Stage 13 Overview, Picks and Comment

Stage 13 is sentimental for me because I spent a week in the finishing town of Nimes a few summers ago. I love the south of France. The countryside is so picturesque and the food is great. If you get a chance, you should go. Seriously.

The stage today (Friday) is fairly flat. Not like a billiards table as there are some little climbs, but not a mountain stage by any means.

It's a 182KM journey from Narbonne into Provence that will likely see another sprint finish. If Cavendish has a say, he'll win his fourth stage in Nimes.

My other picks are still Hushovd and Mc Ewen. They HAVE to win a stage soon.

That's all for now. See you here tomorrow.

Numbers

Just after the start of today's stage 12, team Barloworld rider Baden Cooke abandoned leaving the Tour with 158 riders and just 10 intact teams.

Insanity. And Barloworld has been decimated. Not as bad as Saunier Duval I guess.

Into the race

Here we go with some info, now that we've got the housekeeping out of the way.

Ten stages are done. Eleven to go and we're in stage 11.

The situation so far today:

It's Miguel Indurain's 44th birthday.

Barloworld lost another rider today - this one was Longo Borghini and he left the race because of a broken collarbone.

Teams get money for winning stages and the top three teams in money at this year's race are Saunier Duval-Scott, Team Columbia and Ciasse d'Espargne. Stage wins by racers on these three squads has led to them each having more than 30,000Euros in prize money so far.

12 riders were clear at the 60KM mark of the 11th stage. They had a lead of just over eight minutes at that point but it grew rapidly.

Stage 11 passes through St-Girons today at 84KM. More on that in a second.

The peloton is now about to arrive in St-Girons and the 12 breakaway riders have a 12:45 lead on them.