ALPE D’HUEZ, France, 19 July 2006 — CSC rider Franck Schleck of Luxembourg claimed the coveted 15th stage of the Tour de France held over 187km between Gap and the summit finish of the Alpe d’Huez here yesterday.
American Floyd Landis, who finished fourth, took back the race leader’s yellow jersey from Spaniard Oscar Pereiro ahead of today’s 16th stage.
Amstel Gold Race champion Schleck claimed his first ever Tour stage win after attacking former Tour of Italy winner Damiano Cunego with just over two kilometers to race in the 14.9km climb to the Alpe’s summit finish. Cunego finished second, nearly a minute ahead of Stefano Garzelli who was at the head of a small group which contained race favorite Landis.
Landis, who unlike some of his close rivals kept his cool on the day’s last climb, was another big winner on the day.
He now leads Caisse d’Epargne’s Pereiro by 10sec.
Frenchman Cyril Dessel of Ag2R is third overall at 2:02 with Russian Denis Menchov, one of the day’s big losers, fourth at 2:12.
The first day in the Alps stayed true to its potential as a killer of yellow jersey dreams.
After nearly five hours of climbing and descending in hot and humid conditions the 21-hairpin climb to the legendary Alpe’s summit claimed its first major victims.
Rabobank’s Menchov, considered Landis’ main rival before the stage, was left trailing on the first few kilometers of the Alpe as Landis raced ahead in pursuit of the stage leaders. In the end, the winner of the punishing 11th stage in the Pyrenees lost over a minute to Landis.
Davitamon’s Cadel Evans started the climb with Landis and T-Mobile pair Andreas Kloden and Matthias Kessler, however the Australian was also left trailing as the Alpe took its toll.
Evans finished out of the top ten on the stage, and lost nearly a minute and a half to Landis meaning he dropped one place to seventh overall. Evans is now nearly three minutes behind Landis.
Spaniard Carlos Sastre maintained his chances of a top finish on the race after he finished ninth to stay fifth overall at 2:17 behind Landis. With another two tough days in the Alps to come and most of the big favorites within three minutes’ reach of Landis, the race is far from being over.
Schleck, who was part of an 18-man breakaway which escaped from the peloton early in the race, played his hand to perfection.
Italian climber Cunego had been the first to attack from an eight-man group of riders which had emerged from the 18 early on the climb of the Alpe. Behind them, Landis’ group were chasing with close to a three-minute deficit although they soon began to close in on the trailers. Cunego’s turn of pace eliminated even more of his stage rivals, and soon only Schleck was able to follow him.
The Luxemburger rode alongside the diminutive Italian until, with a little more than two kilometers to go, he upped the pace himself.
It proved decisive. Cunego couldn’t follow, and as Schleck went on to ride over the finish line the Italian came in around 10sec later.
