Down To Two

If today was any indication of the battle to be waged in the Pyrenees next weekend then this Tour is now over.  At least the top two finishers has been decided.  I know that is assuming neither Andy Schleck or Alberto Contador will crack on the Col de Tourmalet and I don't see that happening.  Both rode as equals today, as Andy was unable to attack without Alberto staying right on his wheel.  Andy will need at least another three minutes of lead to hold off Alberto in the final Individual Time Trial and unless there is a major mistake by Contador that will not happen.  The race is now for third and that is still between 12 to 15 riders.  Tomorrow's medium mountain stages will not sort them out, so we will have to now wait till next Sunday when the peloton reaches the Pyrenees.
Schleck attacked twice on the final climb on the Col de la Madeleine to no avail and then worked with Contador to dispatch the remaining GC contenders with the exception of Samuel Sanchez who was able to stay in reach on the descent.  If Sanchez remains out of trouble and stays with leaders he will likely finish on the podium in Paris.
I certainly do not want to over look the ride by Sandy Casar, Luis Leon Sanchez, Damiano Cunego and Anthony Charteau in their successful breakaway.  The break was at 12 riders 30 km into the race and these four kept that lead until the finish, though the group of Schleck, Contador and Christophe Moreau were able to catch them to make the finish one of the more exciting finishes in the Tour. 
Prediction for stage ten:  Look for a breakaway to succeed.  Would not be surprised if both Jerome Pineau and Sylvain Chavanel, both on Team Quick Step, are in that breakaway. Pineau lost the Polka Dot jersey today and Chavanel wants another stage victory and stage ten will be his best chance.

Photo credit © Roberto Bettini

Results - Stage 9

1 Sandy Casar (FRA) Française des Jeux 5:38:10 2 Luis León Sánchez  (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 3 Damiano Cunego (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini 4 Christophe Moreau (FRA) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:02 5 Anthony Charteau (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 6 Alberto Contador  (ESP) Astana 7 Andy Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank 8 Samuel Sánchez  (ESP) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:52 9 Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP) Team Katusha 0:02:07 10 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 11 Robert Gesink (NED) Rabobank 12 Jens Voigt (GER) Team Saxo Bank 13 Denis Menchov (RUS) Rabobank 0:02:10 14 Kevin De Weert (BEL) Quick Step 0:02:50 15 Ivan Basso (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo 16 Ruben Plaza Molina (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 17 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto 18 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 19 Roman Kreuziger (CZE) Liquigas-Doimo 0:03:48 20 Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) Astana
General Classification (Yellow Jersey)
1 Andy Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank 43:35:41 2 Alberto Contador  (ESP) Astana 0:00:41 3 Samuel Sánchez  (ESP) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:02:45 4 Denis Menchov (RUS) Rabobank 0:02:58 5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:03:31 6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:03:59 7 Robert Gesink (NED) Rabobank 0:04:22 8 Luis León Sánchez  (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 0:04:41 9 Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP) Team Katusha 0:05:08 10 Ivan Basso (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo 0:05:09 11 Roman Kreuziger (CZE) Liquigas-Doimo 0:05:11 12 Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) Garmin - Transitions 0:05:42 13 Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) Astana 0:06:31 14 Michael Rogers (AUS) Team HTC - Columbia 0:07:04 15 Carlos Sastre (ESP) Cervelo Test Team 0:07:13 16 Bradley Wiggins (GBR) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:07:18 17 Nicolas Roche (IRL) AG2R La Mondiale 0:07:44 18 Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC Racing Team 0:07:47 19 Thomas Löfkvist (SUI) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:08:03 20 Andreas Klöden (GER) Team Radioshack 0:09:05
Point Standings (Green Jersey)
1 Thor Hushovd (NOR) Cervelo Test Team 124  pts 2 Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini 114 3 Robbie McEwen (AUS) Team Katusha 105 4 Jose Joaquin Rojas  (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 92 5 Mark Cavendish (GBR) Team HTC - Columbia 85 6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Sky Professional Cycling Team 82 7 Sébastien Turgot (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 79 8 Geraint Thomas (GBR) Sky Professional Cycling Team 74 9 Gerald Ciolek (GER) Team Milram 71 10 Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Quick Step 69 11 Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC Racing Team 63 12 Alberto Contador  (ESP) Astana 57 13 Andy Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank 54 14 Daniel Oss (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo 54 15 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions 53 16 Mark Renshaw (AUS) Team HTC - Columbia 48 17 Jurgen Roelandts (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto 47 18 Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) Garmin - Transitions 45 19 Samuel Sánchez  (ESP) Euskaltel - Euskadi 39 20 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Transitions 39
Mountain Classification (Polka Dot Jersey)
1 Anthony Charteau (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 85  pts 2 Jérôme Pineau (FRA) Quick Step 85 3 Christophe Moreau (FRA) Caisse d'Epargne 62 4 Damiano Cunego (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini 56 5 Andy Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank 50 6 Luis León Sánchez  (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 47 7 Sandy Casar (FRA) Française des Jeux 43 8 Samuel Sánchez  (ESP) Euskaltel - Euskadi 40 9 Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Quick Step 36 10 Alberto Contador  (ESP) Astana 32 11 Robert Gesink (NED) Rabobank 32 12 Jens Voigt (GER) Team Saxo Bank 29 13 Mathieu Perget (FRA) Caisse d'Epargne 28 14 Rafael Valls  (ESP) Footon-Servetto 27 15 Thomas Voeckler (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 21 16 Ruben Perez Moreno (ESP) Euskaltel - Euskadi 20 17 Mario Aerts (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto 19 18 Roman Kreuziger (CZE) Liquigas-Doimo 18 19 Koos Moerenhout (NED) Rabobank 18 20 Cyril Gautier (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 17