Rinaldo Nocentini took over the yellow jersey in the Tour de France after deposed leader Fabian Cancellara cracked at the end of stage seven in the Pyrenees won by France's Brice Feillu.

Italy's Nocentini ended the Tour's first mountain stage behind Feulli in fourth but far enough ahead of the big guns at the top of the general classification to take the maillot jaune.

With Cancellara finishing more than eight-and-a-half minutes back, he drops way down the standings, with Alberto Contador - who started the day third - moving up to second after finishing the stage strongly to take ninth place on the day.

The Spaniard is just six seconds behind Nocentini, with Lance Armstrong - who came home 22 seconds after Contador - going from second to third in the general classification.

The battle at the top of the standings threatens to steal the limelight from Agritubel's Feillu, who was part of an early nine-man breakaway which led the field all stage.

The Frenchman, 23, made a dash for home on the uphill finish on the Arcalis to seal victory on the 224km stage.

Christophe Kern, of Cofidis, came second and Milram's Johannes Frohlinger was third.