Contador closer to Tour victory
Schleck and Contador asend Tourmalet.
It was one of the most anxiety-filled stages in the Tour de France. The two top contenders had their last chance in Stage 17 to show who is the better cyclist, but neither was able to drop the other and make that claim. Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador rode neck-and-neck up the last six miles of the Tourmalet. Schleck beat Contador by a hair. “El Pistolero is strong, huh?” said Schleck.
Contador remains eight seconds ahead of Schleck in the overall standings, and is all but assured the Tour Championship in Paris on Sunday.
The last six miles of Thursday’s stage show the two determined men with matched strength and wit battle each other and the elements. It’s worth watching the replay.
What a great stage it was, even if the result was a stalemate! Great gutsy ride by Andy, and a classy gesture by Alberto to repair some of the damage from Monday.