Schleck takes yellow jersey
Source: Agencies |
July 23, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FRENCHMAN Pierre Rolland won the 19th stage of the Tour de France yesterday, crossing the line at the top of the famed Alpe d'Huez after attacking near the end of the mountain's 21 brutally steep bends packed with thousands of cheering fans.
Rolland attacked as the demanding 109.5km race over three difficult climbs drew to a tense finish, finally dropping three-time Tour champion Alberto Contador and Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez towards the top of the 6,100 foot Alpe d'Huez.
Andy Schleck captured the yellow jersey from Frenchman Thomas Voeckler who cracked on the day's first climb and never managed to catch the leaders despite a gritty struggle up the Alpe d'Huez.
Schleck now has a 53-second lead over his brother Frank in second place, while Australia's Cadel Evans is third, 57 seconds behind.
Andy Schleck's daring attack on the Col d'Izoard on Thursday stunned rivals and fans alike, attacking solo with 54km left in the stage, catching breakaway riders up the mountain and eventually leaving them all in his dust.
But those who know Schleck well would not have been surprised. Schleck is a plain-talking two-time Tour runner up who is refreshingly candid in a world of professional cycling rife with gamesmanship and bragadocio.
Last year, after losing the Tour by only 39 seconds to Spain's Alberto Contador, Schleck famously declared "My stomach is full of anger, and I want to take my revenge."
Schleck revealed that he had told his Leopard-Trek teammates the day before what he planned to do.
"I told the team yesterday that I had this in mind. I wasn't going to be fourth in Paris," Schleck said. "I said I'd risk it all. ... It's my character: I'm not afraid to lose. "I took things in hand. I said when we left, it's all or nothing - and it worked."
Rolland attacked as the demanding 109.5km race over three difficult climbs drew to a tense finish, finally dropping three-time Tour champion Alberto Contador and Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez towards the top of the 6,100 foot Alpe d'Huez.
Andy Schleck captured the yellow jersey from Frenchman Thomas Voeckler who cracked on the day's first climb and never managed to catch the leaders despite a gritty struggle up the Alpe d'Huez.
Schleck now has a 53-second lead over his brother Frank in second place, while Australia's Cadel Evans is third, 57 seconds behind.
Andy Schleck's daring attack on the Col d'Izoard on Thursday stunned rivals and fans alike, attacking solo with 54km left in the stage, catching breakaway riders up the mountain and eventually leaving them all in his dust.
But those who know Schleck well would not have been surprised. Schleck is a plain-talking two-time Tour runner up who is refreshingly candid in a world of professional cycling rife with gamesmanship and bragadocio.
Last year, after losing the Tour by only 39 seconds to Spain's Alberto Contador, Schleck famously declared "My stomach is full of anger, and I want to take my revenge."
Schleck revealed that he had told his Leopard-Trek teammates the day before what he planned to do.
"I told the team yesterday that I had this in mind. I wasn't going to be fourth in Paris," Schleck said. "I said I'd risk it all. ... It's my character: I'm not afraid to lose. "I took things in hand. I said when we left, it's all or nothing - and it worked."
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