Alberto Contador ruled himself out of the road race at next month's Rio Olympics, saying he needs four weeks to recover from injuries sustained on the Tour de France.

The Spaniard withdrew from the Tour during the ninth stage.

How tough the gruelling race is can be made out by the 12th stage pile up, which occurred after Richie Porte crashed into a motorbike as the riders reached its climax at the top of Mount Ventoux.

Chris Froome was dramatically reinstated to the yellow jersey after a ;tour de farce; pile-up left him ­running up Mount Ventoux without his bike.

The defending champion was set to extend his lead when he was brought down in a crash after a TV ­motorbike braked suddenly on overcrowded slopes, with thousands of fans on the road.

The three-week event has witnessed a lot of action on and off the track; the spectators, treacherous but scenic view and cyclists adding a touch of drama to the race.

Rediff.com presents the highlights from the various stages of the Tour in this package of images.