THIEZAC, France — Defending champion Alberto Contador and rival Andy Schleck have yet to test each other in this year’s Tour de France — they have been too busy avoiding serious injury in nine days of manic racing, which came to a temporary halt with Monday’s rest day.
Although Contador has crashed twice, the Spaniard was somewhat lucky to escape with a bruised right knee, given that several other riders had to drop out with more serious injuries. They include Kazakh star Alexandre Vinokourov (surgery for a broken thigh bone) and Britain’s Bradley Wiggins (broken collarbone).
Also, Alexandr Kolobnev of Russia became the first cyclist at this year’s Tour to fail a doping test, the International Cycling Union said. Kolobnev was 69th heading into today’s 10th stage, but his Katusha team issued a statement saying he is out of the Tour after deciding to “suspend himself according to UCI rules.” The UCI said a urine sample collected last Wednesday tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that can also be used as a masking agent.
Schleck, the Tour runner-up to Contador the past two years, is grateful to have had more luck than his rivals in avoiding injury.
Contador crashed early in Sunday’s ninth stage and banged the same knee he hurt falling in Stage 5.
“It’s sad to see to what degree luck has influenced the course of the race,” Schleck said Monday. “You can avoid crashes to a certain extent, by staying at the front of the bunch and being very aware of possible dangers.”
With Contador’s sore knee bothering him, Schleck will gauge the three-time champion’s true fitness in the Pyrenees climbs starting Thursday. Schleck is in the driver’s seat as Contador needs to make up time, a role reversal from last year when Contador beat Schleck by 39 seconds to win his third Tour.
Contador lost valuable time on the first day this year, when he was stuck behind a crash that split the peloton while Schleck stayed ahead of it. Like the toss of a coin, Schleck got the good call that day. He is 1 minute, 30 seconds ahead of Contador in the overall standings, and 11 seconds behind two-time Tour runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia, the other main contender.
“So far, so good. The team has been great, keeping me out of trouble, and if it could continue like this I would be very, very happy,” Evans said.
Thomas Voeckler leads the race after taking the yellow jersey from Garmin-Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd, while Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez, who won Stage 9, is second overall. But neither is a Tour contender and both should soon wilt in the mountains. The top Garmin rider is Tom Danielson, who is 17th, 4:22 back.
