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July 14, 2009
Tour de France enters the second week
Teammates Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong remained second and third in the Tour de France on Tuesday as Britain's Mark Cavendish won the 10th stage of the race. Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy continues to hold the yellow jersey, six seconds ahead of Contador. Those positions seem unlikely to change on three largely flat stages from Tuesday to Thursday or on Friday's moderately hard mountain stage. All of which means the Tour's most intriguing duel between Contador and Armstrong figures to be put on hold for at least a few days. Armstrong is coming out of 3½ years of retirement and chasing an eighth Tour title. Contador is aiming for a second title after winning in 2007. The Spanish mountain specialist was unable to defend his title last year because his Astana team was barred from the race because of doping scandals. Both Contador and Armstrong have played down the tension between them, a rivalry that has left a glaring unresolved issue at the Tour de France: Astana's leadership remains in question while these former champions vie for the yellow jersey. Outwardly, neither rider admits he wants to take on the other. Both say they are prepared to sacrifice individual ambition for the greater good of the team. Once the race moves into the Alps, however, ... "things will become clearer," Contador said. (20 images)

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The peloton leaves Marseille behind during stage three of the 2009 Tour de France from Marseille to La Grande-Motte on July 6, in Marseille, France. The stage was won by Mark Cavendish of Great Britain and Team Columbia. Getty Images / Jasper Juinen


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The peloton makes it's way through the French countryside on stage nine of the 2009 Tour de France from Saint-Gaudens to Tarbes, on July 10, in Tarbes. Getty Images / Bryn Lennon



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The peloton makes it's way through the French countryside on stage nine of the 2009 Tour de France from Saint-Gaudens to Tarbes, on July 10, in Tarbes. Getty Images / Bryn Lennon



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The pack speeds down Envalira Pass, Pyrenees mountains, during the 8th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 176.5 kilometers with start in Andorra and finish in Saint-Girons, France, Saturday July 11. AP / Christophe Ena



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Fans wait for riders on July 12, at Aspin pass during the 160 km and ninth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Saint-Gaudens and Tarbes. AFP / Getty Images / Lionel Bonaventure



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The pack rides on July 10, during the 224 km seventh stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Barcelona and Andorre Arcalis. French cycling team Agritubel's Brice Feillu of France won the stage. AFP / Getty Images / Patrick Hertzog



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Seven-time Tour de France winner and Kazakh cycling team Astana's Lance Armstrong of the United States, right, rides in the pack with teammate and 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain on July 9, in the 175 km sixth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Gerona and Barcelona. AFP / Getty Images / Joel Saget



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Leading men, French cycling team BBOX Bouygues Telecom's Pierrick Fedrigo of France, right, and Italian cycling team Liquigas's leader Franco Pellizotti of Italy, left, ride ahead of Danish cycling team Team Saxo Bank's Jens Voigt of Germany on July 12, at Aspin pass during the 160 km ninth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Saint-Gaudens and Tarbes. AFP / Getty Images / Lionel Bonaventure



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A young fan looks at bicycles of some of French cycling team BBOX Bouygues Telecom's riders at the team bus on July 6, in Marseille, before the start of the 196 km third stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Marseille and La Grande-Motte. AFP / Getty Images / Lionel Bonaventure



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Yellow jersey of overall leader Danish cycling team Team Saxo Bank's rider Fabien Cancellara of Switzerland rides in the pack on July 5, 2009 at the start of the 182 km second stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Monaco and Brignoles. AFP / Getty Images / Patrick Hertzog



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Overall leader, French cycling team AG2R-La Mondiale's Rinaldo Nocentini, right, drinks as he rides in the pack on July 12, in the 160 km ninth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Saint-Gaudens and Tarbes. French cycling team BBOX Bouygues Telecom's Pierrick Fedrigo of France won the stage. AFP / Getty Images / Joel Saget



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Overall leader Danish cycling team Team Saxo Bank's rider Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, left, sprints with teammates on July 7, at the end of the 39 km team time-trial and fourth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race. AFP / Getty Images / Pascal Pavani



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Belgian cycling team Silence-Lotto's leader Cadel Evans of Australia, right, competes with teammates on July 7, in the 39 km team time-trial and fourth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race. AFP / Getty Images / Lionel Bonaventure



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Seven-time Tour de France winner and Kazakh cycling team Astana's rider Lance Armstrong of the United States, center, competes with 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain, left, on July 7, in the 39 km team time-trial and fourth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race. The team clocked in 00:46:49 and won the stage. AFP / Getty Images / Lionel Bonaventure



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The pack rides at Envalira pass on July 11, in the 176 km eighth stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race run between Andorre-la-Vella and Saint-Girons. AFP / Getty Images / Patrick Hertzog



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A woman waves the French flag on bastille Day as the pack passes through Montgivray during the 10th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 194.5 kilometers with start in Limoges and finish in Issoudun, central France, Tuesday July 14. AP / Christophe Ena



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Luis-Leon Sanchez of Spain reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 8th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 176.5 kilometers with start in Andorra and finish in Saint-Girons, France, Saturday July 11. AP / Bas Czerwinski



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American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, left, and teammate and rival Alberto Contador of Spain, right, climb towards Col de Port , France, during the 8th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 176.5 kilometers with start in Andorra and finish in Saint-Girons, France, Saturday July 11. AP / Christophe Ena



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The pack passes a roundabout during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 181.5 kilometers with start in Girona and finish in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday July 9. AP / Christophe Ena



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A pack rides at the "Promenade des Anglais" in Nice, southern France during the 182 km second stage of the 2009 Tour de France cycling race Monaco and Brignoles, on July 5. AFP / Getty Images / Valery Hache



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