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Summary Thomas Voeckler has won the 10th stage of Tour de France.
Weeks ago, Thomas Voeckler nearly opted out of the Tour de France because of an injured knee. Two days before the start, he was pained even more over allegations of doping at his French team.On Wednesday, the crowd-pleasing Frenchman gave his response by winning Stage 10.An in-your-face, trash-talking atmosphere dominated as riders entered the Alps on Wednesday with Bradley Wiggins retaining the yellow jersey by squashing attacks by rivals one of whom complained that the Briton wasnt being respectful.The mood was decidedly sour before the 194-kilometer ride, after the previous days arrest by French police of a Cofidis team rider over a Marseille doping probe.Doping cases past and present have cast a shadow over this Tour.Voeckler himself was burdened by the issue of doping. Two days before the Tour start, a French newspaper revealed a previously unknown probe of his Europcar team on allegations of improper use of a controlled corticoid by its riders during last years Tour a claim the team vigorously denies.Some fans in Belgium, where the Tour started on June 30, booed Europcar riders following the news.Voecklers victory was really special because we had criticism before the Tour, because it really hurt me, he said. His victory is a part of my answernot my revenge an answer to the critics.Wiggins, too, and his Team Sky sent a message on Wednesday; getting the yellow jersey off him wont be easy. Italys Vincenzo Nibali, one of several rivals who tried to strip it, complained of a lack of respect from the Briton.At several points during the stage, Wiggins came under attack from his biggest rivals - but nearly all failed to make up any ground. Nibali tried to surge ahead in a big descent; Belgiums Jurgen Van Den Broeck attempted to jump ahead on the days big climb; reigning champion Cadel Evans tried to shake Wiggins near the end - but to no avail.Wiggins looked at me at the finish and I really did not like the way he did it, said Nibali, who won the Spanish Vuelta in 2010 and is fourth overall at the Tour. He also gestured with his hand in an unpleasant way.They are really strong at the moment, but he should show more respect for his competitors.Sky has controlled the Tour in a style reminiscent of that of the former US Postal team of Lance Armstrong, who is facing allegations by U.S. anti-doping officials that he used performance-enhancing drugs.Wiggins has bristled at the comparison of the teams in social media.On Wednesday, notably after the new Cofidis case, the Briton said he understood questions on doping in cycling from some parts of the media, but insisted he got to where he is through hard work.I dont feel like I have to sit here and justify to everyone ... To me, its them pissing all over everything Ive done by just saying hes cheating or whatever. And thats what really gets to me, he said.Wiggins also echoed comments in the past by Armstrong, who repeatedly said he never failed a drugs test and said during his career that he was the worlds most-tested athlete for doping.Tested by the UCI God knows how many times a year, God knows how many times on this race, and on the Dauphine; blood tested every morning and all that, Wiggins said, referring to international cyclings governing body UCI and the Criterium du Dauphine race. What more can I do than that?For the first time in the Tour, the peloton scaled the 117.6-kilometer Grand Colombier pass; classified as one of the hardest climbs in pro cycling in part for two tough patches with steep, 12 percent gradients.Voeckler, who once had the yellow jersey taken off him by Armstrong and wore it again last year for 10 days, earned his third Tour stage victory in a decade-long career competing in cyclings premier race.Near the finish, Voeckler dusted off a breakaway group, beating runner-up Michele Scarponi of Italy by 3 seconds. Jens Voigt of Germany - at 40, the oldest rider this year - was third, another 4 seconds slower.I really pulled this out with my guts, Voeckler said.Voeckler said he didnt ride for about 10 of the 20 days immediately preceding the Tour start because of knee pain that still hasnt fully gone away and almost kept him from competing altogether.Wiggins described the day as pretty straightforward.Fortunately the break went pretty early and we didnt have to go crazy (chasing it) ... it all sort of went to script today, really, Wiggins said.Wiggins finished the stage 3:16 behind Voeckler, in 13th place, in a group including most of his rivals in the quest to win the yellow jersey when the Tour ends in Paris on July 22.With Wiggins under a close escort by his Sky teammates, only Van Den Broeck was able to erase 32 seconds with a surge late in the stage. The Belgian trails Wiggins by 4:48 in eighth place.Overall, Wiggins leads Evans by 1:53. Wiggins teammate, Christopher Froome, is 2:07 back in third place. Nibali is fourth, 2:23 back, and Russias Denis Menchov is fifth, 3:02 behind.Riders embark Thursday on what Wiggins calls the hardest stage this year - a relatively short 147-kilometer trek from Albertville to La Toussuire, but with two of the toughest climbs in pro cycling and an uphill finish.
