Tour De France Stage 12: Sanchez Wins as Frank Schleck Puts His Foot Down

Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez emerged victorious in the Pyrenees with Frank Schleck coming in as first of the main contenders as the Tour de France moved into the mountains for the first time in 2011.

After a flat 120km run into the intermediate sprint, it was Mark Cavendish who took the line first of the main bunch after a textbook lead out from his HTC Highroad team. The Manxman picked up nine sprint points ahead of sprint rivals Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) and Phillipe Gilbert (Omega Pharmo-Lotto), who picked up seven and three points respectively.

But, as the climbing started, focus turned away from the green jersey and to the breakaway group of six, almost 10 minutes up the road.

With Thomas Voeckler’s Europcar team leading the peloton, that gap was crushed to little over six minutes in the early stages of the first of three major climbs. But, the breakaway, which included Sky’s Geriant Thomas, crossed the summit still well ahead of the peloton and still five riders strong.

Next up was the legendary Col-du-Tourmalet, a 17km long climb.

This is where Thomas made his move, launching a brave and impressive attack to reach the summit first, only to be caught with less than a kilometre to go by Frenchman Jeremy Roy (FDJ).

The real drama of the day was to come on the final climb into Luz-Ardiden where the breakaway group were foiled and the main men of the tour battled it out among themselves.

The battle was set up by a vicious attack from the Leopard-Trek team, who took control of the pace and thinned out the peloton in an effort to set up the Schleck brothers for a big attack.

Although Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) and Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharmo-Lotto) escaped the fighting pack, the main focus was on the General Classification contenders and who would break first.

After alternating attacks from the Schleck brothers, the first big name to fall from the group was Yellow Jersey-wearer Thomas Voeckler, who had given a phenomenal performance to keep pace through to the final climb; an effort he would be rewarded for as he held onto the Malluit Jaune on Bastille Day.

With Voeckler gone, the Schleck brothers attacked again in an effort to shake Cadel Evans (BMC) Ivan Basso (Liquigas) and Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank).

With under a kilometre to the summit and finish line, it was the elder Frank Schleck who escaped, leaving his rivals trailing, and almost catching the escapee’ Sanchez and Vanendert before crossing the line 10 seconds behind winner Sanchez.

As Frank Schleck powered away, Cadel Evens kicked again and was followed by Schleck Jr. and Basso, leaving defending Champion Condator reeling and falling from the group.

Andy Schleck, Basso and Evans crossed the line 20 seconds down on Frank Schleck, with Contador a further 13 seconds back, losing more time on his rivals for the Yellow Jersey.

As the dust settled and riders captured their breath, it was Voeckler who was on the podium collecting another Yellow Jersey. But Frank Schleck will be the man smiling, climbing up to second place overall, 1’49” behind the Frenchman Voeckler.  Schleck holds a lead of just 17 seconds over Cadel Evens, who, in turn, is only 11 seconds ahead of Andy Schleck.

With a second day in the mountains looming tomorrow, it will be three-time winner Contador with the most work to do, sitting four minutes back on the lead. But with a much shorter stage and only one major climb, the Spaniard may struggle to make up any of his lost time in a stage that is likely to favour a breakaway.