Tour de France - report stage 17

Team CSC/Saxo Bank played the Carlos Sastre card on L'Alpe d'Huez as he wins the stage and climbs into first spot overall. The race now remains open and could rest on the final time trial stage where Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) can still win this Tour.

Huge crowds on the Alpe - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Carlos Sastre goes clear - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Cadel Evans leads the chase - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Despite the majesty of both the Col du Galibier and 30 kilometre long Croix de Fer they were always going to just be the warm up for the summit finish at L'Alpe d'Huez.

Early on Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner), RubenPerez (Euskatel), Remy Di Girio (FD Jeux) and Peter Velits (Milram) had built a lead before it was absorbed by a main race being driven by Team CSC/Saxo Bank. On the run into the ascent of L'Alpe d'Huez Veilits and Jérôme Pineau (Bouygues Telecom) were caught on the first steep section of the 'Dutch Mountain'.

The race for the 2008 Tour de France was on a knife edge when race leader Frank Schleck (CSC/Saxo Bank) and all the GC contenders launched themselves up the mountain.

No doubt Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) plan was to keep his rivals close and then make up any losses in the coming time trial, whilst in the CSC/Saxo Bank camp the plot was to attack the Australian and put as much time into him as possible.

Carlos Sastre (CSC/Saxo Bank) made the first move, but he was quickly covered by Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner,) and both Damiano Cungeo (Wilier) and Denis Menchov (Rabobank) were just two of many to be dropped. Sastre went again and this time it stuck and he soon had a good lead and was moving away fast at the front.

Vladimir Efimkin (AG2R) put in a number of attacks and each time Andy Schelck (CSC/Saxo Bank), Evans or Kohl responded. The result of quite a number of moves was that Sastre was ahead followed by a group containing Efimkin, Christian Vandevelde (Garmin Chipotle) and Andy Schleck gaining a little time over Frank Schelck, Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Kohl and Evans.

Once more the leaders came together whilst Sastre moved further away, and a game of 'cat and mouse' developed between them. During a big dig by Valverde, Evans and Kohl seemed to falter only for them to bridge the gap that had opened.

On the front of the chasers went Stéphane Goubert (AG2R) and he upped the pace for Efimkin who now attacked only for Valverde or Andy Schelck to bring it back.

Evans now rode like a champion when he went to the front and set the pace in the chase of Sastre, Team CSC/Saxo Bank had played the Sastre card and Evans was now having to show his hand. He could not allow the Spaniard to gain too much time for him to recoup in the TT.

Frank Schelck was destined to lose the yellow jersey to his team mate and we weren't to see a devastating attack by the race leader which might have put Evans in deep trouble, and he could do nothing that might upset Satsre's new position as race leader on the road.

Sastre won the stage and now leads the race by 1.24 over Frank Schelck, 1.33 over Kohl and 1,34 the better of Evans. Menchov now looks out of it although he worked miracles to rejoin Evans at the finish line.

A heady day! Stage 18 covers a number of mountains and the Croix de Montvieux could witness more attacks by the GC leaders.

More to follow

1 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 6h 07' 58"
2 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 6h 10' 01" @ 02' 03"
3 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 6h 10' 01" @ 02' 03"
4 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 6h 10' 11" @ 02' 13"
5 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 6h 10' 11" @ 02' 13"
6 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 6h 10' 13" @ 02' 15"
7 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 6h 10' 13" @ 02' 15"
8 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 6h 10' 13" @ 02' 15"
9 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 6h 10' 13" @ 02' 15"
10 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 6h 10' 13" @ 02' 15"
11 Roman Kreuziger 65 Liquigas 6h 11' 09" @ 03' 11"
12 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 6h 11' 34" @ 03' 36"
13 Stephane Goubert 107 Ag2r-La Mondiale 6h 11' 48" @ 03' 50"
14 David Moncoutie 188 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 6h 12' 55" @ 04' 57"
15 Nicolas Vogondy 129 Agritubel 6h 13' 14" @ 05' 16"
16 Sandy Casar 161 Francaise Des Jeux 6h 13' 23" @ 05' 25"
17 Dmitriy Fofonov 85 Credit Agricole 6h 13' 26" @ 05' 28"
18 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 6h 13' 30" @ 05' 32"
19 Amaël Moinard 187 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 6h 13' 38" @ 05' 40"
20 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 6h 13' 59" @ 06' 01"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 74h 39' 03"
2 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 74h 40' 27" @ 01' 24"
3 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 74h 40' 36" @ 01' 33"
4 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 74h 40' 37" @ 01' 34"
5 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 74h 41' 42" @ 02' 39"
6 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 74h 43' 44" @ 04' 41"
7 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 74h 44' 38" @ 05' 35"
8 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 74h 44' 55" @ 05' 52"
9 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 74h 47' 13" @ 08' 10"
10 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 74h 47' 27" @ 08' 24"
14 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 74h 51' 29" @ 12' 26"

Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 125 Pts
2 Carlos Sastre 11 Team Csc Saxo Bank 80 pts
3 Frank Schleck 17 Team Csc Saxo Bank 80 pts
4 Thomas Voeckler 149 Bouygues Telecom 65 Pts
5 John-Lee Augustyn 52 Barloworld 61 Pts
6 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 60 Pts
7 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse D’epargne 58 Pts
8 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 54 Pts
9 Rémy Di Gregorio 163 Francaise Des Jeux 52 pts
10 Egoi Martinez 24 Euskaltel - Euskadi 50 pts

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 219 Pts
2 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 172 Pts
3 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 167 Pts
4 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 145 Pts
5 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 137 pts
6 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse D’epargne 123 Pts
7 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 110 Pts
8 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 105 pts
9 Romain Feillu 124 Agritubel 94 Pts
10 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 93 pts