Sanchez wins crash-marred ninth stage as Voeckler takes yellow jersey

Saint Flour, France (dpa) - Thomas Voeckler finished second behind Luis-Leon Sanchez of the Rabobank team in the ninth stage of the Tour de France Sunday to
take the leader′s yellow jersey from Norway′s Thor Hushovd.
Europcar's Voeckler was part of a three-man breakaway group in the 208-kilometre stage from Issoire to Saint Flour that also included fellow Frenchman Sandy Cesar.
Sanchez claimed victory in a time of 5 hours, 27 minutes and 9 seconds, coming home 5.3 seconds ahead of Voeckler and 3:59 clear of the chasing peloton.
Voeckler now leads Sanchez by 1:49 in the overall standings with Australian Cadel Evans third, 2:26 adrift.
However, the stage was overshadowed by a crash that resulted in Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov and Belgian Jurgen Van den Broeck withdrawing from this year's race.
Vinokourov, who finished third in the 2003 Tour and won the Spanish Vuelta in 2006, was taken to hospital with a fractured thigh bone while Van den Broeck, fifth in last year's race, suffered facial injuries and a broken shoulder blade.
In a day of accidents, a television car also hit two members of a five-man breakaway group of five riders - Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland - approximately 35km from the finish.
The Tour takes a break Monday before resuming with the 10th stage Tuesday, a 158km ride from Aurillac to Carmaux.