Voeckler takes yellow as Sanchez wins crash-fest

Frenchman Thomas Voeckler pulled on the Tour de France yellow jersey after a dramatic ninth stage won by Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez and marred by nearly a dozen crashes yesterday.

Voeckler, of Europcar, had been part of an early breakaway that made it to the finish line of the 208km ride from Issoire unchallenged after a mass pile-up in the peloton caused mayhem and delayed the chase.

Two of Voeckler’s breakaway companions, Johnny Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha, were then taken out of the equation for the win after they were hit by a television car 35km from home.

It left Rabobank rider Sanchez, Voeckler and his compatriot Sandy Casar contending the win, with Sanchez launching an unassailable sprint 250 metres from the uphill finish to leave Voeckler in second.

Casar, of FDJ, was third with Belgian Philippe Gilbert of Omega-Pharma leading home a peloton containing a somewhat reduced bunch of yellow jersey favourites 3min 59sec later.

Voeckler took over the race lead from Norwegian Thor Hushovd and now leads Sanchez by 1:49 in the general classification, with Australian Cadel Evans third at 2:26 followed by Frank Schleck (2:29) and Andy Schleck (2:37).

Reigning champion Alberto Contador, who earlier in the stage suffered his fourth crash in eight days, is 16th at 4:07.