Tony Martin won the Individual Team Trial on the 20th stage of the Tour De France this afternoon.
This was an absolute massive day in what has been a superb Tour and the 20th stage started and finished in Grenoble, the fist big city outside the Alps, with seven times Le Tour Winner Lance Armstrong amongst the crowds.
Fabian Cancellera (pictured below) set the fastest time of 57.15 amongst the early riders who included Mark Cavendish who completed the 42.5km course in an hour and eight minutes until Austalian Richie Porte went twelve seconds quicker.
This was the time trial course used in last month's Dauphine and the winner of that time trial HTC Highroad's Tony Martin did not disappoint.
He was fastest at the first time check, passing two riders including BMC's Steve Morabito who started four and two minutes ahead of him before being 37 seconds faster than Thomas De Gendt's second time check time.
The German (pictured above) did not beat his his time of the Dauphine but was home in a time of 55 mins and 33 seconds.
Attention was now turning to those in the battle for the yellow jersey. France's latest hero Thmas Voeckler by the way he was cheered on the course, Contador, Frank Schleck , Cadel Evans and last Leopard Trek's yellow jersey wearing Andy Schleck went off the starting ramp.
There was 57 seconds between Evans and Andy Schleck in the General Classification. On the road, Evans was eating into that time and had it down to eleven seconds. Further up the road, at the second check point, Evans was ahead.
The Aussie gained more time on Schleck as Contador came home in a time of 56.40. Evans, gave it everything he had and came in at 55.40 which put him second and handed the stage win to Tony Martin.
So how far behind was Andy Schleck? 58.11 was Schleck's time to see him finish eleventh on the stage. This meant that he had lost the Tour De France on the penultimate stage and is a minute and 34 seconds down on BMC's Cadel Evans.
"When I found I couldn't follow the overall contenders in the mountains, my only goal was a time trial win today," Martin said to the HTC Press Office, "Today I got the win and this is a really nice finish for the Tour de France for me."
"I learned a lot from the time trial in the Dauphine, it really helped. I was stronger than in the Dauphine even if my legs were suffering from the Tour, and I felt more tired than four weeks ago."
Tomorrow's final stage is from Creteil to the Champs-Elysees in Paris and is 95km long.