Tour Update: Alps Roundup

Young Andy Schelck (in white)takes the Maillot Jaune!

What a tour! Riders are falling flat and abandoning from injury in droves. We joked about Lance being able to stay on the bike but had no idea it would be a reality!

The bad luck plagued cycling super-star is OVER 15 minutes behind Mr. Yellow Jersey Schleck with absolutely no hope of a comeback. He had so much trouble in the mountains it's not even funny. He fell - actually, the entire Team Radioshack fell into a heap on Saturday and there ends his chances of winning. Lance "I'm a mountain machine" Armstrong doesn't exist anymore. He simply couldn't generate enough power to catch up.

Lance has said that he is going to enjoy the rest of the tour, the company, the scenery, the whole thing as it is his last ride to Paris as part of the Tour de France peloton.

What else happened in the Alps?

We'll we had a fist fight. It left Phil Ligget saying "I can't believe they didn't get disqualified." We're still not sure who was fighting but it was wild. They were literally on the road rolling around punching each other and had to be pulled off each other by teammates.

Robbie Mcgewen was taken out by a photographer who stepped in the middle of the road to take his picture. Mistake. Dude, if Robbie catches you, you're done. He'll kill you.

Cadel Evans. Ah, Cadel Evans - what a run you almost had. Until you broke your elbow Sunday and rode today with a broken arm and lost over 8 minutes. Phil Liggett is upset for you, we're sure.

Today, Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador paced each other out and rode to the top of the stage. Young Schleck, whose brother - the awesome Frank Schleck, who abandoned after a broke collar bone in stage 3- might need to rein himself in a bit. Here is what he said today "Now it's between Alberto and me. There is only one rider to focus on, it's Contador," the Saxo Bank rider told a news conference.

It evokes the old Armstong/Ulrich rivalry when NO ONE could catch up with those guys on the mountain. Way to go Alberto and Andy.

Standings: 7/13/2010
1 Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank) 43h 35m 41s
2 Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana) +41"
3 Samuel Sanchez (Spain / Euskaltel) +2:45"
4 Denis Menchov (Russia / Rabobank) +2:58"
5 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Belgium/Omega Pharma - Lotto) +3:31"
6 Levi Leipheimer (U.S. / RadioShack) +3:59"
7 Robert Gesink (Netherlands / Rabobank) +4:22"
8 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) +4:41"
9 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +5:08"
10 Ivan Basso (Italy / Liquigas) +5:09"

Please note LEVI LEIPHEIIMER in 6th place and IVAN BASSO in the top ten!!