Soler Takes Tour de France Stage Nine Win

Colombian rider Juan Mauricio Soler won Stage Nine of the Tour de France, breaking away with 47 km to go and riding alone a minute ahead of the pack all the way to the finish line.

The Colombian rider, well accustomed to mountain riding at altitudes of 3000 meters, came out of the pack after riding sixth, surprising everyone. Pack leader Yaroslav Popovych refused to take the challenge, instead opting to follow team Discovery Channel's plan of breaking out at the end to try to capture whoever was leading.

With 43 km to go, Cadel Evans, Michael Rasmussen, and a group of Tour favorites accelerated away from the pack. Injured team Astana riders Andreas Kloeden and Alexander Vinokourov were unable to stay with the breakaway.

At the 40 km mark, Discovery Channel rider Alberto Contador broke from the pack to catch the lead chase group. Contador eventually met up with teammate Popovych to try to chase down Soler, but the team Barloworld rider had the best legs of the bunch, and no one could shave more than a few seconds off his lead.

Team Discovery had apparently planned to be in position to snatch the win at the finish line, and at 10 km out appeared to be right on pace to catch Soler. However, Contador's legs were apparently spent from chasing down Popovych. The chase group caught Popovych and Contador with five-and-a-half kilometers to go.

Soler had a sixty-three second lead as he passed under the 10 km banner; with 2 km to go he still held a forty-eight second advantage.

The final kilometer is a steep uphill climb, where many riders hoped to gain ground on the leader. Rassmussen and Evans attempted a break with one kilometer to go, but couldn't maintain it. Soler took the win with no one around him, while the rest of the field jousted for position, trying to gain time bonuses for high finishes.

Unofficially the final results are Soler, followed by Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d'Epargne, Cadel Evans of Predictor-Lotto, and Discovery Channel rider Alberto Contador, Saunier Duval's Iban Mayo, and finally Maiilot Jaune wearer Michael Rasmussen of Rabobank.

Cycling-Tour de France Provisional Ninth Stage Result

Provisional result and standings after the 159. 5km ninth stage of the Tour de France from Val-d'Isere to Briancon on Tuesday