SAINT-ETIENNE, France — No “crazy” attacks, conserve energy, and hope for the best in the time trial: Tour de France leader Carlos Sastre is tipping his strategy as the race creeps toward its finish in Paris on Sunday.
The veteran Spanish rider didn’t see the chance he was looking for to expand his lead against his top rivals in Thursday’s 18th stage out of the Alps, which Germany’s Marcus Burghardt won by heading a two-man breakaway.
With a flat ride on tap for today, the final showdown in cycling’s premiere event comes in Saturday’s Stage 20 — a 32.9-mile race from Cerilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond.
Sastre insists he doesn’t want to think about that stage just yet, but time trial aces Cadel Evans of Australia and Russia’s Denis Menchov — who are among those nipping at his heels — are clearly on his mind.
“At the Tour, you have to be wise and place your attacks well,” Sastre said. “It’s true that (Thursday) was hard, but not enough to put Menchov or Evans in difficulty. There was no reason to lead a crazy attack.”
Sastre leads CSC teammate Frank Schleck of Luxembourg by 1 minute, 24 seconds, and Austria’s Bernhard Kohl is third, 1:33 behind. Evans is fourth, 1:34 back, and Menchov trails by 2:39 in fifth.
Of those, Evans appears to be the likeliest to take the yellow jersey off Sastre in time for Sunday’s finale of the three-week race on the Champs-Elys Dees.
At a glance
A brief look at Thursday’s 18th stage:
Stage: Riders set out on a 122-mile trek from Bourg-d’Oisans to Saint-Etienne in the medium mountains.
Garmin-Chipotle watch: The Boulder-based team’s Christian Vande Velde held on to sixth overall with a 31st-place finish Thursday. Teammate Ryder Hesjedal was not far behind, finishing 38th.
Today’s stage: The 19th stage is a 103-mile flat stage from Roanne to Montlucon that favors sprinters.
Denver Post staff and wire reports
