Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan won Stage 13 of the 2010 Tour de France on July 17, attacking late and holding off the sprinters on the road into Revel. The Astana rider finished the 196-kilometer route from Rodez in 4 hours, 26 minutes, and 26 seconds. Mark Cavendish of Great Britain led the chasing group home 13 seconds later.
Alessandro Petacchi of Italy placed third, followed by Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen and Spain’s José Joaquín Rojas. The leading contenders for the overall title finished safely in the main group. Andy Schleck kept the yellow jersey without losing time to his nearest rivals.
The victory came after a day shaped by an early three-man breakaway and a difficult final climb.
According to the official Tour de France account, 176 riders started the stage in cooler conditions than they had faced during the previous days. The rolling route crossed parts of Aveyron and Tarn and included five categorized climbs. Two intermediate sprints also offered points for riders competing for the green jersey.
Sylvain Chavanel, Juan Antonio Flecha, and Pierrick Fédrigo attacked after about 4.5 kilometers. Pavel Brutt tried to join them but could not close the gap. The three leaders soon built an advantage that reached six minutes.
Lampre began working at the front of the peloton to control the break. HTC-Columbia and Milram later added riders to the chase. The gap steadily fell as the race moved toward the final section near Revel.
The breakaway was caught with about 10 kilometers remaining.
Sprinters’ teams appeared ready to control the finish, but the Côte de Saint-Ferréol disrupted those plans. The category-three climb came late in the stage, with its summit 7.5 kilometers from the line. Alessandro Ballan attacked during a moment of hesitation and was followed by Nicolas Roche and Carlos Barredo.
Damiano Cunego and Luis León Sánchez were also near the front as the road climbed. Vinokourov moved into the decisive group and then pressed ahead after the summit. Ballan faded, while the Astana rider created a clear gap on the descent and run toward Revel.
Vinokourov held a lead of about 20 seconds with one kilometer left. He had enough time to raise his arms before crossing the finish line. Cavendish produced the fastest sprint from the peloton but could not reach him.
Cyclingnews reported that the result was Vinokourov’s first Tour stage victory since his return from a two-year suspension for blood doping. He had been removed from the 2007 Tour after a positive test. His return made the 2010 victory both notable and controversial.
The win also followed disappointment one day earlier on the steep finish at Mende. Vinokourov had attacked during Stage 12 and appeared capable of winning, but Joaquim Rodríguez and Alberto Contador caught and passed him. He received the combativity award for his effort and wore the red race number during Stage 13.
This time, his late move succeeded near the finish line.
Vinokourov was 36 years old and served as a key support rider for Astana leader Contador. His stage ambitions had to be balanced against the team’s effort to win the overall race. On the road to Revel, the general classification contenders did not attack, giving him room to pursue the victory.
Schleck finished in the peloton with the same time as Cavendish. He remained 31 seconds ahead of Contador in the overall standings. Samuel Sánchez stood third, with Denis Menchov close behind as the race approached the Pyrenees.
The points competition remained tight. Petacchi regained the green jersey and held a narrow advantage over Thor Hushovd. Cavendish moved closer after collecting points for second place, adding to the three stage wins he had already secured earlier in the race.
Velo’s published results listed Vinokourov as the stage winner, Cavendish second, and Petacchi third. The 13-second gap separated Vinokourov from a large main group. His attack changed the stage winner but did not alter the leading positions in the overall race.
Stage 14 began in Revel on July 18 and carried the riders 184.5 kilometers to Ax-3 Domaines. It opened a major Pyrenean section that continued through Stage 17. The mountain stages were expected to decide the contest between Schleck and Contador.
Christophe Riblon won Stage 14, Thomas Voeckler took Stage 15, and Fédrigo captured Stage 16 in Pau. Riders then received their second rest day on July 21. Stage 17 ended at the Col du Tourmalet, where Schleck won ahead of Contador.
The schedule shows that the 2010 Tour ran from July 3 through July 25. It began with a prologue in Rotterdam, traveled through the Netherlands and Belgium, and continued across France. The complete route measured 3,642 kilometers, or about 2,263 miles.
The race covered 23 calendar days, including the prologue, 20 numbered stages, and two rest days. The final stage ended on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Cavendish won that stage, while Petacchi secured the points classification and Anthony Charteau won the mountains competition.
Contador crossed the finish in Paris as the apparent overall winner, 39 seconds ahead of Schleck. That result was later changed after Contador was stripped of the title following an anti-doping ruling. Reuters lists Schleck as the official winner of the 2010 Tour.
Vinokourov finished 16th in the original overall standings. His Stage 13 result remained part of the official record and became one of the defining wins of his comeback season. He later won the men’s road race at the 2012 London Olympics before retiring from professional cycling.
That outcome reflected the tactical balance of the day. Astana protected Contador’s position while allowing Vinokourov to race aggressively near the finish. The peloton’s chase teams waited too long after the final climb, and the Kazakh rider used that delay to secure the gap.
The finish in Revel showed why a stage described as suitable for sprinters could still reward a bold attacker. Vinokourov used the final climb, the hesitation behind him, and his descending speed to escape. Cavendish won the sprint, but Vinokourov had already won the stage.