Italy Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) did get some time for a training ride, in between media duties with his partner and a carousel.(Image credit: AFP)
Lance Armstrong (Astana) has some fun with the cameras during the rest day. We're not sure how Tiger fits into the equation.(Image credit: AFP)
Carlos Sastre and his mechanic share a hug before the defending Tour champion rolls out for a training ride.(Image credit: AFP)
Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) enjoys a coffee while wearing the Tour de France race leader's jersey.(Image credit: AFP)
Lance Armstrong shows his soft side as he spends some time posing with kids waiting next to Astana's team bus.(Image credit: AFP)
Franco Pellizotti spent some time relaxing after being in a day-long break on stage nine.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) takes part in one final, quirky photo for the media before setting out on a training ride.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Silence-Lotto's Cadel Evans spent his rest day analysing the upcoming Tour de France stages. Perhaps he's found somewhere to make up three minutes?(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) shows off his yellow jersey and his tattoos on the first rest day.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador didn't look overly thrilled as he waited for a press conference to start.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
As a favourite for this year's race, Alberto Contador was the media's main focus on the first rest day.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Secret deals in the peloton? Race leader Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) has a chat with the Silence Lotto team car.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vincenzo Nibali had a strong opening week to the Tour de France, with the Italian from Liquigas now in 10th place overall.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Katusha enjoyed a quiet day during the rest day, with the scene around its team vehicles void of life.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
No horsing around, Tour de France leader Rinaldo Nocentini has shown some horsepower in this year's Tour de France. Ahh, too many bad jokes, too little time...(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Franco Pellizotti has been active in this year's race, including a day-long break on stage nine where he came frustratingly close to a stage win.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) shows off his yellow jersey and partner in the traditional, sometimes bizarre, rest day media commitments that each yellow jersey faces each year.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
So what does the peloton get up to during a rest day? Well after a flight the previous night to Limoges, many of the riders simply spend the day resting mixed in with a brief training ride mixed in. If you're a Astana or Columbia-HTC rider you might have even got lost on that training ride (link to external website).
But for a select few - mainly the race leader and general classification favourites - you need to fit your casual training ride in between being mobbed by fans, requests for interviews and the traditional requests for quirky photo shoots. Surprise race leader Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) had his fair share of stalking by the media during the Tour's first rest day, with coffee shop and carousel photoshoots all part of the responsibility that comes with the yellow jersey.
While Nocentini filled his obligations, other riders - like Tour hopeful Cadel Evans - spent the day figuring out where they can make up for lost time over the coming week. Evans was just one of the general classification contenders to take a hammering in the overall standings over the first 10 days, as Astana powered the majority of its team into the top 10 overall.
Evans was so busy relaxing, he even let 'Ronny Roo' (the nickname for the kangaroo on his headtube, we presume) update his website CadelEvans.com.au. Roo said: "He’s fine and happy to have a rest day, like most of the people involved with the Tour, especially every one watching from Australia… He’s amazed at how many Aussie’s are in France; he could finally read some of the messages from the Guestbook and he would like to say, once again, a loud thank you to you all"
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