14:37 - Prize Classifications 01: Yellow Jersey
The 27-year-old Spaniard, Alberto Contador, is about to win the Tour de France for the third time. He has a lead of 39 second over Andy Schleck in the general classification, the fifth closest in Tour history. The Astana rider won the second Tour he contested (2007) and was first again in his next appearance (2009). He joins Greg LeMond (USA), Louison Bobet (FRA) and Philippe Thys (BEL) as a three-time champion of the world’s biggest bike race.
14:46 - Prize Classifications 02: Green Jersey
The green jersey is the only one of the four prize jerseys that is yet to be decided. The battle is essentially between three men: the current leader Alessandro Petacchi (213pts), Thor Hushovd (203pts) and the quadruple stage winner Mark Cavendish (197pts). It would take a strange scenario for the Brit to win the green jersey that he has not worn at all in 2010, but he is within striking distance and the real favorite for the final stage.
14:52 - Prize Classifications 03: Polka-Dot Jersey
Anthony Charteau is going to be the first French winner of the climbing classification since Richard Virenque in 2004. The Bbox Bouygues Telecom rider is ranked 44th overall, 1h24’12” behond Alberto Contador but his advantage over compatriot Christophe Moreau – the oldest rider in the 2010 Tour – in the race for the polka-dot jersey is 143pts to 128. The only others with more than 100 points are Schleck (116pts) and Contador (112pts).
14:56 - Prize Classifications 04: White Jersey
Andy Schleck is destined for the podium in Paris for the third time from three starts in the Tour de France. He won the white jersey when he was 11th overall in 2008, and again in 2009 when he was second to Alberto Contador (by 4’11”). This year he won two stages and led the general classification for six days and is second overall again, this just just 39” behind Contador. The Luxembourger is the second rider to win the youth classification three times.
50k Euro for the Team win?
15:02 - Prize Classifications 05: Team Ranking
The RadioShack team has won the team prize in its first start in the Tour. With Chris Horner in 10th overall, Levi Leipheimer 13th and Andreas Kloden 14th, the squad is the most consistent in the 97th Tour. It will be the second time that Lance Armstrong has stood alongside his team-mates on the Parisian podium, following Astana’s success in the first year of his comeback, 2009. RadioShack leads Caisse d’Epargne by 9’15” in the team rankings while third is held by Rabobank, at 27’49”.