After making an ultra-fast descent of the final drop-down to the stage finish Vienne, George Hincapie (High Road) staved off the peloton for a hard-earned win.

"We were initially working for [team-mate, editor] Andre Greipel for the sprint," Hincapie, who moved up to fourth overall and took his first win since the last stage of the Tour of California, said afterwards. "That’s why we were waiting for him until five kilometres to go and we were not going with any of the attacks."

Greipel had a puncture with 15 km to go. "Then with three kilometres to go, it became clear that Greipel was not going to get back in time to dispute the sprint."

"We were going downhill at 70 kilometres an hour and [team sports director Allan, editor] Peiper said 'do your own race.'"

Hincapie said that he had started the eight-day stage race "a little bit sick - I’d got fatigue from training during the team camp in the Pyrenees and had no power in the prologue [on Sunday, editor]. Today, though, I could see I was feeling better and I was going to do the lead-out for Andy [Greipel, editor]."

"But then I went for Sebastian [Lang, Gerolsteiner, editor] before the last corner and had to do a big effort to catch him.”

"Then I rested slightly, sat on his wheel for 100 metres, and then came round and won. It was a great finish!"

Fifteen years a professional, Hincapie then discussed his role in the High Road team where "we have a lot of pressure because we are so successful."

"Here I find myself doing a lot of lead-outs for the some of the best sprinters in the world, we have guys who can do time trials, we have guys for all sorts of different races. It’s a lot of fun and it’s very inspiring for me as an older pro to have such a great group of talented young riders at High Road to give advice to - not that I think they need much!"

Thor Hushovd didn't hide his disappointment with 5th place. "My team-mates did a great job today again. It's a shame I was not able to control in the last meters. Hincapie rode well. I saw him go but I didn't have the choice."

Although Gerolsteiner's Sebastian Lang did not win the stage, sports director Christian Henn was satisfied with Lang's third place. Henn said: "After the long descent, which was going on even in the finale the field was pretty mixed-up. Sebastian just tried and had put everything on his move. He almost succeeded. But a podium spot is always good."

Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) tried to get away with 10 to go: "I was aware I couldn't win in a bunch sprint. As I perfectly know the final kilometres with the downhill section to Vienne, it was the place to attack. I failed but I don't have any regrets. I had fun and I made my fans happy with my jump."

Team CSC-Saxo Bank used today's stage to save energy for tomorrow: "We had a quiet day today. Crédit Agricole was keen on a sprinter finish because it was the final flat stage so there was no reason to try and make an early break. So we took it easy and prepared ourselves for the time trial tomorrow and the mountains from Thursday," said Team CSC-Saxo Bank sports director Scott Sunderland from France.

Rabobank also tried to save energy. "We rode with a defensive perspective, no time loss for Robert Gesink," said Rabobank's sports director Adri van Houwelingen. That, however, turned out to be a difficult assignment with a spectacular descent at around two kilometers from the finish. "It would have been a shame to finish behind the pack split-up. After all, he is going to have to ride for every single second during the time trial tomorrow." Captain Gesink was, in addition to Koos Moerenhout, just able to maneuver himself into a position in the first part of the peloton after the pack break-up.

Van Houwelingen did not want to disclose anything about a potential loss in the time trial that would still result in a mood of contentment. "We are going to explore the track tomorrow morning. I will be able to say something about it then. Now the only thing I can say is that it would be great if Robert, just like during the prologue (nineteenth, editor), were to finish in the top-twenty."