Question: Do you think it unfair of the Tour to have stuck to its ban of Team Astana, even though it is a rebuilt team, thereby preventing Alberto Contador from defending his yellow jersey?