Contador falters as Schlecks launch mountain assault

Was Thursday the day Alberto Contador was left behind by the Tour de France? The three-times champion endured purgatory in the Pyrenees, finishing in eighth place to lie in seventh place overall, a massive four minutes behind race leader Thomas Voeckler of Team Europcar

The day belonged to Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez, who won the punishing 12th stage ahead of Jelle Vanendert. But perhaps most significant was the third place finish of Frank Schleck of the Leopard Team, who broke away from a group containing his brother Andy, as well as Contador, Voeckler and Australian Cadel Evans, an act of boldness that resulted in Schleck moving up to second place overall, just 1min 49 seconds behind Voeckler. The best-placed British rider was Geraint Thomas of Wales, who led for much of the 211km route before fading late on to finish in 36th spot.

The Welsh Team Sky rider joined a breakaway from the off and remained out in front for almost six hours, despite falling twice on descents. At one point he was nine minutes ahead of the pack and had the race stopped then he would have been in yellow. But he was reeled in on the final climb, and there was more disappointment for Thomas when he found out that by allowing his breakaway partner Jeremy Roy to beat him to the top of Col du Tourmalet he had missed out on €5,000. "I didn't know there was a prize, no wonder Jez went for it," he said.

But the main talking point on a day of drama in the mountains was the demise of Contador, the man once described as a 'mountain goat' because of ability to climb without apparent effort. But effort was etched deep into the Spaniard's face as he struggled up the last of three steep climbs late on Thursday afternoon. Afterwards Contador did his best to sound upbeat ahead of two more back-to-back mountain stages, saying: "I was trying just to be vigilant throughout the final climb. I saw the two brothers [the Schlecks] speaking between themselves so I knew one of them was going to attack." Despite being unable to follow Frank Schleck's breakaway Contador – who suffered knee pain last week – said the result was far from a disaster. "I'm still satisfied with the first high mountain stage."

If that was just false bravado from the reigning champion, the confidence oozing from the Schleck brothers was genuine. "It was a perfect day for us," said Andy, runner-up to Contador last year. "It was a first test, and not the last... [but] but we showed our strengths."

Also delighted with how he'd come through the first mountain test was leader Thomas Voeckler, not renowned for his climbing but who nonetheless gave French fans something to cheer on Bastille Day. "The favorites never attacked seriously," said Voeckler, adding: "Every time somebody tried, it would all come back together and then the tempo slowed, so that allowed me to stay in touch."

And there was good news too for British rider Mark Cavendish of HTC-Highroad. Though the 'Manx Missile' was decidedly off the pace in the Pyrenees, finishing 153rd, the world's best sprinter still managed to collect nine points in the race for the green jersey to extend his lead in that competition by a further two points from Joaquin Rojas Jose.

Friday's 13th stage will offer the riders little respite with the 153km route taking them up another spiteful climb in the shape of the Col d'Aubisque before the finish line in Lourdes. It promises to be another arduous few hours in the saddle with Contador and his rivals likely to be in need of the town's famous spring water, reputed to have healing properties, at the end of the day. ·