Norway's Arvesen gives CSC first Tour stage win

Norway's Kurt-Asle Arvesen gave the CSC team their first stage victory on this year's Tour de France when he prevailed at the end of a 167.5-km ride from Lannemezan to Foix yesterday.

Australia's Cadel Evans of the Silence-Lotto team retained the overall leader's yellow jersey when he finished safe in the bunch almost 15 minutes behind.

The stage started without Barloworld's Moises Duenas Nevado who was kicked out of the race by his team when it was revealed that he had become the second Spaniard to test positive for the blood-boosting erythopoietin (EPO) on the Tour.

The first Spanish casualty was Liquigas's Manuel Beltran who was thrown out of the race last Friday.

Arvesen was one of 12 riders in a group that broke away after 35 km on yesterday's 11th stage.

France's Amael Moinard tried his luck solo in the ascent of the category-one Col de Portel and led his fellow breakaways by 90 seconds but could not hold on.