Friday, July 22, 2011
Associated Press
LE MONETIER-LES-BAINS, France
Andy Schleck has finally gotten the edge against Alberto Contador.
After two second-place Tour de France finishes behind the Spanish champion, Schleck all but quashed Contador’s hopes for a three-peat with a bold, long-distance breakaway win in Stage 18 in the Alps on Thursday.
The 26-year-old rider from Luxembourg handled the main pack midway along the second of three huge climbs, with 30 miles left in the 125-mile ride from Pinerolo, Italy, to Galibier Serre-Chevalier in France.
By the finish atop the ski station — the highest-altitude finish in the Tour’s 108-year history — Schleck had beaten the favorites by more than two minutes, come 15 seconds within Frenchman Thomas Voeckler’s grasp on the yellow jersey, and left Cadel Evans of Australia clinging to his title bid.
But the biggest casualty was Contador, who with an aching right knee from a crash earlier in the three-week race, straggled up to the finish — his hopes of a fourth title in tatters.
“Victory is impossible now,” said Contador, who had dropped back to the race doctor for an anti-inflammatory just as Schleck prepared his move. “I had a bad day. My legs didn’t respond and I just hit a wall.”
Schleck began the day in fourth place, 2:36 behind Voeckler. After a first ascent of the Col d’Agnel pass — which some call the toughest single Tour climb this year — Schleck attacked on the next one, Col d’Izoard, and extended his lead up much of the fabled Galibier.
The race contenders, led by Evans, finally reacted once they saw their victory hopes slipping away in Schleck’s wake. But it was too late: They could only try to stanch their losses.
He put it together with a combination of bravado, relatively fresh legs, and smart racing under an escort from his Leopard Trek teammates who had fanned out ahead to help their leader along.
It was picture-perfect teamwork, as his comrades one after the other relayed to give Schleck a draft so he could conserve his energy for his mad dash to the finish.