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LE TOUR FRANCE: Schleck grabs yellow jersey in the Alps

Stage winner Australia’s Simon Gerrans, center, follows Spain’s Egoi Martinez, right, in the climb toward Prato Nevoso during the 15th stage of the Tour de France between Embrun, France, and Prato Nevoso, Italy, on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck took hold of the Tour de France yellow jersey from Cadel Evans on Sunday after a thrilling 15th stage in the Alps that blew the race wide open.

Australian Simon Gerrans of the Credit Agricole team claimed his maiden win on the race — and the biggest of his career — at the end of the 183km stage from Embrun to Prato Nevoso in Italy.

However, the big battle on the first of three days in the Alps was going on in Gerrans’ wake and it has resulted in what is the most open Tour in years.

Five riders finished the day within a minute of Schleck, meaning there should be guaranteed drama when the Tour recommences today following yesterday’s rest day.

Schleck, the Luxembourg champion, had been almost guaranteed taking the yellow jersey having started just a second behind Evans and being bolstered by a strong CSC team that the Aussie was always going to struggle to outfox.

With his younger brother Andy and co-team leader Carlos Sastre helping Schleck, Evans was left on his own when Yaroslav Popovych ran out of juice early on the final, 11.1km climb.

The pack races through the mountains of the Alps during the 15th stage of the Tour de France between Embrun, France, and Prato Nevoso, Italy, on Sunday. PHOTO: EPA

Evans did well to limit his losses, but came over the finish line 9 seconds behind Schleck, leaving the Luxembourger with a 7 second lead on Austrian Bernhard Kohl.

Evans is now third, 8 minutes, 30 seconds ahead of Russian rival Denis Menchov, who has a 1 second advantage on American Christian Vande Velde. Sastre, Schleck’s teammate, remains in sixth, but has reduced his deficit to just 49 seconds.

Schleck admitted it was the hard pace-setting work of brother Andy, followed by some tactical accelerations from Sastre, that helped put Evans and their other rivals into the red.

“It was a very hard last climb, really fast and it was thanks mostly to my brother Andy. His pace put everyone into the red,” Schleck said. “Carlos attacked at the start, then Andy set the tempo and then Carlos attacked again. The end result is that Carlos has got back into the yellow jersey race and now I’ve got the yellow jersey. That was the goal this morning and it shows we can do well on all sorts of terrain, on the flat, in the rain and on the climbs. I think it’s superb what we did today.”

Menchov, who has been consistently described as a major favorite, provided one of the major incidents of the day when he came skidding down on a bend on the final climb after launching an attack around 4km from the finish.

Menchov got back on his bike to rejoin Sastre and rebounded in spectacular fashion by finishing 18 seconds ahead of Schleck.

The Russian’s manager, Erik Breukink, played down the effects of his Rabobank team leader’s setback.

“That is bad luck, but after that he was okay,” Breukink said. “He tried to do everything afterward, but it always costs you some strength. He lost a bit of time to Sastre, that’s a pity.”

Menchov was not the only rider to crash.

Spaniard Oscar Pereiro, the 2006 champion, ended up in hospital after a dramatic fall which left him with shoulder injuries.

Britain’s David Millar and Vande Velde also came crashing down as the peloton rode around both sides of a roundabout prior to approaching the final climb.

Vande Velde, however, recovered to stay well in contention with the favorites.

“Christian is amazing me more and more every day,” said Millar, who admitted it was amazing he escaped with no injuries. “I hope to feel better in the coming days, but we’re ready to give every single last drop of energy to help Christian.”
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