The two main rivals in this year's Tour de France battled so hard to outfox each other on the final climb of Ax Les Thermes on Sunday that they might have lost sight of some competitors who finished ahead.
France's Christophe Riblon (left, AG2R) won the 114-mile Stage 14 from Revel to Ax-3 Domaines by joining a breakaway about 10 miles into the race. Riblon attacked and rode away from the breakaway on the above-category Port de Pailheres and survived solo over the Ax Les Thermes.
Meanwhile, yellow jersey Andy Schleck and defending champion Alberto Contador played a game of cat and mouse as the race moved into the Pyrenees.
Final climb
At the base of the day's final climb, Contador's Astana teammate Alexandre Vinokourov set a pace that few could follow. Many of the surviving contenders, such as RadioShack's Levi Leipheimer, dropped off as a few others like Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Sammy Sanchez (Eukaltel Euskadi) struggled to hang on.
About the time the Vinokourov ran out of gas and dropped off the pace, Contador attacked Schleck. The Luxembourg cyclist whose Saxo teammates had abandoned him earlier remained on Contador's wheel.
The Spaniard attacked two or three more times. Frustrated at not shaking loosen Schleck's grip, Contador slowed down as the others rode away. Schleck still stayed with Contador.
Schleck sets pace
Finally, as Sanchez and Menchov (3rd and 4th place overall) motored up the road, Schleck started to chase them with Contador on his wheel. At one point he appeared to urge Contador to take the pace.
Menchov and Sanchez finished in 2nd and 3rd place in the town of Ax-3 Domaines, while Schleck and Contador crossed the finish line 14 seconds later. The Spaniard has to be wondering when and where he can win the yellow jersey worn by Schleck.
Later Schleck said that at this point he's only worried about Contador, who remains 31 seconds behind him. Menchov and Sanchez are still more than two minutes behind.
RadioShack
The last hope for RadioShack, Leipheimer, finished in 11th place on the day and dropped back one spot to 7th overall. After the race, he told Versus regarding the top leaders in the race: “Pure and simple, they're too strong for me.”
RadioShack dropped to 2nd in the Team Competition, right behind Caisse d'Epargne.
For a while it looked like former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre might be mounting a challenge, at least for a podium spot. He attacked the chase group and nearly caught Riblon on the Port de Pailheres but dropped back to finish in 9th place.
Top 10 overall
1. Andy Schlek, Saxo Bank
2. Alberto Contador, Astana – 31 seconds
3. Sammy Sanchez, Euskaltel Euskadi – 2:31
4. Denis Menchov, Rabobank – 2:44
5. Jurgen van den Broeck, Omega – 3:31
6. Robert Gesink, Rabobank – 4:27
7. Levi Leipheimer, RadioShack – 4:51
8. Joaquin Rodriguez, Katusha – 4:58
9. Luis Leon Sanchez, Caisse d'Epargne – 5:56
10. Ivan Basso, Liquigas – 6:52
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