Tour de France

Stage 17: Pau to Col du Tourmalet, 174km/108mi

By Cathy Mehl

It was the 75th time the Tour de France included the climb to the Tourmalet as part of the route.  Thursday’s stage 17 mountaintop finish was predicted to be an epic battle between Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank and race leader and defending champion Alberto Contador (Astana).  Needing only nine seconds to take back the yellow jersey, it was the final day in the mountains and the last chance for Schleck to move into the lead before Saturday’s decisive time trial.  Attacking as the main field exited the village of Bareges, Schleck accelerated away from the group with 12km to go.  Contador immediately responded, distancing everyone else and the battle was on between the top two riders.  Schleck stomped out a rhythm and accelerated a few times to break things up, but Contador responded every time and the duo rode together as the kilometers ticked over.   After a few minutes Andy would attempt to ride away but Contador would close the distance each time.  Finally Contador gave a dig, but Schleck rode back to the wheel as well, and approaching the top the two riders were side-by-side with the Luxembourger just taking the victory on the line as Contador eased off, acknowledging the work Schleck put in on the front for the entire climb.  Schleck pumped his fist, smiled broadly and patted his friend Contador on the back, the battle ending in a draw. 

After the stage, asked how it felt to ride his last mountain stage in the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong answered, “It was a tough one, a tough one.  They don’t get much harder than the Tourmalet and we obviously had some tough conditions," he said, referring to the misty rain and fog that shrouded the top of the climb.  "The tempo was fast right from the bottom.  I think Contador and Schleck were both interested in going for the stage on such a legendary mountain.  The most important thing was that we stay ahead in the Team GC and we did."  Asked about his plans for the future, he said, "To be honest I’m not looking forward to any more suffering in any kind of endurance event.  I think I will continue to ride and run for fun."  After a rest day visit from his kids, Lance shared that, "Most of my family have gone back to Paris but (son) Luke stayed on and we’re going to put him to work with the team and he’s going to be my roommate.  He’s the first roommate I’ve had in any Tour in seven years!”

Team RadioShack’s Chris Horner put in a heroic ride on the Tourmalet, climbing up into tenth place overall.  “I wasn’t thinking so much about GC,” said Horner after the stage.  “I was just thinking we might have a shot at the stage win or something.  Of course, yeah there was a fantastic Andy and Contador but thought maybe we’d bring them back.  Anyways, there was the Team classification too and no Caisse d’Epargne guys there so we put some more time on them and now we don’t have to take so many risks in the upcoming time trial.  I  did a lot of work the first week of the Tour, then a lot of work the second week of the Tour and a lot of work in the third week of the Tour.  Today was one of those days where I finally got to follow everybody and not do other stuff so I could play at the finish too.  I’ve been pleased with my riding all three weeks.  When we went into the cobblestones I went in at the front.  For a guy of my type of riding I thought that was pretty impressive.  Later when Lance needed me I was there for Lance.  When Levi needed me I was there for Levi.  Today I was there for me.  So it was a good Tour I think,” Horner concluded.   With fifthteenth place as his best finish, Horner is now the best-placed Team rider, followed by an ailing  Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden in 13th and 14th, making three riders in the top fifteen for The Shack.  The Team easily lead the Teams classification now by a hefty 8:30 over Caisse d’Epargne.

Heavy rained moved into the area overnight, leaving wet roads and cool temperatures for the peloton of 172 riders.  A quick break of seven formed up almost from the gun and included Marcus Burghardt (BMC),  Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) and Alexandr Kolobnev (Team Katusha).   Along the way third place Samuel Sanchez suffered a crash that originally looked to be very serious, but the Spaniard remounted and was paced back by his teammates to a slowed peloton.  Just as he fell, 2008 Tour winner Carlos Sastre of Cervelo was on the attacke as he attempted to bridge to the breakaway group.  Sastre ended up riding in the gap alone for more than two hours before being swallowed up by the main field at the base of the Tourmalet.   The steepness of the climb broke up the leading group with Kolobnev and Burghardt the last two dangling off the front, before they were picked off by Schleck and Contador. 

Schleck showed good power on the climb, but the rhythm he established really did nothing to wear down Contador, and by staying in the front he never had the element of surprise on his side.  Probably hoping the high-speed pedaling would do the trick, Contador never looked under any pressure and Schleck's options were limited. However, Contador’s own attack was quickly countered by Andy and in years past he was able to ride away from the field, establishing solid proof that Schleck has improved in the last 12-months and a new rivalry in cycling has been born.

Friday is a sprint stage of 198km from Salies-de-Bearn to Borduaux on a pancake-flat stage before Saturday’s time trial.  If the wind comes up there is a good chance Saxo Bank will try to break up the field, but more than likely the race against the clock for Stage 19 will secure a third Tour victory for Alberto Contador. Paris is only three days away and a tired peloton look forward to reaching the City of Lights after a tough 2010 Tour de France.

Top Ten Results

1              Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank        5:03:29                   

2              Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana                                  

3              Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:01:18  

4              Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions            0:01:27  

5              Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi          0:01:32  

6              Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank               0:01:40  

7              Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank                                  

8              Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack        0:01:45  

9              Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto          0:01:48  

10            Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:02:14

Team RadioShack Results

13           Andreas Klöden (Ger)   0:03:30                 

17           Lance Armstrong (USA)   0:04:12 

42           Sergio Paulinho (Por)   0:08:59     

43           Levi Leipheimer (USA)

90           Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz)  0:23:19                                 

91           Grégory Rast (Swi) Team Radioshack                       

92           Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team Radioshack

117         Jani  Brajkovic (Slo) 0:28:58

General Classification after Stage 17

1              Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana                 83:32:39                

2              Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank        0:00:08  

3              Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi          0:03:32  

4              Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank               0:03:53  

5              Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto          0:05:27  

6              Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank                 0:06:41  

7              Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:07:03  

8              Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions            0:09:18  

9              Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:10:12  

10            Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack        0:10:37

Team RadioShack on General Classification

13           Levi Leipheimer (USA)   0:14:24

14           Andreas Klöden (Ger)   0:14:44                 

23           Lance Armstrong (USA)   0:37:58              

45           Jani Brajkovic (Slo)   1:22:00          

46           Sergio Paulinho (Por)   1:23:37

86           Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)   2:37:40

115         Gregory Rast (Swi)   3:11:09 

149         Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) 3:42:52

Photos courtesy of Graham Watson