Wiggins & Armstrong fight for podium

British rider Bradley Wiggins remains in contention for a podium finish at this year's Tour de France after he came fifth behind Alberto Contador in yesterday's time trial around Lake Annecy, the 18th stage of the event.

The result means Contador now has a four minute 11 seconds lead over Andy Schleck in the overall standings, with Lance Armstrong third on 5' 25" behind his Astana teammate, and Wiggins just 11 seconds further back in fourth.

Today's largely flat stage between Bourgoin-Jallieu and Aubenas will see most of the leaders relax before the punishing assault on Mont Ventoux on Saturday, the Tour's penultimate stage.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Richard Williams, the Guardian: "Wiggins, like all the contenders for the overall victory, was outshone by a staggering ride from Alberto Contador, who took over the maillot jaune in Verbier last Sunday and used today's stage 18 to make it virtually certain that he will wear it all the way to Paris this weekend. Starting last, Contador was a yellow-clad streak of lightning cutting through the heavy air on a day when thunder rumbled in the surrounding mountains. Much earlier in the day the Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, the Olympic time trial champion, set an impressive time of 48min 33sec. But when Contador arrived at the first check-point, after 18km, the stopwatch suggested that he was moving in another dimension."

Brendan Gallagher, Daily Telegraph: "It wasn’t his smoothest ride, especially as he fought the lactic acid after working prodigiously up the climb but, with all his other rivals - bar Contador, and to a lesser extent the impressive Andy Schleck - suffering horribly after three Alpine epics, Wiggins toughed it out and was well rewarded. Wiggins reeled in Frank Schleck to the tune of 1min 57sec – Schleck senior now drops to sixth – and beat Lance Armstrong by 47 seconds to finish just 11 seconds behind the American who is third. Great Britain’s Olympic champion also edged ahead of Kloeden, a noted time-trial specialist, to lead the German by two seconds. All of which should make for a thriling, certainly intriguing, race up Ventoux, one of the world's toughest sporting arenas."

Jeremy Whittle, the Times: "If the fate of the yellow jersey seems decided, the battle for the other two steps on the Paris podium will continue right to the summit of Mont Ventoux. The fight for third overall is likely to be the most fiercely contested and may come down to one key battle - Armstrong versus Bradley Wiggins. Less than a month ago, such a scenario - Team GB's Olympic pursuiting star taking on the seven-times Tour winner on the most feared mountain in cycling - would have been in the realms of fantasy." ·