Arvesen, of Team CSC, led a photo-finish sprint among three riders in a 12-man group as the race left the Pyrenean foothills and headed toward three days of flat stages that are likely to favor sprinters.

“Today I rolled the dice and everything worked well,” the 33-year-old Norwegian champion said. “Winning a stage of the Tour while I’m wearing my national jersey — it can’t get much better than that.”

Evans, the Silence Lotto team leader, stayed in yellow by finishing 14 minutes, 51 seconds back in the main pack that included his top rivals for the overall title in the three-week race.

He didn’t chase the breakaway group because it didn’t contain anyone likely to challenge for the title. The highest-placed rider in that bunch was Russia’s Alexandre Botcharov, who erased his deficit to Evans to 6:07, from 20:47.

The 31-year-old Australian, who was runner-up in last year’s Tour, held onto his narrow one second lead over Frank Schleck of Luxembourg. American rider Christian Vande Velde is third, 38 seconds behind.

Other expected title contenders include Russia’s Denis Menchov, who is 57 seconds behind Evans in fifth, and Carlos Sastre of Spain in sixth, 1:28 off the leader’s pace.

Evans said he was nursing residual pain from a nasty crash in Sunday’s ninth stage, and was hoping it will have disappeared by the time the race reaches the Alps.

Evans will wear yellow on Thursday for the 104.7-mile 12th stage through rolling hills and plains from Lavelanet to Narbonne on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.

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