Update July 26, 2008: Sastre survives in yellow after time trial
Veteran cyclist Carlos Sastre turned the Tour de France inside out on the slopes of l'Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday, gaining enough time on the other leaders to win the stage and possibly the Tour.
The Spaniard on Team CSC attacked at the bottom of the final climb and achieved a solo effort through the crowds to the finish, winning the stage by 2:03. We won't know until Saturday whether it is a big enough margin to offset Cadel Evans' expected strong showing at the individual time trial on the penultimate stage.
Team CSC worked at the front of the peloton all day Wednesday, seeming to protect the yellow jersey for teammate Frank Schleck. Yet the strategy may have been to keep all eyes on Schleck as Sastre secretly stole the show.
Margin
Evans apparently seemed most worried about Schleck, who with his brother Andy and the other leaders rode in a pack nearly all the way to the top. It wasn't until about the 2-mile mark that Evans took control of the chase, but couldn't put any time back into Sastre.
At the end of the day, Sastre had about a 1:34 margin over Evans. Is that enough to take into the final time trial? Probably not, unless Sastre has an incredible ride.
In the Stage 4 time trial, Sastre finished 1:10 behind Evans. And that was an 18-mile individual time trial, compared to Saturday's distance of 32 miles. Of course, perhaps Sastre will ride like “a man possessed,” as the Versus commentators like to say.
Vande Velde
All the riders in the elite group chasing Sastre put in attacks, including Christian Vande Velde.
The American on Garmin-Chipotle finished the stage right with Evans, who finished 2:15 behind Sastre. It was a much better finish for the Illinois native than Tuesday's setback when he lost a few seconds on the final climb then crashed on the way down.
“I'm just happy today I had a good day,” he told Versus. He's looking forward to doing well in the individual time trial on Saturday, as well as the Tour de France next year.
“I've been thinking about next year for a week and a half now.”
While Vande Velde stayed upright, Team Columbia's George Hincapie had a fall, but was able to continue the race.
Domination
Looking at the leader's list, I see that this if the first time in the Tour that there's actually a little bit of a spread among the top riders. Wednesday morning, five cyclists were under a minute of each other.
I don't think the yellow jersey wearer has had more than a few seconds lead the entire Tour. Now Sastre, who only has one previous Tour de France win, has put 1:24 into his nearest rival (and teammate), Frank Schleck. What a dominating ride for Sastre.
1. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC
2. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC, 1.24
3. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner, 1.33
4. Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto, 1.34
5. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank, 2.39
6. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle, 4:41
7. Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne, 5.35
8. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi, 5.52
9. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale, 8.10
10. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale, 8.24
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