British cyclist Bradley Wiggins declared this year's Tour de France as "null and void" after he was unwittingly caught up in the doping scandals that have tainted the race.

Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark has been removed from the race for violating internal rules set by his team.

If you’re an optimist you would say that cycling is in such a deep black hole of scandal that soon thing must get better. One main reason why the once revered Tour de France is in such agony, suffering a thousand cuts from doping, is that the sport failed to fully heed the lessons from previous drug scandals in 1998 and as recently as last year.

Tour de France riders staged a silent protest at the start of Wednesday's 16th stage to demonstrate their anger over repeated doping scandals.

South African Robert Hunter of the Barloworld team won a wind-battered 11th stage of the Tour de France in Montpelier on Friday morning (Australian time) after 182 kilometres of drama-filled racing.

Quick Step rider Cedric Vasseur gave the hosts their first stage win of this year's Tour de France when he led a French 1-2 ahead of compatriot Sandy Casar in the 229.5-kilometre 10th stage in Marseille.

T-Mobile's jinx on this year's Tour de France continues as German Marcus Burghardt crashed after hitting a dog during the ninth stage. Burghardt could not avoid the labrador as it crossed the road some 50 kilometres after the start of the stage from Val d'Isere. His bike was damaged but neither he nor the dog appeared to be inured.

The Tour de France rest day could not come soon enough for Alexandre Vinokourov. With the stitches in his knees still causing him unbearable pain, the Kazakhstan rider could not get anywhere close to Michael Rasmussen and just about managed to keep in touch with the other front-runners during Sunday's eighth stage.

Italian cyclist Filippo Pozzato is the winner of the fifth stage of the Tour de France, while Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara held on to the leader's yellow jersey for the sixth straight day.

The riders in the Tour de France will have a foretaste of the mountains on tonight's 182.5-kilometre fifth stage from Chablis to Autun, which is scattered with eight climbs.