Sammy Sanchez battled bravely to recover and then gain time on Denis Menchov (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Sanchez Crashes But Gains Time Spaniard Samuel Sanchez's hopes of a podium finish on the Tour de France were almost dashed after a crash early in the final mountain stage of this year's race Thursday. Sanchez, who entered the stage in third overall behind race leader Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, was left gasping for breath after crashing and hurting his sternum and ribs.
The crash happened at the 24th kilometre of the 174km ride from Pau to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet. Sanchez got back on his bike after receiving treatment from the official race doctor Gerard Porte.
"He hurt his sternum and also has soreness in his rib cage area," Porte told France television. "He found it hard to breathe again at first, but apart from that there is nothing to report."
Sanchez, the reigning Olympic road race champion who rides for Euskaltel, was left prone on the ground after his crash but with the help of teammates he was able to rejoin the main peloton shortly afterwards. He began the day two minutes behind Contador in the race's general classification, with podium rival Denis Menchov of Rabobank at just 13 seconds adrift.
Despite his crash, Sanchez managed to rebound take precious seconds out of Menchov by the summit. He now leads the Russian by 21 seconds, but knows his true test will come in the time trial Saturday where Menchov is heavily favored.
|  The sprinters have two more stages to contest the green jersey competition | | (Photo: Roberto Bettini) | Sprinters Prepare for Final Challenges Norwegian Thor Hushovd says his bid for a third Tour de France green jersey will be decided by his freshness after a brutal fourth day of climbing in the Pyrenees. Cervélo sprinter Hushovd leads Italian rival Alessandro Petacchi by four points ahead of Friday's 18th stage, one of only two remaining in which he can reinforce his green jersey lead.
The 198km ride from Salies-de-Bearn to Bordeaux is mainly flat and, along with Sunday's final ride into the Champs Elysées in Paris, offers the sprinters a maximum of points at the finish line.
"Both stages are very important and I think that whoever is freshest after the stage to Tourmalet will have the edge," said Hushovd, who won the tough stage three over the cobbles in Arenberg.
"I didn't come into the Tour with the kind of power I'd hoped for but I'm getting gradually stronger and I will be doing everything I can to keep this green jersey."
Although Petacchi and Hushovd can duel for the points awarded at the two intermediate sprints, at the 29.5 and 150.5 kilometer marks, it is at the finish where the jersey could change hands on Friday.
Winners of the flatter stages are awarded 35 pts, with the runner-up awarded 30 and so on. It means one slip-up from Hushovd, and Petacchi will be back in green.
And then there's Britain's Mark Cavendish to contend with. The HTC-Columbia rider has won three stages so far, taking his career tally to an impressive 13 in only three participations. Cavendish will finish this Tour with the handicap of losing key lead-out man, Mark Renshaw, after the Australian was excluded after stage 11 for trying to headbutt Kiwi Julian Dean.
Although Cavendish has shown he can sprint without the benefit of Renshaw's back-wheel slipstream, the Isle of Man rider coming second on stage 13 to Revel when Alexandre Vinokourov won after a late escape, Hushovd is not so sure.
"It could change a lot of things for Cavendish," said the Norwegian. "If Renshaw had been there he would be able to bring Cavendish in for the final sprint in the best condition possible."
Despite his 29-point deficit, Cavendish is still in contention for the green jersey - an objective he had to put on the back burner after a disastrous start to the race.
Hushovd admits his lack of top end speed this year will force him to collect as many points as possible, including at the intermediate sprints.
"It's a very tight battle and every point counts. I cannot afford to not go for any," he said. 
| | Anthony Charteau just has to make it to Paris to earn the Tour's climbing prize | | (Photo: Roberto Bettini) | Charteau Locks Up Polka Dots
Anthony Charteau was rewarded for his consistent racing on the Tour de France climbing stages with the polka dot jersey for the race's best climber on Thursday. Charteau, who races for the Bbox-Bouygues team, went into the final climbing stage of this year's race, a 174km ride from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet, with a 15-point lead on fellow Frenchman Christophe Moreau.
With four climbs featuring on stage 17, and plenty of points to pick up, it was Moreau's last chance for glory on what is his final Tour de France. However, the Caisse d'Epargne team veteran's chances were hampered by an early breakaway that forged ahead to gobble up the points available on the race's first three climbs.
Moreau would have had to finish seventh on the stage, and ahead of Charteau, to claim the 16 points at the finish line that would allow him to snatch the polka dot jersey on the final day in the mountains. But early on the 18.6km ascent to the Col du Tourmalet, which has staged only one finish on the race, Moreau was one of several riders quickly dropped as the pace of the leaders' teams picked up.
He eventually finished 22nd at 4min 36sec behind stage winner Andy Schleck, who came over the finish line with race leader Alberto Contador having failed to close his eight-second deficit to the Spaniard. Charteau admitted he was soaking up his eventual win well before the summit.
"I knew when Christophe began to struggle early on the climb (to Tourmalet) that my victory was virtually assured," said Charteau, who finished the stage in 27th over a minute behind Moreau. "That allowed me to just ride up to the summit savouring my win. It was quite an experience, with all the fans at the roadside."
"I deliberately rode the final few kilometres by myself so I could take it all in," he said. "It was extraordinary. When I came round the final bend, the fans waiting there did a big 'Ola' for me. That's something you don't get a lot when you're racing."
Charteau's feat is another huge boost for Jean-Rene Bernaudeau's Bbox-Bouygues team as they continue their search for a new sponsor. Earlier this week French champion Thomas Voeckler and Pierrick Fedrigo boosted that campaign by winning a stage each in the Pyrenees. 
| | Friends and teammates, Chavanel (l) and Pineau will both stay with Quick Step | | (Photo: Chris Henry) | Chavanel and Pineau Extend With Quick Step
French riders Sylvain Chavanel and Jérôme Pineau have extended their contracts with the Quick Step team until the end of 2011 with an option for a further year, the Belgian team confirmed Wednesday.
"Sylvain and Jerome are two very important riders in our team," team general manager Patrick Lefevere said. "We're building the group's future on their shoulders."
Chavanel, winner of two stages on this year's Tour de France and the yellow jersey holder for two days, and Pineau, who wore the top climber's polka dot jersery, joined the team early in 2009. Pineau claimed a stage in the Giro d'Italia this year. The two are very close friends off the bike and showed their solidarity throughout the Tour.
Armstrong Lawyers Up Lance Armstrong said Thursday he is confident of clearing his name after hiring a criminal defence lawyer to represent him in a federal investigation into serious doping accusations.
"Obviously, you need some legal counsel on this," he said. "I wouldn't read anything into it. I'm 100 percent confident that there will be a satisfactory resolution for me."
Seven-time race champion Armstrong is racing his final Tour campaign amid a series of damaging doping accusations levelled by former US Postal teammate Floyd Landis. Landis claimed that he, Armstrong and other riders at the team - which existed from 1997-2004 and was part funded by public money - were involved in systematic doping practices.
Armstrong has vehemently denied the allegations, and has questioned the credibility of Landis, a man who denied for four years that he doped despite testing positive and losing his title after winning the 2006 race.
The probe is being led by US Food and Drug Administration special agent Jeff Novitzky, who was in charge of the BALCO investigation into the use and distribution of designer steroids and which led to a jail term for former sprint queen Marion Jones after she was found guilty of perjury.
Armstrong was reported on Wednesday to have hired Los Angeles-based criminal defence lawyer Bryan D. Daly, a former federal prosecutor and partner at the firm Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton. Armstrong went on to suggest that anybody who may be called to give testimony should do likewise.
"You know, I think anybody involved should have legal protection, and know their rights and know what's truly best for them," he added. "It's safe to say that I will have representation here, just to be safe."
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