Michael Rasmussen won the 16th stage of the Tour de France, sprinting to a lone finish in Gourette and extending his overall lead over the Spaniard Alberto Contador to 3min 10sec.

The day started with a 20-minute protest from a group of riders frustrated at the sport’s recent doping scandals surrounding pre-Tour favourite Alexandre Vinokourov, who withdrew yesterday after failing a doping test, and Rasmussen, who was booed by the vast majority of supporters at the start line after it emerged he had missed a series of random out-of-competition drugs tests before the start of the Tour.

As ’Vino’ proclaimed his innocence to the world, reports emerged alleging another rider, later confirmed to be the Italian Cristian Moreni, had also failed a doping test.

The day was hit by further controversy as news broke of a small explosion on part of the Spanish route, which had already been passed by the riders, after a telephone bomb threat from a caller claiming to represent Basque separatist rebels ETA.

Corrupt race populated by a cast of frauds heading for the gutter

The abject failure of a divided sport to clean up its act has led to renewed calls that the Tour be stopped

Background

• Tour stage starts without yellow jersey

• France mourns 'death of the Tour'

• Rasmussen sacked by Rabobank

• New doping scandal hits the Tour

• Tour in disarray after Vinokourov tests positive

Background

• Rasmussen extends Tour advantage

• Vinokourov bounces back for second stage

• Contador a contender after Pyrenees triumph

• Vinokourov makes it lucky 13

• Rasmussen keeps yellow jersey as Boonen wins

Related Links

• Comment: Jeremy Whittle

• Tour team quits after Vinokourov scandal

• Tour in disarray after Vinokourov tests positive

However, following the race, Rasmussen was keen to focus on cycling matters. “My team did an amazing job and only left the last eight kilometres to me," he said. "But at the end of the day I’m very, very happy with the result. I had to ride to my own tempo in the closing stages and eventually he [Contador] got more tired than I did and then in the end I tried to take as much advantage as I possibly could.

“I’ve had an amazing day and I can’t thank the team enough. I prefer not to think too much about overall glory until the final stage. Nothing’s over yet.”

The 151 riders who started the 218.5km stage finally set off from Orthez amid blue skies and favourable riding conditions, a deceiving front for a sport currently writhing in turmoil. And in predictable fashion it took a mere eight kilometres before the day’s first breakaway was made. Stephane Auge, Vincente Garcia-Acosta, Gorka Verdugo and Christophe Rinero soon set the pace and established a nine-minute lead over the peloton as they approached the intimidating ascent up Port de Larrau.

It came as no surprise as polka-dot jersey clad Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez, joined by Carlos Sastre and Iban Mayo, attacked a Barloworld-led peloton in pursuit of the escapees.

And on the mountain’s steep, pacy descent, the chasing trio passed a struggling Rinero and Auge to form a new leading quintet who reached the summit of the day’s next climb, Col de la Pierre-Saint-Martin, nearly five minutes ahead of the chasing peloton. Led by the experience of Soler Hernandez, the leaders maintained their sizeable advantage over the group with just 50km remaining.

However, as they began their ascent up the penultimate climb of the day, a slowly separating peloton upped their tempo and whittled the lead down to just 40 seconds with 15km remaining.

By the start of the final mountain climb, the leading quintet had been reduced to a trio, as Spanish duo Sastre and Mayo led Soler Hernandez up the Col d’Aubisque.

Yet with eight kilometres remaining, the stage burst into action as Rasmussen, Contador, Leipheimer and Cadel Evans broke free and fought for glory. The four Tour leaders set off on an enthralling battle over the steep closing stages before the Dane timed his attack perfectly with just over one kilometre to the finish line to blow his rivals away.

Charles Wegelius was the best-placed of the British riders, finishing 25th to move up to 48th in the overall standings. Meanwhile Bradley Wiggins crossed the line in 135th place (131st overall), Geraint Thomas ended up 137th (148th) and David Millar 138th (76th)

Stage 16 Results

1. Michael Rasmussen (DEN) RAB - 218.5km in 6hr 23min 21sec
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) DSC at 26sec
3. Alberto Contador (ESP) DSC at 35sec
4. Cadel Evans (AUS) PRL at 43sec
5. Mauricio Soler (COL) BAR at 1min 25sec

Tour de France overall standings

1. Michael Rasmussen (DEN) RAB
2. Albert Contador (ESP) DSC - at 3min 10sec
3. Cadel Evans (AUS) PRL - at 5min 3sec
4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) DSC - at 5min 59sec
5. Carlos Sastre (ESP) CSC - at 9min 12sec