Tour de France

Riders get another mostly flat ride today, a 131-mile course from Cahors to Angouleme, before Saturday’s 33-mile individual time trial and Sunday’s ride to the finish along the Champs-Elysees

in Paris. * Stage 17: Riders cruised over mostly flat, picturesque country in southwestern France in the 117-mile course from Pau to Castelsarrasin.

* Winner: Daniele Bennati of Italy collected his first Tour stage victory in a sprint ahead of a small group of breakaway riders. Germany’s Markus Fothen was second and Swiss rider Martin Elmiger third.

* Yellow jersey: Spanish rider Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team took the overall lead a day after the Rabobank team sent home former race leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark for lying about where he was while training last month.

* Quote of the day: “I am clean.

If I weren’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

– Contador.

*–* STAGE 17 RESULTS 1. Daniele Bennati, Italy 4:14:04 2. Markus Fothen, Germany same time 3. Martin Elmiger, Switzerland same time 4. Jens Voigt, Germany same time 5. David Millar, Britain 2:41 behind

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*–* OVERALL LEADERS 1. Alberto Contador, Spain 80:42:08 2. Cadel Evans, Australia 1:53 behind 3. Levi Leipheimer, U.S. 2:49 behind 4. Carlos Sastre, Spain 6:02 behind 5. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain 6:29 behind

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