The Fedrigo show in Pau
It took 90 minutes for the escape group to form and, perhaps because of the early exertions, the impetus was gone from the peloton once six men found themselves at the front of the 15th stage. From the halfway mark, it was obvious that the winner in Pau would be one of the six escapees. Four of the selection had previously enjoyed success at the Tour, with two of the Frenchman in the move - Thomas Voeckler and Pierrick Fedrigo - having claimed three stages each in the past. Once the escape was well clear the six opportunists: Voeckler, Fedrigo, along with Samuel Dumoulin, Christian Vande...
Read more Key momentsThe stage in videos
Summary of the race
Interview - Stage Winner
Image of the day
Landscape of the day
Analysis of the stage
The day's route
Magazine
Jean-François Pescheux's analysis of the...
The towns 2012 : visit Samatan
Visit Gers
Visit Gers
Visit Gers
Through the geologist eyes
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Tourist attractions
Samatan
From its many hills, Samatan, at the gates of Gascony and Toulouse, offers a great view on the Pyrenees with the pikes of Arbizon and Midi de Bigorre in the background. Its harmonious landscape, green and relaxed, is scattered with small woods and isolated farms in the huge check-board of the fields. This is why Samatan logically turned to green tourism with an emphasis on gastronomy and trekking.
The town has been equipped since the 1980S by a holiday village on the banks of a now renowned lake. It comprises a hotel nd adining rooms with a panoramic view over the lake. 2012 is an important year for the holiday centre as the lodgings will be entirely refurbished while the outside greens have been renovated in the respect of environment. Among the novelties, a spa has been added to the many activities on offer while access for the disabled has been improved.
Population: 2,200
Department of Gers (32)
Economy : agriculture, crafts, tourism, markets.
Specialties : foie gras.
Sport : Lombez Samatan Club Rugby.
Celebrities : Francois de Belleforest (Renaissance poet),.
Festivals : patron saint fair (August), Antiques fair and foie gras fair (August), geenweek (March),.
Pau
Pau Porte des Pyrénées is a territory of 250,000 men and women with a strong sense of common identity based on peace, sharing and passion. It is a natural outdoors sports destination with the Eaux-Vives Stadium, a golf course, trails for walking and rambling... Nature is everywhere in the town, in its numerous parks and gardens or its plots of land maintained by the sheep. It is also a cultural destination with the Chateau de Pau, its light show and outdoor nightime spectacles in its gardens.  Royal land, the city was the birthplace of Henri IV and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte who became King of Sweden. It is also the land of good cheer with many homegrown produce: the Jurancon wines, la poule au pot, foie gras, sheeps' milk cheese. Finally Pau makes the most of an innovative global economy: geosciences, food processing, aeronautics, horse breeding and Pau Broadband Country, the first high speed network in France. Pau has everything on offer to tempt you to stay either for a day, a weekend or your whole life so you can adopt brand Pau Porte des Pyrénées!
Population: 87, 000
Prefecture of Pyrenees Atlantiques (64)
Specialities : béarnaise sauce, garbure (soup), poule au pot, jurançon and Bearn wines, jams and honey.
Economy : services, oil refinery, petrochemicals, food products, mechanics, new technologies. Tourism.
Motto : Urbis palladium et gentis.
Sport : Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez (basketball), Section paloise (rugby union), Pau FC (football), canoe kayak national centre, first golf in France built by the English.
Celebrities : King Henry IV, Porthos (musketeer), Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, Abd el-Kader, Saint-John Perse, Tony Estanguet (canoeist), Christian Laborde, Stephane Auge, Nicolas and Julien Escude.
Events : Summer in Pau, Bulles d’Afrique, de la Caraïbe, Hestiv’Oc, Les Zébulitions, Mosaïka.
Jersey wearers after the stage 20
- yellow jerseyWIGGINS B.SKY
- polka-dot jerseyVOECKLER T.EUC
- white jerseyVAN GARDEREN T.BMC
- the day's winnerCAVENDISH M.SKY
- teamRADIOSHACK-.RNT
- super-combativeSORENSEN C.STB
Key moments
- 23:00Summary of the race
- 17:39Great Brit: Wiggins creates history
- 16:00Interview - Stage Winner
- 19:02Sagan: «I want to finish this season...
- 18:56Froome: «I couldn't be happier»
- 18:49Van Garderen: «It's been a huge three...
- 18:43Cavendish: «You've seen my sprint is...
- 18:31Wiggins: «It's very surreal»
- 11:45Analysis of the stage
- 10:30The day's route
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