Confident Luxemburger thinks one minute over Contador is enough ahead of time trial
Andy Schleck is doing everything he can to still win this year's Tour de France. That included to keep in a rhythm during the rest day by climbing the Col de Marie Blanque, which features in tomorrow's stage. The Luxemburger made it clear that the Tour is far from over, with only four days left to go.
Schleck will have to put all his cards on the Tourmalet in Thursday's stage 17, if he wants to conquer the maillot jaune and keep it all the way to Paris. "I am getting ready to attack on the final climb," Schleck said in a press conference according to news-agency belga. Contador can expect to get a somewhat calm ride until the bottom of the Tourmalet. "Nothing else makes sense, because the distance between the Soulor [next to last climb, 57km from the finish - ed] and the Tourmalet is too long and I would just destroy myself."
That does not mean the final 16km will be an easy task for Contador. "Don't worry, I am ready," Schleck said. "I feel so strong that I think a one-minute advantage over Contador is enough ahead of the time trial to win the Tour."
Schleck certainly did his homework on Wednesday. Around noon, he jumped on his bike to climb the Col de Marie Blanque, a 9.3km climb at an average gradient of 7.6 percent - and the second climb of tomorrow's stage, at kilometer 56.5.
In the afternoon, Schleck returned by car with team owner Bjarne Riis. L'Equipe wanted to know if he had gone out and done the Tourmalet, but Schleck denied this. Riis joked that the pair "had gone out to check the time trial course" between Bordeaux and Pauillac for Saturday's stage. The manager continued more seriously. "The Tourmalet is too far. We left from the hotel to immediately go onto the route [of stage 17]. Andy trained behind the car. He did the ... ascent of the Marie Blanque and the descent. Afterwards we returned by car."
Schleck is currently second in the overall, eight seconds behind Alberto Contador. Contador is considered the better time trialer, but Schleck has looked sharp in the mountains. He answered all the Spaniard's attacks in the first stage in the Pyrenees. The Luxemburger then attacked himself on Tuesday but lost his chances when he dropped his chain. Contador himself went past the Luxemburger in a somewhat controversial move, but has apologized since. The two are friends again - except for about 19 kilometers on Thursday.
The day's climbs are:
Km 13.5 - Côte de Renoir - 2.2 km climb of 6 % - Catégorie 4
Km 56.5 - Col de Marie-Blanque - 9.3 km climb of 7.6 % - Catégorie 1
Km 117.5 - Col du Soulor (D 126-D 918) - 11.9 km climb of 7.8 % - Catégorie 1
Km 174.0 - Col Du Tourmalet (Souvenir Henri Desgrange) - 18.6 km climb of 7.5 % - Hors Catégorie