Schleck and Contador battle it out for the win, while Sanchez and Menchov scrap for third
While the duel for top honors at this year's Tour de France continues to draw the most attention, today's finish at the ski station of Ax-3 Domaines revealed another head to head battle that looks to animate the race over the final week: Samuel Sanchez and Denis Menchov.
Neither rider has ever made much of an impact at the Tour de France. Menchov, a rider who can lay claim to overall victories at both the Giro and Vuelta, has taken a stage win at the Tour, but never come performed to the high level he managed in his three Grand Tour victories.
Sanchez, meanwhile, took 7th place overall at the 2008 Tour de France, along with a 3rd and 2nd on the general classification at the Vuelta in 2007 and 2009 respectively. The Asturian born rider who races for the de facto Basque national team had said that he would focus on the Tour de France since last winter, but it was difficult to accept his claims as well-founded.
14 stages in to the Tour de France, and the Russian and Spanish riders are enjoying what might be considered the best performances of their careers. Fighting for the final spot on the podium behind the two unquestioned best in the world is a victory in itself.
The challenging duo are not laying down arms to acquiesce to the dominant Contador/Schleck pairing though. Today, when Schleck and Contador became so caught up in their own personal duel that they were left behind by the strong chasing group, which included Menchov and Sanchez, Menchov didn't hesitate to throw an important punch. The Russian rider, rumored to be heading to Katusha for 2011 and beyond, attacked out of the leading group and immediately put a significant gap into the chasers. The Olympic champion and winner of a stage at the Vuelta al Pais Vasco in 2010 accelerated to take up the fight that Menchov initiated and began a slow, painful crossing of the gap. Menchov fought hard to hold off Sanchez, but Sanchez eventually made the juncture. As the climb crested going into the final kilometer, the two combined forces when they realized the opportunity they had to distance themselves from the other contenders for 3rd overall.
Afterwards, the 2009 Giro d'Italia champion, Denis Menchov, admitted that he was pleased with how the day had gone: "I've recovered a little time. That was the goal. This is good for the morale."
Menchov would be pleased with a 3rd place spot in Paris, but is not settling for the lower rung at this point. "I must be careful and not take too much risk. I am strong. Contador will be difficult to come to terms with, because he is also good in the time trials, but Schleck is not so good in the time trial. If I can reduce the difference or keep it even [2:44] between us, I think I still have a chance to pass him on the general classification."
Rabobank Director Sportif, Adri van Houwelingen, was also pleased with the work: "Denis was quite good when Contador and Schleck were riding slowly. It was a good offense. It's too bad that Samuel Sanchez was able to come across. We were happy to see Menchov gain some time. The first day in the Pyrenees was good for us, because we have strengthened our positions in the overall. There are still three major mountains stages to go though."
Menchov has been very quiet for the most part during this Tour de France, while Sanchez has been seen all over the place with a number of great rides, including his second place to Andy Schleck at La Rousses and his defiant solo effort on the Madeleine netted him serious time and pushed him to 3rd overall. Sanchez has also done what no other rider has yet been able to do: he can, at times, follow Contador and Schleck, sometimes even attacking them. Menchov showed that too was capable of following the dynamic duo today. He comfortably followed one of the accelerations of Contador today, not long before setting out on his own attack.
The effort of Menchov and Sanchez to gain time over everyone else, including Contador and Schleck did prove fruitful on the line. The time they picked up might not have been big, but like the Contador/Schleck time gain trades of 10 seconds, the ticks have a huge mental effect to go along with them. The gap of 14 seconds on the line moved Menchov and Sanchez 14 seconds closer to contesting for the overall Tour de France victory, but also, more importantly, 14 seconds further adrift of the logjam of riders all looking for the 3rd spot on the podium. Sanchez and Menchov are separated by 13 seconds, 2:31 and 2:44 behind race leader, Andy Schleck.
The small bit of work in the waning moments of the stage created an ever widening margin between 4th and 5th place though. Menchov now has 47 seconds on Belgium's high flying Jurgen Van Den Broeck in 5th and 1:14 over teammate, Gesink in 6th.
Gesink may yet still prove to be a factor at this year's Tour de France, especially considering how big the mountains are about to get. After finishing in the group with Contador and Schleck today, Robert Gesink was pleased, but said that it could have been better, and that he only "really feels good above 1800 meters." Gesink did indeed come on strong late on the climb, but was hampered by his teammate just up the road, so there was no chance for him to continue the momentum his diesel engine had finally achieved after almost thirty minutes of climbing. According to the current wearer of the Maillot Blanc, today's finish at 1300 meters was not nearly enough to gain the advantage that he seeks, but the next three days in the high Pyrenees could see him make a run for the final spot on the podium as well, or play a big role in Menchov's success. Tomorrow's Port de Bales tops off at just under 1800 meters, 1755, and the following two days, the Tourmalet measures in at a healthy 2115.