STAGE 16, 159KM HAS STARTED. Follow the Tour de France LIVE online

SHOOT: Should be an interesting stage. The first climb of today, which the riders begin ascending almost straight away, is the highest mountain pass so far in the Tour (2473m). Also has a very long descent after the Petit Saint Bernard, 31km down and technical.

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Armstrong: top 20 in this TdF separated by only 6 mins. Extremely rare with just 6 days to go. Tactically very risky 4 us.

To get live text click on the link beside: CLIPPED FROM.

clipped from www.supersport.com Ready To Race...: Juan Manuel Garate (RAB) made a point of coming up to the front of the peloton in the neutral zone. He has been known to attack early in stages like this one. The bunch is about to arrive at the official start. Racing At 1.03pm: The official start of the 16th stage - from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice - was at 1.03pm. Astana Leading Peloton: The peloton is not allowing the early move to gain a rapid advantage. The Astana team is at the front of the bunch. Escapees Lead By Seven Seconds: The riders in the lead include: Pellizotti, Voigt, Bouet (who started the move). They have a lead of just seven seconds. Leaders Have 40" Advantage: At the 6.5km mark, the 21 escapees are 40" ahead of the peloton that continues to be led by the Astana team.