Luxemburger takes first Tour de France stage win and a huge shot of confidence into first rest day
It took Andy Schleck almost 2.5 Tours de France to accomplish it, but the 25-year-old finally got the monkey off his back when he took his first ever Tour de France stage win at the ski village of Morzine-Avoriaz after a difficult first day in the Alps. Schleck's attack in the final kilometer distanced all of the favorites save for a tenacious Sammy Sanchez.
The final ascent of Stage 8 to Morzine-Avoriaz was an exercise in patience and proved to be yet another waiting game for the favorites, as all were content to sit on the Astana train led by a raging Dani Navarro. Astana looked to be in perfect control heading into the final 1000 meters of the climb, but once Navarro pulled off after an extremely long effort, the wheels came off for Contador, and the attacks started with conviction.
Contador had more than enough to respond to the first forays, but when last year's runner-up in Paris, Andy Schleck, attacked inside the final kilometer, Contador's gig was up. The defending Tour de France champion had no answer for the current best young rider. Only the Olympic Champion could follow Schleck as the two jumped to a significant gap in the waning meters.
Sanchez, a superior sprinter in most cases, was forced to take the lead as the two headed to the finish line. Schleck, acting on orders from a cagey Bjarne Riis, sat on and prepared for the final dash for his first ever Tour de France stage victory: "I told him to stay on Sanchez's wheel in the final 200 meters, and in the sprint, Andy was simply unbeatable." Moments before that though, it was Riis who made the call for Andy to put everything he had into his final kilometer move: "I saw that Contador would not attack, so I pushed Andy in the final kilometer to go."
Moments after Riis's directions, Schleck crossed the line ahead of a broken Sanchez for his first stage win at the Tour and his first win of 2010. The prodigal talent was beside himself in the happiness of the moment. The two only eked out a margin of 10 seconds over the finish, but the move was dramatic. Schleck's move was simply too much for all of the other favorites. Contador was the first to take up the chase, but had to let go almost immediately. Schleck was in a class unto himself.
Afterwards, the two-time best young rider at the Tour de France commented: "I'm in the shape of my life and soon noticed that Alberto was feeling bad, so of course I wanted to gain as much as possible from the situation. I am going for the overall win and this stage was just one step on the ladder to the big win, but there's a long way to Paris and everything can happen. Now I know I am the strongest on the climbs, and I'm looking for another battle in the mountains."
The relatively easy gradient of the upper reaches of the climb to Morzine-Avoriaz did not allow for much hope of success in an attack from further out. The nature of the climb favored a late explosive effort, which Schleck timed to perfection.
“I wasn’t suffering too badly today. I feel really good. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I have the best shape of my life. I showed at the end that I have some punch. I have good power now and I have to remind myself, ‘Don’t be stupid and stuff it up’. I have to try and get the maximum out of myself and get the yellow jersey.
Last year's Luxembourg road champion knows that the first big fight amongst the favorites is complete, and he's taking justified confidence in his performance. Schleck attacked Contador many times in last year's Tour de France, but was never capable of doing any damage to the erstwhile unflappable rider from Madrid.
"I have made sacrifices for this Tour, and it has paid off. I felt just great. I'm taking confidence from this performance for the rest of the Tour. My team can count on me...I am calm in my head and my legs are good. I hope that later in the Tour I can again have a super day, and that the rest will be slightly slower. I will take everything day by day."
Saxo Bank manager and owner, Bjarne Riis, himself a winner of the Tour de France in 1996, was elated with the performance of his 26-year-old team leader: "It was a stunning stage win. The riders were doing a great job on the first big climb where several big favorites were dropped. On the final climb, Andy showed that certain self-confidence is needed for the overall win, and he quickly created the gap to his biggest rivals, who just couldn't keep him. The victory gives us great confidence. Both Andy and his teammates can profit from today's win, as the stage win is a result of team work."
For Andy and his Saxo Bank team, overall glory is still a long way off. Two big stages are on the menu following Monday's rest day, then come the Pyrenees, and after that, the all-important final time trial in Bordeaux. Schleck would not let on to any specifics for the coming days in the Alps, but knows he has some work ahead of him.
"As for my tactics for the coming stages? Hard to say. The stage on Tuesday with the Madeleine is extremely heavy.
As the race heads into the first rest day, Andy Schleck can rest easy and look forward to the difficult days to come.
“It’s step-by-step. I’m happy with the stage win. I’ll enjoy that tonight. Tomorrow is a rest day and then we will go for our next target. It’s a long way to Paris and I know I can’t follow wheels like I did today if I want to win this Tour. I have to get more active and get time out of my rivals. I’m ready for that.”