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DAILY RACE COVERAGE: CONTADOR A STEP CLOSER TO THIRD TOUR
Road Bike Action & AFP
July 23, 2010
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(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Despite staying faithful to his promise of attacking Spaniard Alberto Contador throughout the 18.6km slog to the summit of the fog-shrouded Tourmalet, stage winner Andy Schleck finished with Contador sitting comfortably on his wheel.
In matching a series of attacks from Schleck, Contador took a huge step towards a third yellow jersey triumph on the Tour de France’s 17th stage Thursday.
"I gave it everything today, I tried to attack, I changed rhythm several times to try and drop him and I just couldn't," said Schleck, who applauded Contador's gentlemanly conduct at the end.
"In the end I have to say respect to Alberto because he didn't sprint (for the finish) at the end."
Schleck began the final climbing stage of this year's race, a 174km ride from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees, with an eight-second deficit to Spain's two-time winner in the race for the yellow jersey.
Although Schleck attacked Contador first, at the 10km to go mark, then several times after that the Spaniard made his own bid to drop the Luxemburger with 3.9km remaining.
When Schleck pulled level, he gave Contador an icy stare - which the Spaniard did not react to.
"Everybody talks about the look, but I've got to look somewhere. I'm battling with Contador, I look him in the eyes," added Schleck.
"When I came back to him, I looked at him and saw he was suffering too and that gave me a bit more confidence."
Astana team leader Contador retained his eight-second lead over the Saxo Bank climbing specialist ahead of Friday's 18th stage, which finished in a bunch sprint, won by Mark Cavendish.
Schleck's last chance to overhaul Contador would be in Saturday's penultimate stage time trial over a 52km-long flat course, a discipline in which the Spaniard has a far better record.
Barring catastrophe for Contador between Friday and Sunday, and despite Schleck's insistence he will fight to the end, the Spaniard will claim his third yellow jersey after victories in 2007 and 2009.
"There's still some stages left but let's say today it was an important stepping stone (towards the yellow jersey)," said Contador, who played down the fact he has not won any stages this year.
"I didn't have to win stages early in the race like I did last year, even though I was feeling strong. The most important thing was to be strong in the third week when the Tour was going to be decided."
"I tried to attack him but Andy's reaction showed me he was strong," added Contador.
"But the whole time I was really concentrated, and felt pretty confident. Today I had great legs."
In 2008 Contador did not compete as he turned his attention to the Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain - both of which he won.
Schleck meanwhile had to be content with his second stage win of the race after he beat Contador by 10secs at Morzine-Avoriaz in the Alps.
"I couldn't drop him but I'm really happy to have won the stage," added Schleck, who despite his inferior record in time trials has not given up hope of overhauling Contador on Saturday.
Armstrong ascends the Col du Tourmalet(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Armstrong Believes He Will Emerge From Controversy Unscathed
Accusations of doping have followed Lance Armstrong throughout his career, although the American has never tested positive.
A US government probe into alleged doping conspiracies in his former teams has been reported to be gathering steam, with three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond saying he has received a subpoena to testify.
LeMond, long a critic of Armstrong, has predicted the investigation will produce "overwhelming" evidence against the seven-time Tour winner, although there is as yet little indication of what, if any, crime such evidence will point to.
The accusations of disgraced Floyd Landis - who admitted doping after years of denials and pointed the finger at Armstrong and others - could simply have US authorities "looking anew" at cycling, says Howard Wasserman, a professor at Florida International University's College of Law and a frequent commentator on sports and law issues.
Armstrong has strenuously denied Landis's claim of systematic doping practices at their former US Postal team and questioned his compatriot's credibility.
Landis won the Tour de France in 2006 but was then stripped of his title for doping. Earlier this year he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
"I think right now they're just looking around," said Wasserman.
The New York Daily News reported that Armstrong's attorney Tim Herman has been unable to gain much information about the government's intentions.
Herman told the newspaper that authorities he met with declined to "discuss or even hint at" the tack the investigation will be taking.
Armstrong has said he'll cooperate with a "legitimate" probe, but not with a "witch hunt".
Despite the allegations he retains a strong following of fans who admire his return from life-threatening cancer to win seven Tour de France titles in a row as well as his continuing advocacy on behalf of cancer patients.
"Would the American people feel like this is a good use of their tax dollars?" Armstrong asked of the probe led by Jeff Novitzky, the federal agent who spearheaded the BALCO steroid distribution investigation that led to the downfall of athletics star Marion Jones among others.
Armstrong has now hired a criminal defence lawyer to represent him – Los Angeles-based Bryan D. Daly, a former federal prosecutor.
"I was recently retained by Mr. Armstrong to assist him with respect to the investigation by the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles," the New York Daily News quoted Daly as saying.
"We are going to work diligently to find out precisely what, if anything, this investigation has to do with Mr. Armstrong."
On Thursday, Armstrong said he was confident his name and reputation would emerge intact from the investigation.
"Obviously, you need some legal counsel on this... I wouldn't read anything into it. I'm 100 percent confident that there will be a satisfactory resolution for me," Armstrong said at the end of the Tour's 17th stage.
"You can't prosecute somebody for something they didn't do - normally. But along the way, you've got to protect yourself."
Millar descending on his way to the Col du Tourmalet(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Millar Calls 2010 'Worst Tour Ever'
David Millar says the 2010 Tour de France is easily the hardest he has ever competed in.
"I'm hanging on for dear life. I'm just trying to finish," added Millar, who has completed 12 of the 15 Grand Tours in which he has started.
"I've never even done a Grand Tour which is close to this (in difficulty). I've done Grand Tours which have been hard but I've kind of been in control, this has just been an absolute fight for survival.
Millar started his ninth Tour with the job of helping American teammate Christian Vande Velde bid for a top finish, but found himself working for Ryder Hesjedal as the Canadian rode into the top-10.
He was to realize his own personal ambitions in his speciality of the stage 19 time trial on Saturday.
But two days before the peloton reaches the Champs Elysees, Millar says he has no ambition whatsoever for the 52km race against the clock on Saturday that should rubber-stamp Alberto Contador's third yellow jersey triumph.
"I don't give two shits about the time trial," said Millar, whose Garmin-Transitions team lost Vande Velde to injury after only two stages.
It might sound defeatist to some, but Millar says he has been through the wars on this edition of the race.
Like many of the peloton he suffered from the numerous crashes which marred the first week, picking up injuries to his ribs and groin, then got sick.
Stage nine to Gap left Millar on an "emotional roller-coaster" and almost abandoning the race after spending a 180km on his own in the Alps, with only the support of fans stopping him from stepping into the broom wagon.
Then came the Pyrenees, where the climbs were more brutal. Millar is usually able to hold his own with the climbers, at least until the pace gets critically faster on the final ascension, but this time it was different.
Instead, he struggled to stay with the 'grupetto', the band of non-climbers and sprinters which forms in a collective bid to set a steady pace that allows them to battle the pain and beat the time cut-off.
"Injuries, crashes at the beginning, and I got sick in the first week. Then the injuries flared up again and I got sick again. It's been horrific.
"It's just taken me to my absolute maximum limits of survival. I've never had to do that before in racing, getting dropped from the grupetto, not being in the grupetto."
Millar would normally start the final time trial of the race with some ambitions, given that he is a former world champion in the discipline.
But having spent the race's second rest day Wednesday in bed coughing with bronchitis, it's no wonder he is without hope.
"Obviously I'm going to give it 100 percent like I do every time trial, but the chances of me getting any result are nigh on impossible," he added.
"I just want to get to Paris."
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