Out of the ashes of an almost total annihilation of the Tour de France by Lance Armstrong and his US Postal teammates, comes an impressionable and courageous young rider. Thomas Voeckler.

The French champion, who earned his maillot jaune a week last Thursday ,will tomorrow will leave the Pyrenees still in the premier spot and with the chance of arriving in Nimes still in his favorite color tomorrow night.

Armstrong, who never actually attacked anyone, watched his team crack an elite field then, as all team leaders should, he finished things off with a win on the top of the viciously hard climb of the Plateau de Beille. His 17th stage win of his career.

Ivan Basso, a rider Armstrong wanted on his team this year but instead the Italian joined CSC, is the only obvious challenger left to prevent a sixth win for the Texan. Although Voeckler kept his lead, the 22 seconds advantage will dissipate on either Tuesday, or certainly Wednesday on Alpe d'Huez.

The last Pyrenean stage from Lannemezan was a long 128 miles, and the biggest disappointment happened after 55, when Tyler Hamilton turned in the road and retired to a following baggage car from his Phonak team.

Hamilton, who had promised so much, was bitterly disappointed, but his back, injured in a crash last week, has never stopped hurting. This was Hamilton's eighth Tour, and the first one he has ever abandoned.

It was a day to count the cost and all of Armstrong's pre-race rivals were left wanting as the Pyrenean mountains hit the riders one after another. One by one, the US Postal team did their work and then dropped off, but such was their pace, few riders were left as the climb to the Plateau de Beille began.

Hamilton apart, Denis Menchov (the white jersey winner of last year) and Fabian Wegmann (the Giro King of the Mountains this year) also gave up.

Jan Ullrich, again dropped and broken on the last climb, may have to give the leadership of team T-Mobile to Andreas Kloeden, who finished fourth and is now in the same position overall.

Ullrich has disappointed and is clearly not as fit as everyone thought. In two days he has lost six minutes to Armstrong and is now 6-39 behind the American.

If Basso can ride a good time trial on Alpe d'Huez, then he may yet win this Tour, but most think that is as far fetched as Thomas Voeckler retaining his yellow jersey today.

And, what about the expected challenge from Roberto Heras and Iban Mayo, the great Spanish climbers? Mayo almost abandoned but, instead continued and finished the day almost 38 minutes behind, while Heras trailed home 21-35 down. It was a special day in the Tour de France.