Today we finally entered the Pyrenees where the tour should be decided. The stage of today would become one for the climbers with three tough climbs and ending on Plateau-de-Beille.
Like in all the other stages there was an early flight with two basques Ruben Perez and Amets Txurruka, Carlos Barredo, Antonio Colom, Jose Ivan Gutierrez and Aleksandr Kuschynski. On the second climb only Colom could follow the two Basques but in the descent Barredo and Gutierrez could come back so went a group of 5 spaniards to Plateau-de-Beille, where Antonio Colom from Astana exceeded the others and went solo with an advantage of 4 minutes on the peloton.
In the peloton the riders of Saunier Duval drove like crazy but it were the other favourites who did the sorting. The first favourite who failed was Christophe Moreau followed by Alexandre Vinokourov, Schleck and Astarloza but the last one was able to come back in the descent.
So a group of 30 driver went together to the last climb where it rained attacks, but Contador and Rasmussen came out as the best with Soler challenging them for the mountain jersey. Also Leipheimer and Sastre were able to keep up a bit but the others had to limit the lose.
Stage Result
1 Alberto Contador(Spa) Discovery Channel 5.25.48 (36.28 km/h)
2 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank ST
3 Mauricio Soler (Col) Barloworld +0.37
...
12. Mikel Astarloza +3:06
15. Haimar Zubeldia +3:45
19. Amets Txurruka +4:04
24. Inigo Landaluze +5:33
44. Gorka Verdugo +12:28
53. Ruben Perez +14:54
84. Jorge Azanza +31:29
85. Inaki Isasi +31:29
General Rank
1 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 64.12.15
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Discovery Channel +2.23
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto +3.04
...
8. Mikel Astarloza +8:25
13. Haimar Zubeldia +12:15
27. Amets Txurruka +31:41
49. Indigo Landaluze +1:00:30
64. Gorka Verdugo +1:19:02
74. Ruben Perez +1:28:09
97. Jorge Azanza +1:53:33
111. Inaki Isasi +2:03:41
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