SPAIN’S 2007 champion Alberto Contador of Astana took possession of the Tour de France yellow jersey after a superb solo attack and victory on the 15th stage in the Swiss Alps on Sunday.
Contador, winning his first individual stage of this year’s race, attacked a small group of favorites containing teammate Lance Armstrong 5.6 km from the summit of the 8.8-km climb to the summit finish of Verbier.
The Spaniard’s move dropped Australian Cadel Evans and defending champion Carlos Sastre of Spain further down the overall standings.
Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck was the only rider to counter Contador’s move, but the Saxo Bank leader’s effort was in vain.
Seven-time champion Armstrong lagged in at 1:35 behind, only a handful of seconds behind two-time race runner-up Evans, who was at 1:26.
Contador now leads Astana teammate Armstrong by 1:37 in the overall standings, with Briton Bradley Wiggins of Garmin, continuing to impress, in third at 1:46. German Andreas Kloden, also of Astana, is fourth at 2:17.
“I’m very happy with this result,” said Contador, who since the start of the race has had to endure the extra pressure of Armstrong’s presence in the team.
Armstrong admitted he was “on the limit” as early as the bottom of the climb and from then on had little else to give.
But after admitting Contador was the better man on the day, the American now appears ready to give the Spaniard his full backing.
“There is no point messing around. I gave everything I had and I wasn’t the best,” said Armstrong.
“I’m gonna do my best and be a solid teammate.”
After a week of uninspiring racing the 15th stage finally lived up to its billing as a crucial player in the yellow jersey battle.
After the last remnants of a 12-man attack were reeled in early on the 8.8-km climb to Verbier, the big contenders took center stage.
Andy Schleck’s older brother Frank first tested the resolve of Contador and Armstrong with a brief attack, which left defending Sastre quickly trailing.
And moments later the Spaniard was given more food for thought when Contador emerged from the maelstrom of an eight-man group to pull away with apparent ease.
After a brief hesitation, Andy Schleck counter-attacked but struggled to match the Spaniard’s pace.
Behind, Sastre had managed to join Armstrong’s group, from which Wiggins, the Olympic pursuit champion, had accelerated to take Frank Schleck and Italian Vincenzo Nibali with him.
In their wake an acceleration by Sastre prompted Evans to follow, and that move left Armstrong and Kloden on their own to finish the race together, the German coming over the finish a few seconds in front.(SD-Agencies)