Tour de France Stage 8: Drama in the Alps as Schleck wins and Armstrong fades away

Andy Schleck of Team Saxo Bank launched a sensational late attack to send a clear message to defending champion Alberto Contador that he has a fight on his hand to win his third Tour de France in four years on Stage 8 in Morzine-Avoriaz, this afternoon, with Cadel Evans moving into the yellow jersey.

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong’s dreams of taking a record eighth Tour de France victory and with it become the oldest rider to sport the maillot jaune in Paris suffered what is almost certainly a mortal blow today as the 97th edition of the race headed into the Alps.

How much Armstrong’s problems derived from two crashes, one early on in the 190km stage, the second 50km from the finish, and how much it was due to the 38-year-old’s legs no longer being able to cope with the demands of the type of high mountain stage is open to question.

What’s clear, though, is that by the time he crossed the line almost 12 minutes down on Schleck, the Texan’s dreams of finishing the race in the maillot jaune were as tattered as his Team RadioShack jersey after he was dropped by the main group with 38km left to race, his situation not helped by being caught behind a third crash, causing him to lose even more time.

Schleck’s decisive attack came inside the closing two kilometers of the 190km stage, shortly after first Roman Kreuziger of Liquigas then Robert Gesink of Rabobank had tried to get off the front of the group containing most of the main contenders, not long after the final two survivors of the day’s breakaway had been passed.

Both Gesink and Kreuziger were quickly brought back, but when Schleck, wearing the white jersey as leader of the young riders classification, made his move, only Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel managed to stay with him, the Team Saxo Bank rider outsprinting the Olympic champion to the line as he not only won the stage but moved up to second overall.

Gesink brought home the group containing Contador, fifth on the stage and now lying third in the general classification, and Evans. The latter, another rider caught up in that early crash, was by now hanging on grimly, but managed to hold on as he moved into the yellow jersey.

Besides Armstrong, one big name missing from that group, however, was Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins, dropped 3.5km and shepherded home in 19th position by team-mate Thomas Lovkvist, 1’45” behind Schleck, damaging his hopes of improving on last year’s fourth place finish.

Sylvain Chavanel, who began the day in the maillot jaune, finished five seconds ahead of Armstrong but 11’40” behind Schleck, however team-mate Jerome Pineau retains the lead in the mountains classification to keep hold of the polka dot jersey for another day, despite suffering some deep cuts in the same crash that Armstrong and Evans had been involved in just 10km into the stage.

Today's events will no doubt give Armstrong in particular cause for reflection on tomorrow's rest day before racing resumes on Tuesday with another high mountain stage, taking in the Hors-Categorie Col de la Madeleine on a 204.5km route from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
 

Top 20 Tour de France 2010 Stage 8

1.  SCHLECK Andy             TEAM SAXO BANK             4h 54' 11"
2.  SANCHEZ Samuel           EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI         + 00' 00"
3.  GESINK Robert            RABOBANK                    + 00' 10"
4.  KREUZIGER Roman          LIQUIGAS-DOIMO              + 00' 10"
5.  CONTADOR Alberto         ASTANA                      + 00' 10"
6.  EVANS Cadel              BMC RACING TEAM             + 00' 10"
7.  VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen    OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO        + 00' 10"
8.  LEIPHEIMER Levi          TEAM RADIOSHACK             + 00' 10"
9.  BASSO Ivan               LIQUIGAS-DOIMO              + 00' 10"
10. MENCHOV Denis            RABOBANK                    + 00' 10"
11. SASTRE Carlos            CERVELO TEST TEAM           + 00' 10"
12. ROGERS Michael           TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA         + 00' 20"
13. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin TEAM KATUSHA                + 00' 39"
14. HESJEDAL Ryder           GARMIN - TRANSITIONS        + 01' 14"
15. DE WEERT Kevin           QUICK STEP                  + 01' 14"
16. KLÖDEN Andréas           TEAM RADIOSHACK             + 01' 14"
17. PLAZA MOLINA Ruben       CAISSE D’EPARGNE            + 01' 37"
18. LÖVKVIST Thomas          SKY PRO CYCLING             + 01' 45"
19. WIGGINS Bradley          SKY PRO CYCLING             + 01' 45"
20. CHARTEAU Anthony         BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM       + 02' 05"

 Top 20 on General Classification after Stage 8

1.  EVANS Cadel              BMC RACING TEAM           37h 57' 09"
2.  SCHLECK Andy             TEAM SAXO BANK              + 00' 20"
3.  CONTADOR Alberto         ASTANA                      + 01' 01"
4.  VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen    OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO        + 01' 03"
5.  MENCHOV Denis            RABOBANK                    + 01' 10"
6.  HESJEDAL Ryder           GARMIN - TRANSITIONS        + 01' 11"
7.  KREUZIGER Roman          LIQUIGAS-DOIMO              + 01' 45"
8.  LEIPHEIMER Levi          TEAM RADIOSHACK             + 02' 14"
9.  SANCHEZ Samuel           EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI         + 02' 15"
10  ROGERS Michael           TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA         + 02' 31"
11. GESINK Robert            RABOBANK                    + 02' 37"
12. SASTRE Carlos            CERVELO TEST TEAM           + 02' 40"
13. BASSO Ivan               LIQUIGAS-DOIMO              + 02' 41"
14. WIGGINS Bradley          SKY PRO CYCLING             + 02' 45"
15. VINOKOUROV Alexandre     ASTANA                      + 03' 05"
16. ROCHE Nicolas            AG2R LA MONDIALE            + 03' 11"
17. RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin TEAM KATUSHA                + 03' 23"
18. LÖVKVIST Thomas          SKY PRO CYCLING             + 03' 30"
19. VALLS FERRI Rafael       FOOTON-SERVETTO             + 04' 27"
20. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon        CAISSE D’EPARGNE            + 05' 03"