Portuguese cyclist Sérgio Paulinho, riding for Team Radio Shack, has won stage 10 of the 2010 Tour de France. Today's stage was a challenging, mountainous 178 km (111 miles) ride from Chambéry to Gap. Early on, Paulinho joined five other cyclists in a break away group that distanced the peloton (main group of cyclists) by a margin of 14 minutes. That's a huge margin. Two of the riders in the break away group were French and were trying to secure a victory on France's national holiday; Bastille day. However, with just under 10 kilometers to go, Paulinho answered attacks by other riders in the group of six with a counter-attack of his own. Only one other rider, Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus, was able to keep up.

Paulinho is an excellent rider, which is why Team Radio Shack wanted him on their squad. Sérgio started his professional cycling career in 2001 and he wasted no time in making headlines. That year, he won the bronze medal in World Championships. The following year, he won 3 stages of the Volta å Portugal. In 2004, he won the silver medal in the Athens Olymipics for Road Cycling. That same year, he went on to win two stage victories in the Volta å Portugal (Tour of Portugal) as well as being Portugal's national Time Trial victorr a feat he accomplished again in 2008.

As Paulinho and Kiryienka approached the flamme rouge (red flag), a flag indicating just one kilometer to the finish line, Paulinho tucked in behind Vasil's back wheel and waited for him moment to pounce. On paper, Kiryienka was the stronger rider who could sprint faster. Being that Paulinho was behind him, this was do or die for the Portuguese rider who had never won a stage victory in the Tour de France. With just 300 meters to go (just under 1/4 mile), Paulinho surged past Kiryienka with all his might. The Belarussian tried to counter-attack but he waited too long and Paulinho won the stage by less than a quarter wheel margin.

Parabéns to Sérgio Paulinho for a great ride!