CEDRIC Vasseur outsprinted Sandy Casar to win stage 10 of the Tour de France between Tallard and Marseilles.

The veteran French rider outfoxed his breakaway companions at the end of an undulating 229 kilometre stage that was overshadowed by a positive dope test for the German rider Patrik Sinkewitz, whose pre-race sample showed "elevated levels of testosterone".

It was the latest blow to the crisis-torn German T-Mobile team, whose high-profile anti-doping stance left them with no alternative but to suspend Sinkewitz, pending the result of his B sample.

Sinkewitz was one of two T-Mobile riders to crash out of the Tour on stage eight, before the pre-test results were revealed. He has protested his innocence, but if his B sample proves positive he could forefeit a year’s salary under cycling’s new anti-doping code of conduct.

Sinkewitz’s test also prompted German state television to halt live coverage of the Tour.

The ARD and ZDF stations said they would only resume broadcasting if the rider’s B test proved negative.

German viewers thus missed a fascinating finish to stage 10. A group of 11 riders had escaped the main field and built a lead of over 11 minutes on the leading overall contenders, who opted to take it easy after a punishing day in the Alps on Tuesday.

The break was whittled down to four riders and an elaborate game of cat and mouse developed, with the riders repeatedly attacking each other until Vasseur made the decisive break with 300 metres to go, beating Casar by less than five centimetres.

Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen, who finished safely in the bunch ten minutes back, retains the leader’s yellow jersey.