VERBIER, Switzerland — The Tour de France star pedaled up out of his saddle in a mountain stage, dusted his rivals and seized the yellow jersey that he knows all too well and covets so much.
This time, it wasn’t Lance Armstrong, but his teammate and one-time rival Alberto Contador, who won Sunday’s 15th stage and made a case to be the Texan’s successor at cycling’s premier event.
After such a dominant display in which Armstrong finished in ninth place — 1 minute, 35 seconds after Contador and among other also-rans — the American sees his chances of an eighth Tour victory fading.
“It will be hard. A day like this really shows who’s the best, and I wasn’t on par with what is required to win the Tour,” Armstrong said. “That’s the reality; that’s not devastating news or anything. I gave it everything that I had, and I wasn’t the best.”
As the three-week race entered the Alps, the 26-year-old Spaniard recovered the celebrated shirt that he hadn’t worn since his Tour victory in 2007.
He made it clear he’ll be the man to beat this year.
Race contenders knew that after a week of mainly flat stages that didn’t alter the top standings much, the 128.9-mile ride from Pontarlier, France, to the Swiss ski resort of Verbier was critical.
Armstrong rose from fourth to second in the standings but lost time to Contador, whom he now trails by 1:37.
Now, he sees his job as serving as a “domestique” — or support rider — for Contador, putting an end to speculation about whether he or the Spaniard deserved the role of Astana team leader.
About one-third of the way up the final 5 1/2-mile ascent to Verbier, Contador burst ahead and kept extending his lead.
At a glance
A look at Sunday’s 15th stage of the Tour de France:
Stage: A 129-mile trek in the Alps between Pontarlier, France, and Verbier, Switzerland. The stage featured six climbs, including a demanding 5.5-mile final ascent to the ski resort.
Winner: Alberto Contador of Spain
Yellow jersey: Contador
How Garmin-Slipstream fared: A strong fifth-place finish moved Bradley Wiggins up three spots to third overall.
Next stage: Today is a rest day in Verbier. Tuesday’s 16th stage is a 98.9-mile ride in the Alps between Martigny, Switzerland, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France. It features two punishing climbs.
The Associated Press
