VOIGT WINS LONGEST STAGE, LANDIS GIVES UP YELLOW

Germany's Jens Voigt (CSC) won the longest stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, as the bunch took a day off in the scorching heat and let Spain's Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne) take the yellow jersey.

The big German outsprinted Pereiro after the two jumped away from Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) and Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) three kilometres from the finish of the 230km stage.

Pereiro was disappointed to miss out on the stage victory but had the surprise consolation of taking the yellow jersey. He was 28-50 down at the start of the stage but took the race lead after the Phonak team slowed the bunch in the final kilometres so that Landis would lose the jersey and so have two quiet days before the decisive Alpine stages. Landis finished 29-57 behind Pereiro and so the Spaniard -who rode for Phonak in 2005, now leads the Tour by 1-29. Frenchman Cyril Dessel is third at 1-39.

Robbie McEwen (Davitamon) won the bunch sprint to increase his lead in the points competition. Bernhard Eisel (Francaise Des Jeux) was second in the sprint as Tom Boonen (Quick Step) again sat up near the line.

Official Results

1 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 230km in 5.24.36

2 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears

3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 0.40

4 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas

5 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Milram 6.24

6 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto

7 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Francaise Des Jeux 29.57

8 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step-Innergetic

9 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole

10 Carlos Da Cruz (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux

Overall standings after stage 13

1 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 59.50.34

2 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 1.29

3 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance 1.37

4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 2.30

5 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 2.46

6 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 3.21

7 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile 3.58

8 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile 4.51

9 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Agritubel 5.02

10 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance 5.13