Cadel Evans in Yellow Jersey

Cadel EvansI've just spent a lazy Bastille Day afternoon on the couch watching La Grande Boucle on French television (which sucks, just quietly). Our Aussie boy Cadel Evans is now in the race leader's yellow jersey after finishing eighth in the 10th stage 156km ride of le Tour de France from Pau to Hautacam in the Pyrenees today. The stage winds upward for 11 miles at a gradient of 7.5 percent. Then descends for 22.3 miles before finishing with another hard climb for 8.9 miles up Hautacam.

Italian Leonardo Piepoli of the Saunier Duval team won the stage with his teammate Juan Jose Cobo Acebo second.

Interestingly Frank Schleck of Luxembourg who was third across the line has gone from 11th to 2nd and is just a second behind Evans.

Cadel Evans went over the handlebars in a crash yesterday - falling hard enough to break his helmet as well as sustain abrasions to arms, legs and shoulders. His says it happened so fast he doesn't remember anything. Apparently another rider went down in front of him. Although some are saying a bag was caught in his front wheel.

Evans refused all interviews after the stage but did toss his broken helmet to an Australian reporter who was then interviewed by the rest of the press crew.

Riders get a day off tomorrow before hitting the mountains again on Wednesday. Bravo Cadel! Allez!