With the mountains behind him, race leader Lance Armstrong knows a record seventh Tour victory is within reach

Germany's Andreas Kloden, who broke a bone in his wrist on Tuesday, starts stage 17, but pulls out after 18km

Yuriy Krivtsov makes the first break on this year's longest stage, a 239.5km ride from Pau to Revel, but he is caught

Sebastien Hinault and 16 others do successfully break away and steadily build a lead over the peloton of 24 mniutes

The peloton takes a much more pedestrian pace through the French countryside as the lead builds up towards 25 minutes

Back up front, Paolo Savoldelli (right) and Hinault form their own breakaway on the ascent of the Cote de St-Ferreol

Hinault's failure to work on the descent frustrates Savoldelli, who waits to allow Norway's Kurt-Asle Arvesen to catch up

Arvesen strikes for home with one kilometre remaining, but Giro d'Italia winner Savoldelli pushes him all the way

And after five hours, 41 minutes and 19 seconds in the saddle, it is the Italian who has the legs to take the stage

An exhausted Simon Gerrans finishes third, eight seconds behind Savoldelli and three ahead of Hinault

Savoldelli takes the plaudits after an leaving the main bulk of the field trailing some 22 minutes behind him

Lance Armstrong receives the yellow jersey for the 79th time, equalling five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault's record