Jens Voigt during another long Tour breakaway

McGee, of the La Francaise des Jeux team, could not hold Voigt's pace in the final kilometre.

The young Australian almost collapsed and had to be helped away from his bike by a team aide, such was his exhaustion after the gruelling 229km stage.

American Lance Armstrong remains over five minutes clear of Germany's Jan Ullrich at the head of the general standings.

Voigt's win was good news for his Australian team-mate Stuart O'Grady who is battling to keep the green points jersey during the Tour's final week.

The breakaway gained the first seven places, taking a number of possible points away from O'Grady's main rival Erik Zabel.

The German beat the Australian in the sprint for eighth place, cutting O'Grady's lead by a single point.

Crash

Despite their sizeable lead the breakaway riders were not a threat to the leaders.

The relaxed pace in the chasing peloton may have contributed towards a nasty crash in the closing kilometres.

Four riders were taken to hospital following the accident, including Belgian Marc Wauters, who held the yellow jersey during the Tour's first week.

On a disappointing day for La Francaise des Jeux, Swiss rider Sven Montgomery was also ruled out after starting the day 17th in the general standings.

Jens Heppner, a key team-mate of Ullrich and Zabel at Telekom and Oscar Pozzi were the others to abandon the race.

The stage ended in the village where French president Jacques Chirac's wife is mayor, and where the leader himself has opened a museum.