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LE TOUR FRANCE: Schleck retains yellow jersey in Alps

The pack rides on Tuesday during the 157km 16th stage of the Tour de France between Cuneo in Italy and Jausiers, France. PHOTO: AFP

Frank Schleck of Luxembourg kept the yellow jersey in the Tour de France on Tuesday, with riders pushing themselves through the Alps as the race left Italy and returned to France.

French rider Cyril Dessel won the 16th stage for his first stage victory in this race. He led a breakaway group of four riders to a downhill finish, completing the 157km trip from Cuneo, Italy, in 4 hours, 31 minutes, 27 seconds.

Schleck refrained from attacking during the tough mountain climbs, opting to stay with his closest rivals and finished 1:28 minutes behind Dessel to gain ground on two potential rivals — the normally reliable Russian Denis Menchov and Christian Vande Velde, an American who is contending in a major three-week race for the first time.

“We’re going to try to make the other riders lose the Tour de France tomorrow,” Schleck said.

His main title rivals finished in the same time as Schleck.

Bernhard Kohl of Austria remains second overall, seven seconds behind, and pre-race favorite Cadel Evans of Australia is third, :08 back. Carlos Sastre, a CSC teammate of Schleck, is fourth, :49 behind.

John-Lee Augustyn climbs back up the flank of a mountain after a crash during the 16th stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday. PHOTO: EPA

Menchov and Vande Velde both had trouble on the technical descent that concluded the stage. Menchov simply couldn’t keep up with the other race leaders, while Vande Velde fell.

“Nothing special happened,” Menchov said. “I just lost the wheel. The upper sections of the downhill were very technical and difficult ... I didn’t panic and I didn’t get scared, I just wanted to get down the mountain as safely and as fast as possible.”

Menchov lost 35 seconds and dropped from fourth to fifth overall, 1:13 behind. The damage for Vande Velde was far greater, with the Chicago native losing 2:36 and dropping from fifth to sixth in the standings.

“I just hit a tight corner and fell,” said Vande Velde, who had already lost 35 seconds to the other leaders on the final climb up the Bonette-Restefond pass, a 25.5km uphill stretch.

Menchov and Vande Velde were not the only riders who had trouble going downhill.

South African rider John-Lee Augustyn was the first over the Bonette-Restefond peak, but he skidded off the road on a turn in the descent and onto a barren, rock-strewn mountainside. A spectator had to help him back up to the road and he rejoined the race.

The leaders held tight on the day’s first climb, the 21.5km Lombarde pass, which brought the race back over the border into France.

There was to be even more climbing in stage 17 yesterday: a 210.5-km ride featuring the fabled Galibier and Croix de Fer passes before the finish at L’Alpe d’Huez.

“With a stage like that looming, I think everyone had that thought in their minds today,” said Roberto Damiani, sporting director for Evans’ Silence-Lotto team.

Evans may have been the biggest winner on Tuesday. The Australian would be content to stay eight seconds behind Schleck through the mountains, then blow his rival away in the final time trial on Saturday.

The race ends on Sunday in Paris.

“I’m very happy, because it would have been too tough to do tomorrow’s stage with the yellow jersey,” Damiani said. “Evans is only eight seconds behind, but the pressure is still on CSC right now.”

CSC team director Bjarne Riis relishes the pressure, and there is no doubt he remembers the last rider to win at L’Alpe d’Huez two years ago: Schleck with a solo attack.

“Tomorrow is a big day,” Riis said. “You need to attack when the possibility is there. Today we couldn’t do it so we will have to do it tomorrow.”
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