The pack head off from Pau on the 197.5km trek to Bayonne which sees the final mountain climbs of this year's race

The early kilometres of the stage wind through the streets of Pau and the peloton remain bunched together in the city

Overall leader Lance Armstrong stays safely in the peloton, keeping an eye on his two nearest rivals for the yellow jersey

Tyler Hamilton, riding with a fractured collarbone suffered on stage one, breaks away alone and earns a three-minute lead

A spectator dressed as a musketeer enters into the spirit of things on this centenary Tour whilst the peloton whizz by

The peloton battles through foggy conditions as they wind through the Pyrenees between Pau and Bayonne

Hamilton winces with pain and effort on the final climb as he attempts to stay away from the pack in the final few kilometres

But Hamilton holds on to cross the line first to win his first ever Tour de France stage by one minute 55 seconds

Erik Zabel (second left) leads the peloton for much of the way and eventually wins the sprint for second place

Another impressive display in the mountains ensures that Richard Virenque holds on to the polka dot jersey

Lance Armstrong retains the yellow jersey as stage 16 winner Tyler Hamilton moves into sixth place overall after his win