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Alberto Contador of Spain virtually secured his second Tour de France crown after the race’s 20th and penultimate stage won by Spaniard Juan Manuel Garate on Saturday.
On the third and final summit of the race the 2007 champion proved imperial as his main rival Andy Schleck, of Saxo Bank, launched a series of attacks with his brother Frank on the 21.1km climb to the legendary summit of Mont Ventoux.
Schleck began the day in second overall at 4min 11sec behind Contador and despite his efforts he will go into Sunday’s final stage to Paris with the same deficit after finishing nearly sec behind Garate with Contador.
American seven-time champion Lance Armstrong eventually finished the stage just behind in fifth place at 41sec behind Garate meaning he will go into Sunday’s 21st stage virtually assured of finishing on the podium for the top three.
Schleck is second overall at 4:11 while Armstrong is third on 5:24.
Britain’s Bradley Wiggins should finish fourth overall at 6:01.
Garate had been part of an earlier breakaway and rode most of the race’s final climb in the company of German Tony Martin.
The former Spanish champion attacked once, was caught as he slowed down, but then launched another more decisive attack a few hundred metres from the summit to leave Martin down in second place.
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