Image 1 of 89
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) wins stage 14 of the 2010 Tour de France. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Alberto Contador (Astana) attacked but couldn't get a gap (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) leads Contador (Astana) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) leads Contador (Astana) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) finished with the group of favourites (Image credit: Sirotti)
Samuel Sanchez gained time on Contador and Schleck (Image credit: Sirotti)
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) attacked Contador and Schleck (Image credit: Sirotti)
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) suffered on the climbs again (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck leads Alberto Contador (Image credit: Sirotti)
Leipheimer (Radioshack) leads Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck leads Alberto Contador (Image credit: Sirotti)
Wiggins comes up to the finish (Image credit: Sirotti)
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas-Doimo) had a poor day and was dropped on the final climb (Image credit: Sirotti)
Kanstantsin Siutsou (Team HTC - Columbia) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Thomas Löfkvist (Sky Professional Cycling Team) rode for himself (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andreas Klöden (Team Radioshack) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Transitions) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Luis Leon Sanchez lost crucial seconds (Image credit: Sirotti)
Leipheimer (Radioshack) leads Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) goes on the attack on the climb to Ax-3 Domaines. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) matched everything Contador could throw at him. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Bernard Hinault happy with the way the race has gone. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon doesn't appreciate the taunts of his rival team's fans. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The green jersey of Alessandro Petacchi wasn't under threat today. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Damiano Cunego (Lampre) tried to escape, but the final climb bit too hard. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The leaders head through a huge field of sunflowers. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Yukiya Arashiro (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) at the finish (Image credit: Sirotti)
Thomas Voeckler (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) receives a new teammate (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) on the podium (Image credit: Sirotti)
Anthony Charteau (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) leads the mountains competition (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) in yellow (Image credit: Sirotti)
Schleck pulls on another yellow jersey (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) leads the race with three mountain stages left (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) pulls on another maillot jaune after stage 14 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andy Schleck looking confident after the first stage in the Pyrenees. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) was emotional after winning at Ax-3 Domaines (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) elated at winning his first Tour de France stage. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) was the sole survivor of the day's break. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) wins stage 14. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andy Schleck leads the group in for fourth. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) went on the attack early, but was unable to reproduce his 2003 win. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Samuel Sanchez was forced to react to the attack of Denis Menchov, who threatened third overall. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) is well rehearsed in the yellow jersey podium ceremony by now. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A group of cheerleaders gives the guys some motivation. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Pavel Brutt (Katusha) leads the breakaway. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) was attentive and stayed with Contador on Ax-3 Domaines. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alexander Vinokourov shreds the lead group on the base of Ax-3 Domaines. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) set out to gain time. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale) on the podium (Image credit: Sirotti)
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) lost time (Image credit: Sirotti)
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) put in a courageous ride (Image credit: Sirotti)
Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Farnese Vini) was aggressive all day but couldn't hold on at the end (Image credit: Sirotti)
Alberto Contador (Astana) attacked but couldn't lose Schleck (Image credit: Sirotti)
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) struggled at times but finished strongly (Image credit: Sirotti)
Alberto Contador (Astana) couldn't drop Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) played a game of cat and mouse with Alberto Contador (Astana) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) leads home a group of GC contenders (Image credit: Sirotti)
Samuel Sanchez and Denis Menchov cross the line ahead of Contador and Schleck (Image credit: Sirotti)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Riblon can't believe it but the AG2R La Mondiale rider won stage 14 of the Tour (Image credit: Sirotti)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale) won France's fourth stage this year (Image credit: Sirotti)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R) takes the biggest win of his career (Image credit: Sirotti)
Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) couldn't handle the accelerations (Image credit: Sirotti)
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Transitions) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Menchov put in a couple digs and was closely marked by Contador and Schleck. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
John Gadret (AG2R La Mondiale) grits his teeth at the finish (Image credit: Sirotti)
A group containing Ivan Basso and Andreas Kloden cross the line (Image credit: Sirotti)
Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) put in another consistent performance (Image credit: Sirotti)
Luis León Sánchez Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) is ninth overall (Image credit: Sirotti)
Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) rode for Contador today (Image credit: Sirotti)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Alberto Contador (Astana) almost came to a standstill as Menchov and Sanchez attacked ahead. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Astana team set a furious pace, ripping the peloton to shreds. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Lance Armstrong lost another 15 minutes "on purpose" in order to be able to go for stage wins. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) lost a bit of time. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Wherever Contador went, Schleck was sure to follow. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The BMC team's Italians chat with Ivan Basso. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The pain becomes evident on the faces of the riders on the Port de Pailhères (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) had his best career victory in the Tour's 14th stage. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) wins at Ax-3 Domaines (Image credit: AFP Photo)
Schleck and Contador cross the line together (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Pyrenees were always billed as the main battleground of this year's Tour de France, and although Sunday's first of four stages in this mountain range decided nothing, it did confirm what many suspected: that the battle for the yellow jersey is between two riders, Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Alberto Contador (Astana).
The impression of this pair riding their own race, almost oblivious to everyone else, was underlined on the final climb to the finish in Ax-3 Domaines, at the end of a day that had seen Contador's Astana team ride as though it was their man, rather than Schelck, in the yellow jersey.
As Contador and Schleck cancelled each other out, it was a day that really belonged to Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale), with the Frenchman claiming the host country's fourth stage win of this Tour after an incredible solo effort, made more incredible by his confession afterwards that he had almost abandoned the Tour the previous day.
Riblon's team director, Vincent Lavenu, claimed after the stage that his rider had been so exhausted that he was on the brink of quitting. "But they gave me a pep talk," said Riblon of his team, "and I felt I had to prove myself today. But I wouldn't have bet a single Euro on my chances of winning today."
As Riblon forged on ahead, having attacked from the day's big break, Schleck and Contador were so preoccupied with each other that they didn't seem to notice - or