Tour de France - report stage 20

Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) bumped Fabian Cancellera (CSC/Saxo Bank) off the top of the timing sheets to win the 53 kilometre time trial.

Carlos Sastre finishes and celebrates - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) was unable to make up the time gap to race leader Carlos Sastre (CSC/Saxo Bank) who will now ride into Paris in first place and favourite to win the 2008 Tour de France.

David Millar (Garmon Chipotle) had set the bar with best time before Cancellera took over. Schumacher proved that his stage four time trial win was no fluke by winning by 21 seconds from the Swiss.

Battle for the GC
Going off last Sastre caught his three minute man and team mate Frank Schleck, and in turn pegged his biggest rival for the yellow jersey by a minute or so. For Evans this was a disaster as he needed oh so much more and only grabbed back 21 seconds.

Frank Schleck fell from second to sixth overall behind Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Christian Vandevelde (Garmin), whilst Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) rode a blinder to prevent Menchov knocking him off the podium.

There was no change in either the sprint or mountain competitions.

1 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 1h 03' 50"
2 Fabian Cancellara 13 Team CSC Saxo Bank 1h 04' 11" @ 00' 21"
3 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 1h 04' 51" @ 01' 01"
4 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 1h 04' 55" @ 01' 05"
5 David Millar 198 Garmin Chipotle 1h 05' 27" @ 01' 37"
6 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 1h 05' 45" @ 01' 55"
7 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 1h 05' 55" @ 02' 05"
8 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 1h 06' 09" @ 02' 19"
9 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 1h 06' 11" @ 02' 21"
10 George Hincapie 47 Team Columbia 1h 06' 18" @ 02' 28"
11 Thomas Lövkvist 48 Team Columbia 1h 06' 19" @ 02' 29"
12 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 1h 06' 24" @ 02' 34"
13 Ryder Hesjedal 195 Garmin Chipotle 1h 06' 26" @ 02' 36"
14 Danny Pate 199 Garmin Chipotle 1h 06' 44" @ 02' 54"
15 Jens Voigt 19 Team CSC Saxo Bank 1h 06' 48" @ 02' 58"
16 Christopher Froome 57 Barloworld 1h 06' 50" @ 03' 00"
17 Amaël Moinard 187 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 1h 06' 54" @ 03' 04"
18 Konstantsin Siutsou 49 Team Columbia 1h 06' 57" @ 03' 07"
19 Sylvain Chavanel 181 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 1h 07' 00" @ 03' 10"
20 Joost Posthuma 136 Rabobank 1h 07' 03" @ 03' 13"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 84h 01' 00"
2 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 84h 02' 05" @ 01' 05"
3 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 84h 02' 20" @ 01' 20"
4 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 84h 03' 00" @ 02' 00"
5 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 84h 04' 12" @ 03' 12"
6 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 84h 05' 28" @ 04' 28"
7 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 84h 07' 32" @ 06' 32"
8 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 84h 08' 02" @ 07' 02"
9 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 84h 08' 26" @ 07' 26"
10 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 84h 10' 12" @ 09' 12"
11 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 84h 11' 02" @ 10' 02"
12 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 84h 12' 32" @ 11' 32"
13 Roman Kreuziger 65 Liquigas 84h 13' 49" @ 12' 49"
14 Sandy Casar 161 Francaise Des Jeux 84h 20' 23" @ 19' 23"
15 Amaël Moinard 187 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 84h 24' 31" @ 23' 31"
16 Mikel Astarloza 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 84h 24' 40" @ 23' 40"
17 Konstantsin Siutsou 49 Team Columbia 84h 26' 02" @ 25' 02"
18 Alexandre Botcharov 83 Credit Agricole 84h 28' 18" @ 27' 18"
19 Dmitriy Fofonov 85 Credit Agricole 84h 29' 31" @ 28' 31"
20 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 84h 29' 33" @ 28' 33"
67 David Millar 198 Garmin Chipotle 86h 00' 19" @ 1h 59' 19"
145 Wim Vansevenant 9 Silence - Lotto 87h 55' 51" @ 3h 54' 51" and alst

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 244 Pts
2 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 202 Pts
3 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 198 Pts
4 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 164 pts
5 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 145 Pts
6 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 125 Pts
7 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 115 Pts
8 Romain Feillu 124 Agritubel 114 Pts
9 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 105 pts
10 Julian Dean 193 Garmin Chipotle 99 Pts

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 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 61 Pts
6 John-Lee Augustyn 52 Barloworld 61 Pts
7 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 60 Pts
8 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 58 Pts
9 Rémy Di Gregorio 163 Francaise Des Jeux 52 pts
10 Egoi Martinez 24 Euskaltel - Euskadi 51 pts