Lance Armstrong adhered to cycling’s sometimes puzzling protocol in the Pyrenees on Friday when, as much as he surely wanted to, he resisted chasing down Astana teammate Alberto Contador when the Spaniard attacked near the end of the lofty summit finish in Andorra.
Armstrong’s restraint allowed the Spaniard, his most daunting obstacle to an eighth yellow jersey, to gain 21 seconds, a potentially huge swing considering a mere two seconds separates them with 12 stages of the 96th Tour de France remaining.
Contador insisted Monday that he will …Â Details
As the midway point of the Tour de France closes in, the eventual outcome remains a mystery.
Despite more than a week passed and more than 800 miles covered, much of the plot of this year’s race is yet to unravel.
Lance Armstrong believes it may all boil down to the penultimate stage on Mont Ventoux and it is hard to argue with his logic.
Here we take a look at the key questions of the Tour and where things stand so far.
1. Can Armstrong win it?
This was the biggest “if†before the start of the event and many cycling experts were resoundingly negative about the Texan’s chances… Details
Alberto Contador shrugged off Lance Armstrong’s talk of tensions within the Astana team, saying on Monday he would let nothing distract him on his quest for a second Tour de France victory.
Seven-times champion Armstrong recognised on Sunday that having two such strong co-leaders in the Kazakh-funded team was not without its problems, saying: “There have been some tensions within the team.â€
Contador, the 2007 champion, is in second place, six seconds adrift of Rinaldo Nocentini and two seconds ahead of Armstrong.
“It does not trouble me at all,†the 26-year-old Contador said at a news conference on Monday, as riders enjoyed a rest day. “It does not affect me. The situation is normal.â€Â … Details
Attacking during the first part of the Tour de France was almost impossible, last year’s winner Carlos Sastre said on Monday.
The Spaniard, in 16th place overall and nearly three minutes behind leader Rinaldo Nocentini, was content to keep his powder dry during the three Pyrenees stages.
Asked why he did not try his luck in the summit finish at Arcalis on Friday, the Cervelo rider said: “The cemetery is full of brave men.â€
Hot favourite Alberto Contador produced a telling surge two kilometres from the finish on the seventh stage to stamp his authority on the race.
Sastre built his surprise triumph last year on a stunning attack on the ascent of the Alpe d’Huez and knows he still has time to make his move.
“In nine days, there has not been a lot of … Details