Contador is Done
Defending champion Alberto Contador was terrible in the 18th stage on Thursday and fell out of contention. "Victory is impossible now," he said. "I had a bad day. My legs didn't respond, and I just hit a wall. It was a very difficult day right from the start."
Schleck’s Bold Move
The only way that Schleck could win the Tour de France was with a big win in Stage 18 and he went for it. He was on the attack and left his rivals behind in some of the toughest climbing of the Tour de France. "I told the team yesterday that I had this in mind. I wasn't going to be fourth in Paris," Schleck said.
Schleck will likely need to take the yellow jersey on Friday if he is to have any chance of being in first on Sunday. Friday is the last day in the Alps and features an uphill finish on Alpe d’Huez. Schleck is not known as a time trial specialist so he doesn’t figure to gain any ground on Saturday or Sunday. His brother Frank sits in third place at just over a minute behind Voeckler.
Thomas Voeckler still has the yellow jersey but just barely. He finished fifth on Thursday and was more than two minutes behind Schleck. His overall lead is now just 15 seconds. Voeckler has held the yellow jersey for 10 days which is what he did in 2004 before losing to Lance Armstrong.
Cadel Evans could still be a threat to win the Tour de France. He is in fourth place but only trails Voeckler by just over a minute. Evans is considered a strong rider in time trials which could give him the edge on the weekend. It is really down to four in cycling betting at BetDSI to see who wins the Tour de France.
Overall Standings
1. T. Voeckler
2. A. Schleck – Trails by 15 seconds
3. F. Schleck – Trails by 1 minute 8 seconds
4. C. Evans – Trails by 1 minute 12 seconds
