The expected race contenders didn't gain any ground on Rasmussen during the 99.1-mile course from the Val d'Isere ski station to Briancon. But pre-race favorite Alexandre Vinokourov, who is nursing knee injuries from a crash, lost more time against the Dane.

The 24-year-old Colombian, competing in his first Tour for the newcomer Barloworld team, clocked 4 hours, 14 minutes and 24 seconds for the ride featuring three tough climbs, including the fabled Galiber and Iseran passes.

"I'm really happy ... Winning a stage is a dream," Soler Hernandez said.

Spain's Alejandro Valverde was second and Cadel Evans of Australia trailed third, each 38 seconds back.

The last of three Alpine stages dealt a heavy blow to Vinokourov's hopes of a Tour title. The Kazakh rider with Team Astana team had come into the stage 5:23 behind Rasmussen, and lost about 2 more minutes.

"I did what I could. The team worked well again ... and tried to reduce the gap," Vinokourov told France television.

"It was another horrible day for me," he said before breaking into tears.