South African Daryl Impey added an individual stage win to his Tour de France happy memories when he prevailed at the end of a long breakaway from St Etienne on Sunday.

Geraint Thomas and Ineos team-mate Egan Bernal profited hugely as French rival Thibaut Pinot was caught in a group who lost 100 seconds on the 217.5km stage from Saint-Flour to Albi.

MATT LAWTON IN BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE: The race for the big prize might have failed to ignite here on the first day in the Pyrenees but there was no shortage of fireworks

Forecasters also predicted new temperatures highs in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where the mercury is set to reach 104F (40C) for the first time on Thursday.

MATT LAWTON IN GAP: Team Ineos go into three massive days in the Alps that will determine the outcome of the most mesmerising Tour de France in decades, without captain Luke Rowe.

MATT LAWTON IN PARIS: Brailsford believes Bernal is capable of maintaining the team's dominance of the Tour de France for years to come. At 22, he is the youngest man to win in Paris since 1909.

The 55-year-old cycling coach confirmed in an interview with The Times that he has had surgery on a tumour which doctors discovered after flagging up concerns over blood tests.

The most successful cyclist in history, Eddy Merckx, is in intensive care after falling during a bike ride with friends. He was admitted to Dendermonde hospital in Belgium on Sunday.

The Tour de France's organisers are focusing on a postponement of this year's race rather than a cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic. 'Le Tour' was set to roll out of Nice on June 27th.

The Tour de France and French Open have come under doubt after ministers stated they would only be held if fans can attend. Events in France gathering 5,000 people have been banned until September

In its quest to become more Motoring upwardly mobile and cool, Vauxhall has unveiled its new small, but perfectly formed, upmarket urban runaround called . . . Adam.

A British sports car, whose determined lady driver beat the Nazis to win Olympic gold at the Berlin Games of 1936, has revved into London 2012.

Sultry pop star Lana del Rey took the wraps off Jaguar's flashy new F-Type sports car, pictured right, as a string of new British vehicles stole the Paris Motor Show from under the noses of the French this week.

I love the look of the new Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet which makes its world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show on November 28 and will go on sale in Britain in spring.

Start queuing for the Dacia Sandero - it’s Britain’s cheapest car at less than £6,000. Renault bought the Romanian car-maker in 1999 as its ‘budget’ brand and the UK market is the final piece of the jigsaw.

It accelerates from rest to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and will cost around £77,000 when in showrooms early next year (for delivery in summer).

Production of the third generation Octavia started this month at the Mlada Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic, ahead of its March launch in Britain.

Major car makers including Vauxhall, Nissan, Citroen and Volvo will exhibit a range of their latest and yet to launch vehicles as well as providing test drives at the Future Drive Motor Show.

What would you splash out on if your numbers came up? According to new research, for British car fans, nothing but a Bentley will do.

With a longer range, lots of extra space and a heavier steer, the Nissan LEAF might be small but it drives like one of the big boys - and that's no bad thing.

It has classic sporty looks, a spirited driving performance and is an engaging Toyota to suit carefree, boy racers now with families in tow.

Jaguar's sexy new F-type sports car hit the road this week and from my exclusive first drive, I can tell you that the cat has got the cream, writes RAY MASSEY.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a growing family must be in want of a multi-purpose car, writes RAY MASSEY of the £23,895 KIA Carens '3' 1.7 CRDi manual.

Mercedes-Benz' new flagship S-Class limousine, pictured, could be the cleverest car on the road; it can 'see' potholes and bumps ahead, writes RAY MASSEY.

RAY MASSEY: The first things to catch the eye are the curious blisters of air-filled plastic, which adorn the sides of the door and bodywork.

It’s no slouch. On Germany’s unrestricted motorways, it’ll cruise happily and legally top-down in the ‘slow’ lane at 100 mph.

Let's hear it for 12 plucky drivers who drove for 24 hours at an average speed of 125 mph in British-built Vauxhall Astra hatchbacks.

Most of the hi-tech kit needed for the car to drive itself — from self-parking to collision avoidance — is already hard-wired into the new version.

Mary Barra, an engineer and mother of two teenagers, became the most powerful woman in the motor industry this week.

Just in time to add to your New Year wish list comes Mercedes-Benz's latest version of its C-Class compact saloons. And what a high-tech feast it is.

Nifty, nimble and willing 1.6-litre 156 bhp petrol engine linked to a smooth six-speed manual gearbox, which helped propel the car from rest to 62 mph in just 8.2 seconds.

What better way to banish the blues than to contemplate - subject to a lottery win - having some fun behind the wheel of the new Lamborghini Huracán?

Ray Massey, motoring editor, gets to grips with the award-winning family car, Nick Clegg's push for electric cars and the biggest dangers on the road.

As the new year plates arrive, car sales look set to flourish as people are enjoying PPI claim payouts and cheap credit.

The second worst car was the Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2005- 2012) managing just 42.6 mpg compared with the claimed 59.6 mpg (71.8 per cent).

Motoring editor Ray Massey takes the new Citroen Grand 4 Picasso Exclusive e-HDi 115 Airdream for a mini test and gives you the lowdown.

Although Motoring Editor Ray Massey is a fan of electric cars, he has concerns over how practical they are.

Motoring editor Ray Massey takes the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 5.0 litre V8 (from £85,000) for a mini test and tells you the best and worst bits of his drive.

A few weeks ago Ray branded the Government's electric car policy being in a mess. His Whitehall sources tell him it rattled cages at the Department for Transport.

Mike Flewitt, chief executive of McLaren, was speaking this week about the challenge of keeping his international high-octane customers satisfied

The Audi S3 feels smart, comfortable, sporty and grown-up, but also great fun says RAY MASSEY. The stop-start system also switches off the engine to save fuel.

Recently voted Auto Express's best compact SUV of the year, the Porsche Macan S is priced from £43,000

This French back-to-basics family car combines simplicity and efficiency with practicality, low ownership costs and quirky looks. It also boasts a 1.6 litre HDi four-cylinder in-line turbodiesel engine.

The car is largely based on the concept car revealed a year ago and both the five and seven-seat versions are designed for greater flexibility.

The event marks Parliament allowing motorists to drive without a man waving a red flag ahead in 1896. Hollywood drove a two-seater 1904 De Dion-Bouton

Mazda promises great performance, economy, safety and driving fun when the supermini reaches Britain early next year, priced from around £13,000.

The model hasn't been seen in 35 years. It will cost £7,000 and manage up to 70mpg. Its features include heated seats and steering wheel

Including the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, Coupe and Gran Coupe. The cabriolet will go from rest to 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds. All petrol models will have a sports tuned exhaust system.

The Czech company beat rivals BMW and Range Rover to win the title. The original Skoda Fabia won the award 15 years ago as well. Since VW took over the firm, Skoda has shed its joke reputation.

It's a petrol electric sport hybrid with aerodynamic low slung features. It has a combination of the 550bhp twin-turbo V6 engine at the rear and two of its three electric motors fixed on the axle towards the front.