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A Casey Gibson Gallery – The turning point
The 15th stage of the Tour de France marked a big shift of momentum in the race for the yellow jersey. Photographer Casey Gibson was there to catch the action.
Contador shows who’s boss
Five kilometers of Swiss asphalt was all the Alberto Contador needed to show the Tour de France peloton who’s the new boss. The Spanish climber spun his spindly legs to drop Lance Armstrong, the Schleck brothers and all the other doubters and second-guessers who have been needling him for months about whether he could win the Tour. Contador pulled out his imaginary pistol and shot those doubters right between the eyes.
Wiggins continues to excel
Britain's Bradley Wiggins called for calm on Sunday as he produced a "fantastic" display of climbing on the Tour de France 15th stage to move up to third overall in the standings. "It's a long way to go, let's not get too excited," said the Garmin-Slipstream rider, who now has only Astana’s Lance Armstrong and new race leader Alberto Contador in front of him. Wiggins, a track specialist who is the reigning world and Olympic pursuit champion, has stunned admirers and rivals alike with a consistent display throughout that has kept him in contention for the yellow jersey.
Schleck: Contador can be beaten
Saxo Bank leader Andy Schleck insisted Sunday that his team will "try until we die" to take the yellow jersey from Alberto Contador and his Astana team. Contador dominated Sunday's 15th stage on the first of three days in the Alps after leaving his rivals behind on the 8.8km climb into the Swiss ski resort of Verbier. Schleck, who claimed the white jersey for the highest-finishing rider aged 25 and under last year, was the only contender to counter-attack Contador and in the end his gutsy performance moved him up to fifth overall at 2:26.
Evans: His worst day ever
An emotional Cadel Evans said he suffered the "worst day" of his Tour de France career on Sunday's 15th stage where he slipped back to over four minutes off the leading pace. The Silence-Lotto rider started the 207.5km stage from Pontarlier three minutes and seven seconds adrift but after the 8.8km climb to Verbier had lost still more time, slipping to 4:27 behind new race leader Alberto Contador (Astana).
Armstrong: Contador is strongest
Lance Armstrong has conceded that his dreams of winning an eighth yellow jersey in the Tour de France this year may have been shattered on Sunday’s climb to Verbier. Armstrong was left suffering early on the 8.8km climb to Verbier, where teammate Alberto Contador launched a decisive attack that showed him to be Astana's best chance of winning the race. The 37-year-old American said afterwards Contador had proved that he is the "strongest rider in the race.” And he indicated that it would now be difficult for him to aim for an eighth Tour crown.
Riders get glory; mechanics get greasy
The riders in the Tour de France work as hard as any athletes in any sport. The press documents their efforts extensively, all the way down to a given rider’s heart rate and power output. The mechanics who support them work equally hard but with less fanfare. Indeed, while a stage win or yellow jersey is cause for celebration within the team, it can sometimes mean additional work for the mechanics, in the form of a specially painted tribute bicycle.
Contador claims yellow atop Verbier
Astana’s Alberto Contador won the day and the maillot jaune on Sunday, riding away from a small group of favorites on the final climb in stage 15 of the Tour de France. Contador used the Category 1 climb to Verbier to settle accounts with teammate Lance Armstrong and the rest of his rivals for the overall victory, rocketing away to win by more than 40 seconds over Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck, who collected the white jersey for the best young rider in the process. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) finished third.
Boonen drops out of Tour
Belgian rider Tom Boonen has withdrawn from the Tour de France ahead of the 15th stage because of sickness,his Quick Step team said on Sunday. The Paris-Roubaix champion vomited during the night and had a fever, according to the team. The 28-year-old Belgian sprint specialist was controversially re-admitted to the Tour at the last minute after being initially sidelined by organizers because of a second positive test for cocaine. After Saturday's 14th stage, he was sitting in 148th place in the overall standings, 1:38:42 behind yellow jersey holder Rinaldo Nocentini.