Showing posts with label tour de france. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tour de france. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Contador Shuffles Deck at Tour De France.

 Three-time champion Alberto Contador mixed up the Tour de France overall standings with a powerful move on the Col de Manse.While the same seven contenders topped the standings after the 17th stage Tuesday, Contador moved up a spot to sixth. Thor Hushovd won the stage in a breakaway.Contador, baring his teeth as his tires sizzled on the rain-slick roads, surged out of the pack on the mid-grade Col de Magne climb, and held on through a treacherous downhill finish in the 101-mile ride from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Gap.Contador said "I knew I needed to attack. I couldn't care less if someone kept on my wheel — I knew one of them would fail. I'm so happy. It has been a major gap, much bigger than I expected."The unexpected surge by the Spaniard shook up the leaderboard at cycling's greatest race, which ends Sunday in Paris after a jaunt Wednesday into Italy, then two days in the Alps, and a time-trial Saturday in Grenoble.