Frenchman takes overall lead from Fabian Cancellara; Cadel Evans 2nd, Alberto Contador 6th, Lance Armstrong 14th, Carlos Sastre in 26th overall.

Team Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanel won the 7th stage of the 2010 Tour de France and regained the overall lead Saturday, as the race entered the mountains and the major title contenders finished together.

Chavanel, the Quick Step rider who also won the second stage, raised a fist in joy as he completed the 165.5-kilometer (101-mile) route from Tournus to Station des Rousses ski station with six low- to mid-grade climbs.

Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who struggled in the final climb and lagged a staggering 14 minutes, 12 seconds back, lost the yellow jersey to Chavanel. The Frenchman began the stage fifth, 1:01 behind Cancellara.

They are the only two riders to have worn yellow this Tour: Cancellara won the prologue, Chavanel took the coveted shirt with a breakaway win on Monday and then the Swiss time trial specialist recovered it a day later.

"I had legs of fire today ... these are the types of climb that suit me," Chavanel said. "I'm going to savor it."

The French rider crossed the line alone -- clocking 4 hours, 22 minutes, 52 seconds. Rafael Valls Ferri of Spain was second, 57 seconds behind, and his countryman Juan Manuel Garate was third, 1:27 back.

The main race contenders finished 1:47 back, including 2009 winner Alberto Contador of Spain, who was 13th, and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong of the United States in 16th.

Overall, Chavanel leads two-time Tour runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia by 1:25. Canada's Ryder Hesjedal is third, 1:32 back. Last year's runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg is fourth, 1:55 behind, while Contador is sixth: 2:26 back. Armstrong is 14th, 3:16 behind Chavanel.

A staffer from Chavanel's QuickStep team squirted him with water to cool him down in the searing heat as he scaled solo the mid-grade Lamoura pass into Les Rousses, the last climb, baring his teeth as he pedaled.

The main contenders didn't work to chase Chavanel, who is generally known as a strong breakaway rider and able on mid-grade climbs, but isn't seen as a threat in the toughest climbs later in the race.

On the final climb, Armstrong kept toward the front of the main group of contenders, with Contador shadowing him. None of the main contenders -- including Evans or Bradley Wiggins of Britain, who was fourth last year -- attempted to attack.

Sunday's stage is the entree into the Alps, a 189-kilometer jaunt along two tough Category 1 climbs from Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz -- featuring an uphill finish.

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Click here for stage 7 results.