Australia’s Cadel Evans has slipped to fourth overall but remains well in the hunt for a victory in the Tour de France.
Evans made up more time on race leader Thomas Voeckler to be 1min 12sec behind the Frenchman after finishing third in the history-making 18th stage on Thursday.
But the Australian slipped behind Andy and Frank Schleck after the Luxembourg brothers completed the highest ever finish on the Tour in first and second places respectively.
For Evans, who raced courageously, it is still very much game on with Friday’s closing day in the Alps to come and Saturday’s penultimate 20th stage time trial, considered the Australian’s major strength.
Andy Schleck roared to his stage victory, while Voeckler put up a successful effort to retain the leader’s yellow jersey on the punishing second of three day’s riding in the Alps, crossing the 2645m Col du Galibier summit in fifth.
Schleck, who began the day 2:36 behind Voeckler, gambled with a solo attack on the gruelling 23km climb up Galibier, and the Luxembourger rounded the final bend with yellow in his grasp.
But Voeckler gritted his teeth to hold onto the lead by 15sec.
Frank Schleck’s second in the stage left him 1:08 adrift of the lead.
Alberto Contador, bidding for a fourth successive title, was the day’s biggest loser.
The Spaniard started out on the gruelling 200.5km run in sixth, 3:15 off the pace, but dropped back to seventh to lie 4:44 behind Voeckler after failing to keep tabs with his main yellow jersey contenders in the closing kilometres.
That could well be game over for the controversial Saxo Bank rider.
Andy Schleck arrived on top of Galibier, which first featured in the Tour in 1911, with a 2:07 advantage on his brother Frank, with Evans 2:15 back.
“I don’t want to finish fourth in Paris, and I said to myself ‘I’m going to risk everything, it’ll work or it’ll fail’,” Andy Schleck said of his stunning attack.
“That’s the way I am, I’m not afraid of losing. And if my legs were hurting out in front I knew the others would be hurting to catch me up.
“I’ve won the stage, I’m into second overall, perhaps tomorrow it’ll be the yellow jersey. I wanted to take the jersey but Thomas (Voeckler) surprised everyone, it’s great for cycling.”
Friday’s 19th stage is a 109.5km ride from Modane to Alpe d’Huez and features another climb up Galibier.
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