Stage 14 News
Contador and Schleck set for a duel for the ages
The man who devised the route for the LeMond-Fignon Tour, Jean-Marie Leblanc, never dared include another last-day time trial, because he knew that the excitement of that afternoon could never be matched. It never will be. But in the Pyrenees this week, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck look set to produce a duel that ranks with some of the other great head-to-heads in Tour history: Raymond Poulidor v Jacques Anquetil in 1964; Bernard Hinault and Joop Zoetemelk in 1979; Stephen Roche and Pedro Delgado in 1987, or perhaps Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani in 1998.
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Tour de France 2010: Contador and Schleck set for a duel for the ages | William Fotheringham | Sport | guardian.co.uk
Hesjedal holds 13th
Hesjedal finished in 12th place in the 184.5-kilometre Stage 14 climb from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines, but the top two riders -- overall leader Andy Schleck of Luxembourg and Alberto Contador -- finished tied for third, allowing them to widen their gap in the overall standings.
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Hesjedal holds 13th
Armstrong does not want any gifts in final Tour
Despite his string of crashes and losing time on every major climb, despite all the accusations and long-distance polemics with fellow US tour de France winner Greg Lemond, Lance Armstrong insists he is still trying to enjoy his last ever Tour de France.
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Armstrong Does Not Want Any Gifts In Final Tour | Cyclingnews.com
Schleck plays mind games at Ax-3-Domaines
The first Pyrenean mountain stage turned into a poker game between Alberto Contador (Astana) and Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank). The two contenders, Schleck in yellow, Contador determined to be, were so focused on each other that they ignored the attacks of their closest GC rivals Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel) and Denis Menchov (Rabobank).
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Schleck Plays Mind Games At Ax-3-Domaines | Cyclingnews.com
Blazin' Saddles: Andy's poker face
One between breakaway winner Christophe Riblon and himself, a second between the two best riders vying for yellow, a third between Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez for the final podium position, and a fourth between the rest of the top eight. Although it was momentarily rather extraordinary to see Menchov, the Silent Assassin, leave his magnum at home and come out to play with a blunderbuss for a change, the most captivating duel was that between Contador and Schleck – ironically enough, precisely because of its oft-banal tone and its attritional lack of fireworks.
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Tour de France - Blazin' Saddles: Andy's poker face - Yahoo! Eurosport
Schleck, Contador duel in the mountains
When Alberto Contador attacked Sunday, Andy Schleck stayed on his wheel. When Andy Schleck attacked, Alberto Contador stayed on his wheel. If it's possible to play poker - Schleck's term - on bicycles high in the Pyrenees, that's what they were doing over the final few miles of the 14th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday afternoon.
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Schleck, Contador duel in the mountains
Track star Riblon hits the heights
Christophe Riblon said he had achieved a life-long dream in winning the 14th stage of the Tour de France at Ax-3 Domaines. He also confessed that if someone had asked him about his chances of winning just the night before, he wouldn't have bet a Euro on them.
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Track Star Riblon Hits The Heights | Cyclingnews.com
Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez ****** time during Tour de France's Stage 14
ANDY Schleck and Alberto Contador's Tour de France mutual obsession came at a significant price on Stage 14 today as underdog rivals snatched valuable time from the star pair. As race leader Schleck and Contador almost stopped on the final climb into Ax-Trois Domaines in the Pyrenees, yellow jersey contenders Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez pounced. The duo cut 14 seconds out of their overall deficit to add a much-needed dimension to what has become a two-horse race.
Link: Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez ****** time during Tour de France's Stage 14 | Herald Sun
Wiggins admits he doesn't have the form
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) has openly admitted for the first time that he does not have the same form he had in 2009 but insisted he will continue in the Tour and try and secure the best overall result he can.
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Wiggins Admits He Doesn't Have The Form | Cyclingnews.com
Contador: Andy and I marked each other
Alberto Contador (Astana) appeared satisfied rather than overjoyed with events on the first Pyrenean stage of the race. The defending Tour de France champion admitted that he and Andy Schleck had focused on marking each other, but was not concerned about the time they both yielded to other key contenders by tracking each other so tightly. Denis Menchov and Samuel Sánchez both gained 14 seconds on the two Tour favourites.
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Contador: Andy And I Marked Each Other | Cyclingnews.com
Evans toughing it out through mountains
Evans is riding on painkillers and with his left arm swathed in black and blue tape after a crash less than 10km into stage eight a week ago. X-rays later revealed he had fractured his elbow. "If it was not the Tour de France, I would have pulled him out," Italian BMC team doctor Max Testa said. "But this is the Tour and when a rider tells you he wants to keep going you cannot pull him out by force." The injury stops him from bending his arm, which makes it difficult for him to ride out of the saddle. Testa has also brought in a physiotherapist after the end of each stage and ice packs are never far away to ease any swelling.
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Cadel Evans toughing it out through mountains | The Australian
Contador keeps pace with leader Schleck as Tour moves into Pyrenees
AX-3 DOMAINES, France | Frenchman Christophe Riblon won Sunday’s 14th stage of the 2010 Tour de France, the first of four stages in the Pyrenees Mountains. Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck retained the race leader’s yellow jersey, with two-time Tour champion Alberto Contador of Spain remaining in second, 31 seconds behind. Fellow Spaniard Samuel Sanchez still lies third, 2 minutes 31 seconds adrift.
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Contador keeps pace with leader Schleck as Tour moves into Pyrenees - KansasCity.com
Schleck sure-footed ahead of Pyrenees
On the eve of the first in a series of four brutal mountain stages in the Pyrenees race leader Andy Schleck seemed very relaxed when he talked with the press in Revel after the 13th stage. Some would be feeling less comfortable when knowing they'd be fighting for the overall victory in the Tour de France on a stage that features a hors categorie climb and ends on Ax 3 Domaines, a first category ascent.
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Schleck Sure-footed Ahead Of Pyrenees | Cyclingnews.com
Tour de France Stage 14: Revel to Ax 3 Domaines
Ax 3 Domaines is the first Tour stage town in the Pyrenee Mountains, and has served as a stage town three times before. It is located in the Southwestern department of Ariège, very close to the border to Andorra. The town is a winter sports resort, a grouping of three skiing areas—Bonascre, le Saquet and Campels. This combination makes for an ideal skiing experience for all visitors, from those who seek beginners’ hills to those who want higher altitude slopes.
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Tour de France Stage 14: Revel to Ax 3 Domaines | Team Radioshack
Hesjedal hangs onto 13th at Tour
Hesjedal kept pace with overall leader Andy Schleck, as both were in the peloton finishing 13 seconds behind Stage 13 winner Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan. Vinokourov pulled away from the pack about seven kilometres from the finish line in Revel and never looked back, collecting his fourth career stage win at the Tour. He finished in a time of 4 hours 26 minutes and 26 seconds.
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Hesjedal hangs onto 13th at Tour
Armstrong finally has something to cheer
Sergio Paulinho finally gave Lance Armstrong something cheer about after a frenetic week and a half of racing to earn Team RadioShack its first stage win at a race the lean Texan had totally dominated for seven years between 1999 and 2005.
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Lance Armstrong finally has something to cheer about | The Australian
Evans hopes to make it through the Pyrenees
Cadel Evans (BMC) is out of overall contention at the Tour de France but the world champion is battling on in the race and will try to get through the Pyrenees and reach Paris, despite riding with a fractured elbow. The tough Aussie rode the stage from Rodez to Revel with his left arm again covered in a crisscross pattern of black taping. It stops him bending his arm and aggravating the part of his elbow that is fractured, but makes it difficult for him to ride out of the saddle.
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Evans Hopes To Make It Through The Pyrenees | Cyclingnews.com
No pals act for tough Pyrenean stages
Tour de France main contenders Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador have been sharing conversations even as they battle to gain the edge over each other in the race for the yellow jersey. But Schleck knew he had to drop all admiration for the Spaniard as the race headed into the Pyrenees mountains. Sunday's 14th stage over the unclassified (hors categorie) climb of the Port de Pailheres towards the summit finish at Ax-3-Domaines was just the first of four big days in the Pyrenees which could decide who wins the race.
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No pals act for tough Pyrenean stages
The mountains loom for Tour de France cyclists
The Tour de France was to begin one of the most punishing sequences of stages in its recent history Sunday as the riders entered the Pyrenees for four days that include two ascents of the Col du Tourmalet. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg held the yellow jersey with a 31-second lead over the defending champion, Spaniard Alberto Contador. But that will be challenged throughout the final week of racing as the riders test their endurance and desire against some of the most difficult cycling roads in the world.
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The Associated Press: The mountains loom for Tour de France cyclists
Spanish contenders ready for Ax-3 Domaines
Stage 14's stage from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines marks the start of the final battle that will decide the winner of the 2010 Tour de France and the two riders who will flank him on the final podium in Paris. Speaking before the start of stage 13 both Astana leader Alberto Contador and Euskaltel team manager Igor González de Galdeano refused to be drawn on their tactical approach to these key stages, but did admit that the first of them is likely to see big time gaps opening up between the overall contenders.
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Spanish Contenders Ready For Ax-3 Domaines | Cyclingnews.com
Tour de France cyclists set off on mountain test
The remaining 175 riders of the Tour de France have embarked on the first of four punishing days in the Pyrenees that will be crucial to the outcome of the race.
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Tour de France cyclists set off on mountain test - Taiwan News Online