Contador takes Mailot Jaune after Schleck mechanical problem!

"I'm really disappointed. My stomach is full of anger, and I want to take my revenge ... I will take my revenge in the coming days."

                                                - Andy Schleck after losing the Yellow Jersey in Stage 15

A dropped chain cost Andy Schleck the yellow jersey as Alberto Contador took over the race lead.
Thomas Voeckler, The French Road race champion,  did was he does best - broke away from a 10 man breakaway to easily win the stage. It was the action behind that was causing drama though.

Up the final climb, the HC Port de Balès, the Saxo Bank team had put the pedal down and obliterated almost everyone.  Astana then took it up before Schleck went on the attack and with 4km to go to the summit, the lead group was down to just the five leading riders in the tour - Schleck, Contador, Menchov, Sanchez and Van den Brock.  Schleck was on the attack, today Contador played the waiting game behind.  Vinokourov managed to tack back on to support Contador and was responding to another of  the race leaders attacks when - Schleck suffered his mechanical - a dropped chain.  He was forced him to get off the bike while Vinokourov, Sanchez, Menchov and Contador rode away.

This was controversial, some TV pundits, current and past riders and people in the media are saying Contador should have waited.   It would have been fair play they say.  Did Schleck wait for Contador on the cobbles when he broke a spoke? No. Did anyone wait for Cadel when he had a mechanical in the 09 Vuelta? No? They cite Armstrong waiting for Ullrich in the 2001 edition after Ullrich crashed and the incident in 2003 when Armstrong's handlebar got caught in a spectator's yellow musette waving in the air and he fell  - Ullrich returned the favour and waited for Lance.  Interesting that Ullrich blames his 2000 defeat (he finished 2nd) on the psychological impact Lance waiting had.  In the 2003 incident Lance caught the waiting Ullrich group and attacked shortly afterwards. Ullrich was 2nd again.  Ulrich finished 2nd five times.  He is a good example of why you should not wait, sportsmanship or not.

But how was Contador to know what was going on?  He did not immediately know what had happened to his main rival for the yellow jersey as they raced towards the summit of the Port de Balès, but whatever had happened was simply part of racing.  This was supported by some respected Tour veterans. Asked for their opinion on the incident, Laurent Jalabert, Bernard Thévenet and Bernard Hinault all described Schleck's incident as an inescapable part of racing and said they were looking ahead to see how Contador and Schleck will respond.

 Schleck looks down at his mechanical problem that ultimately cost him the lead.

Contador couldn't afford to wait for the man who stood 31 seconds between himself and the race lead at the start of the day. Faced with a hard-charging Sanchez and Menchov who are only two minutes behind him on the GC - Contador was stuck between the rock and the harder place.

Once he got going, Schleck had to fight his way past Leipheimer, Vinokourov and Gesink to get back within sight of Contador, Sanchez and Menchov. He came over the summit 13 seconds behind Contador and started in on one of the toughest descents of the Tour. Sanchez pulled out all the stops, descending like a mad man with Menchov and Contador in his wake. Although Schleck was aggressive, he fell 25, and then 30 seconds behind on the descent. He was joined by Van den Broeck, who took some hard pulls, and Vinokourov, who of course did not.

Out in front though, it was the lone survivor of the day's break, the man who attacks at every opportunity and has captured the hearts of the French public of the years that was taking the plaudits. Voeckler stakes his entire reputation on days like this and now has two TdF stage wins to go with his 10 days in Yellow back in 2004.  Another win for the French and judging by his form today, I reckon Voeckler might giving it a red hot go again tomorrow.

The stage is set for two huge and possibly career defining stages for Contador and Schleck. The mythical Tournmalet  features on stage 16 and again on stage 17 with a summit finish.


Stage 15 Results

1	Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	4:44:51
2	Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team	0:01:20
3	Aitor Perez Arrieta (Spa) Footon-Servetto
4	Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:02:50
5	Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram
6	Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step
7	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
8	Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
9	Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
10	Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas-Doimo
11	Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Transitions
12	Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	0:03:29
13	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
14	Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
15	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank	0:03:55

General Classification

1	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	72:50:42
2	Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	0:00:08
3	Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:02:00
4	Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank	0:02:13
5	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	0:03:39
6	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank	0:05:01
7	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack	0:05:25
8	Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha	0:05:45
9	Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana	0:07:12
10	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions	0:07:51