Landis, Kloeden lead on tour
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-19 09:11
L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France, July 18 - American Floyd Landis and German
Andreas Kloeden snatched an advantage over their rivals for the Tour de France
title in the showcase stage of the race at the summit of L'Alpe d'Huez on
Tuesday.
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Phonak's team riders Axel Merckx of Belgium (L) and Floyd Landis of
the U.S. (2nd L) cycle ahead of CSC's team rider Carlos Sastre of Spain
(R), T-Mobile's team rider Andreas Kloden of Germany (back L) and
Gerolsteiner's team rider Levi Leipheimer of the U.S. (back R) during the
15th stage of the 93rd Tour de France between Gap and L'Alpe D'Huez, July
18, 2006. [Reuters] | The 187-km 15th stage was
won by Luxemburg's Frank Schleck, who powered away with two kilometres left and
crossed the line 11 seconds ahead of Italian Damiano Cunego (Lampre).
Italian Stefano Garzelli (CSC) won the sprint between the chasing group for
third but Landis reclaimed the yellow jersey in fourth and Kloeden (T-Mobile)
was fifth. All three finished 1:10 behind Schleck.
It was a psychological victory for Landis and Kloeden in the battle for the
overall title.
Phonak rider Landis leads the standings by 10 seconds from Spaniard Oscar
Pereiro, who was 14th on the line, 2:49 off the pace.
Kloeden, second to Lance Armstrong in 2004, was sixth overall at 2:29.
The first of three stages in the Alps included the Col d'Izoard and the Col
du Lautaret climbs, as well as the 13.9-km lung-busting ascent of Alpe d'Huez,
but failed to prove decisive in the search for a successor to retired
seven-times winner Armstrong.
Frenchman Cyril Dessel, Russia's Denis Menchov, Spaniard Carlos Sastre and
Australian Cadel Evans are less than three minutes off the pace.
'CONSERVATIVE TACTICS'
"The plan was to take as much time out of the guys who were close to me as
possible," Landis told reporters.
"I had hoped that Pereiro could hold on to the lead because his team did a
really good job. But I got the yellow jersey back, so there you go.
"Kloeden was very good, and the time differences are not so big yet. I
wouldn't write any of the others off - a bad day could change everything," the
30-year-old added.
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