SAINT-AMAND-MONTROND, France — Carlos Sastre handled his latest test, and is one step from the Tour de France title.
The 33-year-old Spaniard all but locked up victory by holding off Cadel Evans of Australia and other contenders in a decisive time trial in Stage 20 on Saturday — a day before cycling’s showcase event ends in Paris.
Worn down by an onslaught from Sastre’s powerful CSC team during the three-week race, Evans couldn’t muster the leg power needed to erase a 1 minute, 34 second deficit and was caught off guard by the Spaniard’s skill.
Overall, after more than 84 hours of racing since the July 5 start in western Brest, Sastre leads Evans by 1 minute, 5 seconds, while Bernhard Kohl of Austria is third, 1:20 behind.
By the math of the Tour, that’s close — but just enough for the soft-spoken Spanish veteran to take home the yellow jersey today.
“This is the dream of my life that’s become a reality now,” said Sastre, who finished in the top 10 in five of his previous seven Tour appearances. “I was feeling better and better and was in top form at the end of this week.”
Today’s finale — an 88.9- mile ride from Etampes to the Champs-Elysees — is likely to be a ride of honor that won’t change the overall standings. In the Tour’s etiquette, attacks on the leader are frowned upon in the last stage and any attempts at a breakaway by a rival are easy to counter on the flat course anyway.
Expect CSC to protect Sastre like hawks today and keep him out of trouble such as a crash, which looms as the only imaginable threat to his hold on the jersey.
Sastre is poised to become the third Spaniard in a row to win cycling’s premier race. Alberto Contador won last year and Oscar Pereiro inherited the 2006 title that Floyd Landis of the United States lost in a doping scandal.
Evans was second last year, 23 seconds behind Contador.
“I will be back next year,” said Evans, 31. “I think I have three or four good Tours left in me.”
At a glance
A brief look at Saturday’s 20th stage of the Tour de France:
Stage: A 32.9-mile time trial from Cerilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond.
Garmin-Chipotle watch: Christian Vande Velde’s fourth-place finish moved him to fifth overall. The team had an impressive day with three other top 15 performances: David Millar (fifth), Ryder Hesjedal (13th) and Danny Pate (14th). The team as a whole finished second overall in the stage.
Today’s stage: The 21st and final stage of the Tour takes riders back into Paris on a 88.9-mile route that finishes on the Champs-Elysees.
Denver Post staff and wire reports
