Szmyd Conquers Mont Ventoux; Valverde Takes Lead on Dauphine Stage Five

The Dauphine-Libere today showed just what can happen in a race of its nature. 

Placed barely one month before the start of the Tour de France, it is used by some key Tour riders as a tune-up for their racing form. 

Many times, those riders don't want to dig too deep in this race for fear of it hurting their future Tour performances.

After very strong time trial performances yesterday, Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) reclaimed the race lead and Tour favourite Alberto Contador (Astana) reclaimed his position as runner-up. 

Evans had just a 45 second lead on Contador, but almost two minutes on the next likely candidate for the title, Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne). 

Normally, that two-minute deficit would be hard to make up, but with the more laid-back attitude of some of the race contenders, the race became much more wide open than usual.

Today's 154-kilometer stage took riders to the top of the mythical Mont Ventoux, a very tough, hors-categorie mountain, the toughest type of mountain to climb. The Ventoux is also going to be a key stage at the end of the Tour de France.

In the mountains, many thought the race was going to be between Evans and Contador, the strongest riders in the race and two of the most likely candidates for Tour victory next month. 

However, as Valverde pointed out in a later interview, he asked Contador at the base of the climb what he was going to do. Contador replied that he was just going to stick with Evans and let Evans do the chasing if he wanted to keep his leader's jersey.

Contador showed today that his claims of using the Dauphine as a high-quality block of training rather than the opportunity for a stage-race win were correct.

Valverde launched a strong attack part-way up the climb.  He took with him Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas), a capable climber and support rider usually at the service of team leader Ivan Basso.

The pair left behind the early breakaway riders (José Luis Arrieta (AG2R), Christophe Kern (Cofidis)) and set off foraging.  The two worked together very well, and by the time they got to the top, Valverde had made up his 1:54 overnight deficit on Evans.

Valverde showed his graciousness for Szmyd's hard work and cooperation by allowing him the stage victory. 

Valverde finished well ahead of the group containing Evans and Contador and took the leader's yellow jersey by 16 seconds. 

Valverde, the defending Dauphine-Libere champion, will take his advantage into tomorrow, where the riders face a short 106-kilometer stage that goes over the monstrous Col d'Izoard before a downhill run into the finish at Briancon.