PAU, France: Frank Schleck of Luxembourg wants ideas: Anybody knows how he can erase his one-second deficit to Australian race leader Cadel Evans when the Tour de France resumes today? After 10 stages and more than 46 hours of racing, competitors took a rest day yesterday after two punishing days in the Pyrenees in which a teary-eyed Evans captured the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.
Several rivals wilted up the Tourmalet and Hautacam passes in the 10th stage, narrowing the field of likely competitors to take home the prized shirt when the three-week race ends in Paris on July 27.
The final shakeout is expected to come in three agonizing stages in the Alps next week — each featuring at least one climb that defies classification for difficulty — and a time trial a day before the Champs-Elysées finish.
Schleck knows he needs to be aggressive, but doesn’t expect to make a move to erase his deficit during today’s 11th stage — a 167.5-kilometer (104.1-mile) trek through medium mountains from Lannemezan to Foix.
“I ain’t gonna catch Cadel. I guess it’s going to be a breakaway day and the favorites are going to watch each other,” Schleck said next to a swimming pool at his Team CSC’s hotel outside Pau.
But the prospect of trying to swipe the jersey did cross his mind, he added: “I thought about it — and I couldn’t find it out. If you have any other options, I’ll take it.” Before the Tour started on July 5, Evans rated himself as “a pretty good chance to win.” He took a big step in that direction Saturday by gaining the yellow jersey and widening his lead over Alejandro Valverde of Spain, Damiano Cunego of Italy and Schleck’s younger brother, Andy — all three considered to be potential title contenders before the race.
Frank Schleck beat Evans up the climb to the Hautacam ski station on Saturday, and hawked over a television to see if he or Evans would take the yellow jersey from Team Columbia rider Kim Kirchen, also of Luxembourg.
“After two or three minutes they showed the classification, and I saw my name was there, second,” Schleck recalled. “And it said (a gap of) one-second. I said, ‘Damn it.’ I had some tears in my eyes. Having the jersey is nice.” He was also disappointed that his brother couldn’t keep pace.
“We are like twins, and he gave me all of his power — and he didn’t have any left,” Schleck said. “We are just human beings, you know. I have seen bad days, and I will see some more bad days coming in the next years.
“But that’s life. That’s bike riding.” Schleck’s Team CSC is strong and has many assets to challenge Evans with, and the last day in the Alps — Stage 17 — finishes up the legendary Alpe d’Huez, where Schleck won a stage in 2006.
In addition, Evans is likely to keep an eye on another CSC rider, Carlos Sastre of Spain, who like Schleck is a strong climber. Sastre is sixth overall, 1:28 behind the Australian.
“Of course, Cadel is scared — well, scared — don’t get me wrong,” Schleck said. “But of course, he must think about it, and how he is going to handle this. “Cadel was never an aggressive rider. If he’s going to win the Tour, it’s going to be because he’s a good time trialer. But that’s good enough, he’s a big champion,” Schleck said. Among CSC riders in the title chase, he said, “now it’s Carlos and me, and we’re not good time trialers enough to just let everything go. We have to ride aggressive, that’s obvious.”
Before the Tour, Evans said his biggest worry was Rabobank team leader Denis Menchov.
The Russian, who won the Spanish Vuelta last year, is in fifth place — 57 seconds behind the leader.
Evans is no stranger to close finishes. He was second in last year’s Tour, 23 seconds behind Spanish winner Alberto Contador. Levi Leipheimer was third, 31 seconds back, rounding out the Tour’s closest finish.
