Injured Aussie fades as Schleck takes over Tour's yellow jersey

BY JAMEY KEATEN

Last updated 06:23 14/07/2010

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Alberto Contador celebrates his third Tour de France win at the start of the 20th and final stage of from Longjumeau to the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Spain's Alberto Contador (right) on the podium with Luxembourg's Andy Schleck (left) at the end of the 102.5km final stage of the 2010 Tour de France cycling race.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (left) receives a yellow jersey from Tour de France winner Spanish Alberto Contador after their meeting at the Moncloa palace in Madrid.

Tour de France winner Spanish Alberto Contador smiles while being acclaimed by hundreds of supporters at his home village of Pinto, near Madrid on the same day he was named the world's top ranked cyclist.

Britain's Mark Cavendish (centre) spints on the finish line as he wins ahead of Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (third from left), New-Zealand's Julian Dean (second from left) and Belgium's Jurgen Roelandts (left) at the end of the 102.5km last stage of the Tour de France.

Seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong poses on the podium with his black jersey to support the 28 millions people living with cancer after he participated for the last time in the cycling classic.

Andy Schleck (left) shares a joke with Alberto Contador at the start of the final stage of Le Tour de France.

Team Radioshack change their kits during the final stage of Le Tour de France.

Britain's Mark Cavendish (right) celebrates on the finish line as he wins ahead of Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (third from left), New-Zealand's Julian Dean (second fome left) and Belgium's Jurgen Roelandts (left) at the end of the final stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

Actor Tom Cruise and actress Cameron Diaz

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck crosses the finish line ahead of Spaniard Alberto Contador at the end of stage 17 of the Tour de France in Col du Tourmalet, France.

Spain's Alberto Contador celebrates his yellow jersey as overall leader on the podium at the end of the 174km 17th stage of the Tour de France between Pau and the famous Col du Tourmalet pass in French Pyrenees.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck (right) heads to the finish line ahead of Spaniard Alberto Contador at the end of stage 17 of the Tour de France in Col du Tourmalet, France.

The pack rides in Col du Tourmalet pass during the 174km 17th stage of the 2010 Tour de France between Pau and the famous Col du Tourmalet pass in French Pyrenees.

The pack rides in the fog in the 174km 17th stage of the 2010 Tour de France between Pau and the famous Col du Tourmalet pass in French Pyrenees.

France's Pierrick Fedrigo (left) celebrates on the finish line as he wins - ahead of France's Sandy Casar (second from right), France's Ruben Plaza (second from left) and US Lance Armstrong (right) - the 199.5km 16th stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong is given feeding bottles as he breaks away in the first kilometres of the Col du Tourmalet pass during the 199.5km 16th stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

France's Pierrick Fedrigo celebrates on the finish line as he wins the 199.5km 16th stage of the 2010 Tour de France between Bagneres-de-Luchon and Pau, southwestern France.

The pack rides in the Col de Peyresoudre pass during the 199.5km 16th stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

The lead group of riders head up a climb during stage 16 of the Tour de France. The stage, between Bagneres-de-Luchon and Pau, featured four major climbs including the Col du Tourmalet.

Italy's Paolo Tiralongo drinks as he rides in the 199.5km 16th stage of the 2010 Tour de France between Bagneres-de-Luchon and Pau, southwestern France.

Spaniard Alberto Contador wears the yellow jersey on the podium after taking it from Luxembourg's Andy Schleck following stage 15 of the Tour de France.

Andy Schleck (left) is comforted by Belgium's Jurgen Van den Broeck on the finish line at the end of the 187km 15th stage of the Tour de France in which Schleck lost the tour lead to Alberto Contador.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck (right) looks at his chain as he rides with Spain's Alberto Contador, Belgium's Jurgen Van den Broeck and Kazakh's Alexandre Vinokourov in the 187km 15th stage of the Tour de France.

Thomas Voeckler wins stage 15 of the Tour de France.

Andy Schleck (yellow jersey) of Luxembourg descends at the front of the peloton during stage 15 of the Tour de France.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, in the yellow jersey, chases Spain’s Alberto Contador on the final climb of Stage 14 of the Tour de France.

Fans cheer on yellow jersey of overall leader, Luxembourg's Andy Schleck (left) riding with Tour de France 2009 winner Spain's Alberto Contador during the 184.5km and 14th stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

France's Christophe Riblon celebrates on the finish line as he wins the 184.5km 14th stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

Television screen grabs of the incident involving Kiwi Julian Dean and Australian Mark Renshaw at the end of stage 11 on the Tour de France.

Yukiya Arashiro of Japan (third from left), Tyler Farrar of the US (centre with orange helmet), stage winner Mark Cavendish of Britain (leading) and Thor Hushovd of Norway (right in the best sprinter's green jersey) sprint towards the finish line of the 11th stage of the Tour de France.

Britain's Mark Cavendish (right) sprints on the finish line as he wins the 184.5km 11th stage of the Tour de France between Sisteron and Bourg-les-Valence, southeastern France.

Britain Mark Cavendish of team HTC-Columbia crosses the finish to win stage 11 of the Tour de France in Bourg-les-Valence, France.

A fan sits on a huge decoration yellow bike during the eighth stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

Italy's Paolo Tiralongo carries bananas for his team leader, Spain's Alberto Contador as he rides the 8th stage of the Tour de France.

The pendant of Belgium's Francis De Greef prior to the start of the ninth stage of the Tour de France.

The bike of Andy Schleck of team Saxo Bank before the start of stage nine of the Tour de France.

Francaise des Jeux team rider Sandy Casar of France crosses the finish to win stage nine of the Tour de France.

A helicopter flies overs the pack riding the ninth stage of the Tour de France.

Juan Antonio Flecha of Spain in action during stage nine of the Tour de France.

Former Yellow jersey holder Australia's Cadel Evans cries in the arms of Italy's Mauro Santambrogio at the end of the 204km ninth stage of the Tour de France between Morzine Avoriaz ski resort and Saint-Jean de Maurienne, in Savoy.

Australia's Cadel Evans of Australia climbs the Col de la Madeleine during stage nine of the Tour de France from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint Jean de Maurienne.

Andy Schleck of Luxembourg (centre) leads Alberto Contador (right) of Spain and José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios of Spain on the Col de la Madeleine during stage nine of the Tour de France from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint Jean de Maurienne.

Andy Schleck of team Saxo Bank puts on the yellow jersey following the end of stage nine of the Tour de France.

Tour de France seven-times winner, US Lance Armstrong (right), rides with teammates on the eighth stage of the Tour de France.

A combo shows Tour de France seven-times winner, US Lance Armstrong stopped after a crash with Spain's Ivan Velasco (down), Denmark's Matti Breschel (C, partly hidden), Spain's Egoi Martinez (R) and Sylvester Szmyd (L) on the eighth stage of the Tour De France.

Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (right) sprints on the finish line ahead of New-Zealand's Julian Dean (left) in Reims, Eastern France as he wins the 153.5km fourth stage of the Tour de France.

Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (right) sprints on the finish line ahead of New-Zealand's Julian Dean (centre) and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen (second from left) in Reims, Eastern France as he wins the 153.5km fourth stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (right) celebrates on the finish line ahead of New-Zealand's Julian Dean (centre) and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen (left) in Reims, Eastern France as he wins the 153.5km fourth stage of the Tour de France.

Riders fall on a cobblestone sector during the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Wanze and Arenberg-Porte Du Hainaut.

Riders fall on the cobblestones during the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Wanze and Arenberg-Porte Du Hainaut.

Riders negotiate a cobblestone section during the third stage of the Tour de France over 213km which started in Wanze, Belgium and finished in Arenberg, France.

Thor Hushovd of the Canadian-owned Cervelo TestTeam sprints raises his arms in celebration in winning the 213km stage three of the Tour de France.

Luxembourg's Frank Schleck receives medical assistance from Tour de France doctor Gerard Porte after he crashed in the first cobblestones sector at the end of the 213km third stage of the Tour de France.

France's Sylvain Chavanel (left) rides on a cobblestones area of Tilloy-Lez-Marchiennes, during the 213km third stage of the Tour de France.

France's Sylvain ChavaAmerican cyclist Christian VandeVelde, 34, of team Garmin-Transitions has a bloodied face after a crash along stage two of the Tour de France.nel celebrates on the finish line as he wins the 201km second stage of the 2010 Tour de France cycling race run between Brussels and Spa.

The bicycle of Christophe Le Mevel of France, with the rear side of the frame broken, lies in a ditch during the second stage of the Tour de France.

American cyclist Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Transition's waits for medics after a crash along stage two of the Tour de France.

Juan Jose Oroz of Euskaltel-Euskadi receives assistance after a crash along stage two of the Tour de France.

Luxembourg's Frank Schleck of team Saxo Bank rides on after a crash along stage two of the Tour de France.

Anthony Geslin of France waits for his team car to give him a new bicycle after crashing and sliding downhill during the second stage of the Tour de France.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck starts riding after changing his tyre during the second stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

France's Sylvain Chavanel celebrates on the finish line as he wins the 201km second stage of the 2010 Tour de France cycling race run between Brussels and Spa.

Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, talks to the race director about weather conditions during the second stage of the Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong rides under the rain in the pack during the second stage of the 2010 Tour de France.

AG2R La Mondiale rider Lloyd Mondory (centre) of France gestures after he crashed near the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France.

Lloyd Mondory of France grimaces as he crosses the finish on foot after crashing during the first stage of the Tour de France.

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Andy Schleck of Luxembourg captured the overall lead at the Tour de France at the end of a mountainous ninth stage won by French rider Sandy Casar.

Schleck took the yellow jersey from Australia's Cadel Evans, who wore it for only one day, after finishing seventh in the stage, two seconds behind Casar and alongside two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador.

Evans was dropped on the fabled Madeleine pass and lost more than eight minutes on Schleck and Contador. Team doctor Max Testa said Evans was riding with a "small but very painful" fracture on his elbow after crashing in the eighth stage.

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong fared relatively well as many other riders dropped off the title contenders on the Madeleine - one of the toughest climbs in cycling. The Texan finished 18th, 2:50 behind Casar.

Armstrong rose in the standings to 31st, from 39th, but lost time in the overall title chase. He's 15:54 behind Schleck.

Casar led a sprint among seven breakaway riders at the finish of the 127-mile trek from Morzine to Saint-Jean-La-Maurienne - the second and final day in the Alps containing three tough climbs.

The Francaise des Jeux rider collected his third career stage win at the Tour, blazing ahead of Luis-Leon Sanchez in second and Damiano Cunego in third - all three riders clocking five hours, 38 minutes, 10 seconds.

"It's pure happiness," the 31-year-old Casar said. "I wanted it so much, it couldn't have happened any other way."

Contador and Schleck trailed two seconds back, setting the stage for a two-man fight for the title. Schleck leads his Spanish rival by 41 seconds, while Spain's Samuel Sanchez - who finished 8th, 52 seconds back - moved to third and trails the leader by 2:45.

For a while, it looked like Luis-Leon Sanchez, who entered the day in 20th place - 5:03 back of Evans - might take the yellow jersey. The Caisse d'Epargne leader was among 12 cyclists who broke away and had a lead of roughly 6- 1/2 minutes on the pack about two-thirds of the way through the stage before the Madeleine.

Then Schleck and Contador engaged in a dramatic duel about midway through the punishing climb, with the Luxembourg rider attacking on several occasions - but unable to shake the Spaniard.

At the top of the Madeleine, with a long descent ahead, Contador, Schleck and Samuel Sanchez trailed about 2:10 back of a small group of breakaway riders. By the bottom, they trailed by only about 1:40 and continued to gain on the escapees during the 8-mile flat to the finish in a dazzling display of acceleration.

"I think he and I are a little above the others," Schleck said of Contador. "I didn't put time on Contador, but he couldn't drop me either."

Evans finished 8 minutes, 9 seconds back from Casar, in 42nd place. The two-time Tour runner-up broke down after the finish, burying his head in the hug of a BMC Racing teammate and sobbing.

Evans said he felt bad for his teammates and staffers: "Everyone who believed in me in this whole project - you know, everything was going so good - I'm just so sorry to let them all down," he said.

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Testa said Evans' teammates didn't know about his fracture on Monday and BMC staff didn't tell them so as not to disrupt "the morale of the team."

The peloton faces three higher-level ascents in tonight's 10th stage, a 111-mile ride from Chambery to Gap. The race ends on July 25 in Paris.

- AP