Stage 19: Every Second Counts

After three weeks and over 82 hours of bike riding, Andy Schleck leads the 2011 Tour de France by less than a minute. On Stage 19, the captain of the Luxembourg team finally donned the yellow jersey and prevented rival Cadel Evans from gaining any time. With Alberto Contador out of contention, Andy and his big brother Frank will face down Evans in tomorrow’s time trial to determine who will top the podium in Paris. Second place will be a matter of seconds.

A vigorous attack was launched by three-time champion Alberto Contador on the first of three Alpine climbs. Having lost too much time, the Spaniard aimed to bring home the stage win at the epic finish at L’Alpe d’Huez as a consolation for an unusually poor performance at a Grand tour. Yet the valiant effort wasn’t enough to get back in the race or even to win the stage. Schleck and Evans followed defended well enough to keep Contador away from the overall win, keeping him out of contention. At the same time, Frenchman Pierre Rolland jumped ahead of Contador and Sammy Sanchez to take the stage win, the first stage of this Tour de France won by France’s own. Contador crossed the line in third place, disappointed in every way.

Australia’s Evans had to fight to keep his place today. On the first climb, at the Col du Telegraphe, the BMC rider had a mechanical issue and changed bikes. It took him nearly one and a half more climbs to recover, much of the ride in a Schleck sandwich between brothers Andy and Frank. On the final climb, the infamous L’Alpe d’Huez, Contador drove ahead, while Evans and the Schlecks followed together.

The Schleck brothers fought all day as well. When Andy took the podium as the new wearer of the yellow jersey, he wore a peaceful, satisfied smile, while the crowd chanted, “Andy! Andy! Andy!” The son and grandson of professional cyclists remained focused on the final competitive stage, Stage 20, the individual time trial at Grenoble. By tradition, no riders attack the general classification leader on the final stage, Stage 21 into Paris. Therefore, the 42.5 kilometer circuit around Grenoble will be the final challenge. While Evans is known as a better time trialer, Schleck has improved in the discipline and has the advantage of coming in as the race leader, according to Lance Armstrong and other. “Many riders say the yellow jersey gives you wings,” said Andy. “I hope that is the case tomorrow.”

The final time trial is nearly identical to that at the Criterium du Dauphine in June earlier this year. The winner was Tony Martin of HTC-Highroad, and the second, third, and fifth place finishers have all crashed out of the Tour de France (Bradley Wiggins, David Zabriskie, and Janez Brajkovic). Cadel Evans finished sixth, but this time, he will be fighting to make up nearly one minute on the brothers from Luxembourg. The Australian is better skilled at the discipline, so he is likely to make up time. However, the relatively short course leaves him minimal opportunity to catch up to the cumulative times of the Schlecks.

At the time trial, the last placed rider starts first, while the first placed rider starts last. Time trial phenom Fabian Cancellara is the one to watch for the stage win, yet Martin and American Levi Leipheimer may place well. Evans and the Schlecks will race for the overall win in the final hour of television coverage.

The two favorites—Evans and Andy Schleck—have finished the Tour de France in second place two times. Two runner-ups had dislodged their common nemesis, Contador, from the race. Now they join Frank Schleck, who has finished in fifth place, to determine the podium positions in Paris. As Andy and Frank dreamed three weeks ago, the brothers may stand in first and second place, unless Cadel snatches back those precious seconds.

It all comes down to the last three riders to start on Saturday. Who will win?

Overall standings after Stage 19:

1. Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek)

2. Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek) + 00’ 53”

3. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) + 00’ 57”

4. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) + 02’ 10”

5. Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) + 03’ 31”

6. Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) + 03’ 55”

7. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) + 04’ 22”

8. Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) + 04’ 40”

9. Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo) + 07’ 11”

10. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) + 08’ 57”

Complete overall standings: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1900/classement/index.html

Stage 20 map & profile: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/2000/etape_par_etape.html