Belgium's Tom Boonen won Friday's sixth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish, while Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara retained the leader's yellow jersey for a seventh straight day. Boonen won the 199,5km trek from the Burgundy town of Semur-en-Auxois toward the foot of the Alps in Bourg-en-Bresse.

France has ramped up security at its embassies after a weekly revived a formula seizing attention: Publishing crude cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Linus Gerdemann of Germany won Saturday's seventh stage of the Tour de France to take the overall leader's yellow jersey as the race entered the Alps. Gerdemann won by speeding out from a group of breakaway riders during the 197km ride from Bourg-en-Bresse to Le Grand-Bornand.

France's government faced mounting pressure on Thursday after suburban rioters fired at police and firefighters, hurled rocks at trains and torched buses and car dealerships. Nine people were injured in Seine-Saint-Denis and 315 cars were torched across the Paris area where acts of violence ranged from stone-throwing to torching vehicles.

France has ramped up security at its embassies after a weekly revived a formula seizing attention: Publishing crude cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Belgium's Tom Boonen won Friday's sixth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish, while Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara retained the leader's yellow jersey for a seventh straight day. Boonen won the 199,5km trek from the Burgundy town of Semur-en-Auxois toward the foot of the Alps in Bourg-en-Bresse.

Linus Gerdemann of Germany won Saturday's seventh stage of the Tour de France to take the overall leader's yellow jersey as the race entered the Alps. Gerdemann won by speeding out from a group of breakaway riders during the 197km ride from Bourg-en-Bresse to Le Grand-Bornand.

France's government faced mounting pressure on Thursday after suburban rioters fired at police and firefighters, hurled rocks at trains and torched buses and car dealerships. Nine people were injured in Seine-Saint-Denis and 315 cars were torched across the Paris area where acts of violence ranged from stone-throwing to torching vehicles.