Tour leader Evans cracks in the Alps as Wiggins toils

Another day in the mountains for the Tour de France and another of the leading contenders cracks. This time the unfortunate rider was Cadel Evans, who began the day wearing the yellow jersey and ended it seven minutes and 47 seconds off the lead and down in 18th place.

The Australian, who was riding with a hairline fracture of his elbow, somehow kept pace with the leaders for most of the punishing 205km stage from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. But afer 160km, as the riders toiled up the Col de la Madeleine, the highest peak of the race so far, he was dramatically cut adrift.

It was last year's race winner Alberto Contador who dropped the guillotine on Evans. He sensed that the BMC rider was losing it and led the push that left his rival floundering on the brutal Alpine slopes.

When he eventally made it to the line Evans collapsed in floods of tears and admitted that his hopes of winning were over. But despite the fracture in his arm he vowed to continue the race - just as Lance Armstrong had done after he too was left broken by the Alps.

The Tour would now appear to be a two horse race between last year's winner, Alberto Contador, and the 2009 runner up, Andy Schleck. They stuck with the leading group to the bitter end and finished just two seconds behind stage winner Sandy Casar.

Schleck, bravely or foolishly, made several attempts to burn off Contador on the climbs before the two of them held a conversation and established a truce. Schleck now holds the yellow jersey and a lead of 41 seconds over Colombian Contador.

Britain's Bradley Wiggins survived the latest dramas in the mountains, but lost another five minutes. He is now seven minutes 18 seconds behind Schleck in 16th and he knows his hopes of glory in Paris are now gone.

Instead he and his Team Sky have revised their target to a top 10 finish, and possibly a stage win.

Wiggins said: "We put everything into this. It hasn't worked but it's not because we haven't tried. At least I know where I stand. I don't want to give up and throw my toys out of the pram, finish at the back or go home, so I'm going to just push on every day." ·