Stage 17

The road

At the start

The Tourmalet, and eight seconds

Eight seconds separate Alberto Contador from Andy Schleck, and there is still a 52-kilometre time trial to come. Today is the last mountain of this Tour. The Marie-Blanque first, whose final four kilometres average ten per cent; then the Soulor from its hardest side; then the Tourmalet, the roof of the race, steep through Barèges and steeper again near the top. If Schleck is going to win this, it has to happen here.

How it was won

1. 1121 km to go

   Nobody moves on the Marie-Blanque

   Eight seconds separate the two men who matter and the first category-one climb of the day passes without either of them testing it. They ride it side by side and watch each other.

2. 258 km to go

   The Soulor comes and goes

   The last chance to soften Contador before the Tourmalet, and Saxo Bank let it pass. Schleck arrives at the foot of the final climb with no teammates and one card left to play.

3. 310 km to go

   Ten kilometres to go, and Schleck goes

   Barredo attacks first and twenty seconds later Schleck launches after him with Contador already on the wheel. They fly past the Spaniard and leave Sánchez, Menchov, Gesink, Van den Broeck, Kreuziger and Leipheimer to their own race.

4. 45 km to go

   A minute and sixteen

   Less than four kilometres of attacking has put more than a minute into everyone else. Menchov and Sánchez are riding for a podium; the two in front are riding for the Tour.

5. 54 km to go

   Contador kicks, and Schleck looks at him

   On a nine per cent ramp in the mist Contador accelerates himself, and Schleck fights his way back onto the wheel, comes up alongside him, and holds his eye for a long moment while the crowd screams either side of them. Neither of them says anything. Neither of them goes again.

6. 6At the line

   Schleck takes the Tourmalet

   There is nothing left in either man at the summit and the finish settles it by mutual arithmetic: the stage to Schleck for the work he did on the climb, the eight seconds and the yellow jersey to Contador for answering all of it.

The result