COL DU TOURMALET, France — Andy Schleck won the most prestigious stage of this year’s Tour de France, but defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain was right on his shoulder Thursday to virtually guarantee a third title.
Schleck knew he needed to pick up time on Contador in the 17th stage, and tried to break away with 10 kilometres left on the climb up the legendary Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.
But Contador followed immediately and the two men completed the final kilometres of the stage almost side by side, in a stark representation of the two-rider battle that has been the story of this year’s Tour.
They completed the 174 kilometres from Pau to the peak of the Col du Tourmalet in five hours three minutes 29 seconds. Contador retained his eight-second lead over his Luxembourg rival in the overall standings.
Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria enjoyed one of his most impressive performances on the tour, finishing fourth, one minute 27 seconds behind Schleck and Contador, and nine seconds back of Spain’s Oliver Joaquin Rodriguez for third.
The ride bumped Hesjedal up to eighth overall.
“It’s unreal. I knew I had good legs on the rest day, I did a nice little training. I just wanted to do a good showing today — job done,” he told Versus.
“I feel really good, I feel like I’m getting stronger so a few more days and we’re going to be real happy in Paris.”
Hesjedal and Rodriguez were part of the chasing group that Schleck and Contador had earlier broken away from.
“Those guys went,” said Hesjedal. “The first reaction is everyone wants to follow but those guys just go. I was just content to be around guys that are close to me.
“I think everyone knew how hard it was going to be and I stayed in a good group there, felt good in the last part and just gave it everything.”