It features a dozen riders from almost as many countries that have a plausible shot at winning the overall race and wearing the yellow jersey in Paris July 25.

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Contador, the yellow jersey winner in Paris, first in 2007 and then in 2009, could have been be stripped of the 2010 Tour title.

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Simpson was a childhood idol for Wiggins and it would appear fitting if he could ride into Paris in three weeks' time in yellow and make cycling history.

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Wiggins is the breakthrough British Tour champ, the first yellow jersey winner to follow victory in Paris with a gold.

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Germany's Stefan Schumacher won the stage in a time of one hour three minutes and 50 seconds, but the main attention focused on battle for yellow with only Sunday's final stage into Paris remaining.

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But, like a breakthrough band suddenly finding itself appreciated by a mainstream audience, the Londoner's serendipitous success in his own city, coming just days after he became the first ever Briton to ride up Paris' Champs-Elysees in the Tour de France winner's yellow jersey, has seen him transformed from respected niche sportsman into "Wiggo, " the people's champion and a cult phenomenon.

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But nothing looks better than yellow, and nobody knows this better than the man who wore it Sunday in Paris, right at the front.

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