Lampre's Daniele Bennati took a breakaway victory in an uneventful stage 17 of the Tour de France in Castelsarrasin.

The Italian chased down attacks from Martin Elmiger, Jens Voigt and Markus Fothen over the final stages, and prevailed comfortably in the sprint.

Alberto Contador finished safely in peloton and took the yellow jersey for the first time in his career with just three stages of the race remaining.

With the Cofidis team absent and Michael Rasmussen axed by the Rabobank, team, just 142 rider started the stage, though Bouygues Telecom's Xavier Florencio was one man who refused to be affected by the sombre mood around the peloton, and attacked inside the first kilometre.

His attack was swiftly reeled in, but it was not long before a group of eight riders, comprised of Voigt (CSC), Matteo Tossato (Quickstep), Daniele Righi, Bennati (both Lampre), Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas), Fothen (Gerolsteiner), Elmiger (Ag2r) and Britain's David Millar (Saunier Duval) broke away from the field successfully.

The struggled over the first 80 kilometres to extend their gap over the Caisse d'Epargne-driven peloton beyond the three minute mark, though the Spanish outfit gave up the half-hearted chase midway through the stage and the gap soon crept up to the eight-minute mark.

Rabobank's Denis Menchov, meanwhile, stepped off his bike having seemingly lost the will to go on following the Rasmussen scandal.

A huge burst from Voigt on the Côte de la Montagnère 20 kilometres from home shattered the breakaway group, with only Bennati, Fothen and Elmiger able to go with him.

With none of Voigt, Fothen and Elmiger seeming to have the legs to escape the close attentions of Bennati, the stage came down to a sprint which the Italian took with ease.

Millar and Tossato rolled in just under three minutes back, followed by Quinziato and Righi.

Tom Boonen led home the peloton ahead of his rivals for the green jersey.

"I'm very happy with this victory, it's one of the best rides I've ever had. It was pretty hard because we broke away so early," Bennati told Eurosport.

"I really hope that this Tour will solve all these problems as the people who follow it don't deserve it. I've always loved this sport and I hope it gets better.

"We need to go on and we need to do this for all the people who believe in this sport and for the sport itself."

Contador admitted his delight at wearing yellow in the Tour for the first time in his career, though would not be drawn on the furore surrounding Rasmussen.

"I am happy. I feel good, there are three days remaining. I would have preferred to take the yellow jersey in yesterday's stage but there are particular circumstances," he said.

Eurosport