Contador comeback adds spice to Tour de France

Alberto Contador rose from the dead during a dramatic day in the Tour de France on Tuesday. The three-times champion of the world's greatest cycle race produced his best performance in the 2011 Tour during the 16th stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Gap.

The Spaniard (above), riding for Saxo Bank, broke clear of the peloton with compatriot Sammy Sanchez and Australian Cadel Evans, and while Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Team Garmin-Cervelo took the 162.5km stage win, Contador showed that with three punishing days in the Alps to come he doesn't intend to give up his title without a fight.

Race leader Thomas Voeckler of the Europcar team finished half a minute behind Evans and Contador, as did Frank Schleck, but last year's runner-up Andy Schleck endured a miserable day finishing 48 seconds behind Voeckler to seriously dent his dream of winning the tour.

Britain's Mark Cavendish retained the sprinter's green jersey though his lead over Jose Joaquin Rojas was trimmed from 37 points to 34.

Voeckler now leads the Tour by 1min 45sec with Evans in second and Frank Schleck a further four seconds down. Contador remains 3min 42sec behind Voeckler, a considerable gap but one that will give the Spaniard hope in the Alps.

Speaking about Contador's performance, Voeckler said: "It really surprised me he attacked like that. Everyone was expecting him to wait for the big mountain passes in the Alps but he went for it on the Col de Manse. I wasn't the only one who couldn't follow, the other guys behind me were all grimacing too. The problem is, when Contador attacks it is usually pretty effective."

Hushovd, along with teammate Ryder Hesjedal and Boasson Hagen of Team Sky, belonged to a 10-strong group which rode clear of the peloton going up the Col de Manse, a gruelling ascent 11 kilometers from the finish in Gap. The trio then surged for the line with 2km to go and it was Hushovd who got to the finish first for his second stage win of this Tour.

The Col de Manse was also the scene of Contador's ambush, the Spaniard attacking twice, the second time breaking the resistance of Voeckler and  the Schleck brothers, though Evans and Sammy Sanchez rose to the challenge.

Afterwards Frank Schleck said the team director of Saxo Bank, Bjarne Riis, had plotted Contador's strike. "We didn't expect him [Contador] or any of the other big favourites to do that," explained Schleck. "Bjarne knows we don't like bad weather and that the descent would be quite tricky for us. Hats off to them. But it's not a tragedy. We will stay focused on what we have to do."

Wednesday's stage brings the riders into the Italian Alps, the first of three days in the mountains that will determine whether Voeckler becomes the first Frenchman in 26 years to win the Tour, or whether Alberto Contador can possibly produce one of the greatest comebacks in Tour history. ·