Stage 11: Marseille - Montpellier

Today was a transition stage. Very flat terrain and no interesting hilltop villages or castles. Just fields and some trees. It was very hot again also but not quite as bad as yesterday.

I stopped in Arles and was there nearly 2 hours waiting for the race. Fifteen minutes before the publicity caravan was due to arrive, a cop came over and told me I wasn't allowed to park on the side of the road. I was completely off the course, my car had all the appropriate stickers and I was wearing my badge, finish line vest and cameras. He was really a jerk. There was no time to find another spot so I just came to the finish.

The peloton stayed together the whole day except for Vinokourov and some teammates who attacked. Eventually they and the other escapees were caught and Robert Hunter of South Africa of the Barloworld team won the stage. He's the first rider from South Africa to even win a Tour stage.