Laurent Jalabert has made the polka dot jersey his own

Frigo, the first Italian to win a stage in this year's Tour, was delighted with his success.

"I'm really happy to have won this stage, especially as it was in the Alps," he said.

The Italian, who in March this year finished a six-month suspension for possession of illegal susbstance, added: "The Tour is not the best race for me for the overall standings but today I wanted to show that I could do something."

The trio were someway clear of the chasing group, who themselves led the peloton by about three minutes.

The biggest mover was Colombian Santiago Botero, winner of stage 15, who powered through late in the stage to rise from seventh to fourth place overall.

Carlos Sastre of Spain also rode well to move 10th overall.

On the final day of climbing in the Alps, the peloton seemed content to ride the stage at an easy pace, although a number of challenging climbs made sure it was never going to be a stroll.

After a number of early breakaways, a grop of riders including the top three finishers were allowed to break free.

Although a number of counter-attacks were made, mainly by Jalabert, Frigo's group held on till the end.