Tour de France: Schleck seizes control of Yellow Jersey

Salman Zahoor July 23, 2011 0

Tour de France: Schleck seizes control of Yellow Jersey

L’ALPE D’HUEZ, France: The Tour de France 2011 cycle race got a new Yellow Jersey holder with just two days remaining here Friday when Andy Schleck of Luxembourg seized the overall standings but the hosts nation still had plenty to cheer as Pierre Rolland undid Alberto Contador to win the 19^th stage.

Andy Schleck. Courtesy: Reuters

Alberto Contador of Spain lived up to the expectations and showed what a classy rider he is when he continued to attack during the mountainous 19^th phase of the Tour to l’Alpe d’Huez.

Local rider Thomas Voeckler lost control over the Yellow Jersey that he had been wearing for the last several stages but Pierre Rolland brought back colors of glory for the host nation when he overtook and outpaced Contador, who was looking all set to win the stage, in the dyeing moments to give France the first stage victory of the current edition of the Tour.

Alberto Contador. Courtesy: Getty Images

Andy Schleck is now comfortably placed on top in the overall standings with Saturday’s 20^th stage will be only 42.5km long time trial before the riders will enter into Paris the following day. Schleck has an overall lead over his brother Frank Schleck by 53 seconds while Cadel Evans of Australia is third with 57 seconds behind the overall leader.

Contador had defeated Schleck in 2009 and 2010 but this time around the Spaniard looks out of contention of the title as he lags far way behind. The Spanish rider looked all set to win the stage when Rolland outpaced him but couldn’t stop Schleck from ending 10-day Yellow Jersery control of Voeckler who started the day with 15 seconds lead but ended trailing by two minutes 10 seconds.

Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, Frank Schleck. Courtesy: Getty Images

In one of the most thrilling finale, Australian Cadel Evans has a superb chance of stealing the limelight on Saturday in Grenoble as if he pedals it faster than Schleck the title could fall into his lap.

Leader Schleck told reporters, “Cadel is about a minute adrift. It’s a lot. And the yellow jersey will give me wings. After 20 days of racing, a time trial is not the same. Cadel is as tired as the rest of us. I might lose the jersey, but I will give it my all”.

On the other hand, Cadel Evans said, “I don’t know about winning the Tour, we’ll see tomorrow. I’ll just try to ride as fast as possible”.