Stage 20

The road

At the start

The race of truth in Grenoble

Pierre Rolland won on Alpe d'Huez and Thomas Voeckler finally cracked, dropping to fourth at 2:10. Andy Schleck has the yellow jersey by 53 seconds from his brother Fränk and 57 from Cadel Evans, and today is forty-two kilometres alone against the clock around Grenoble. It is the same course as the Dauphiné in June, which Evans rode and the Schlecks skipped. Three weeks of climbing come down to one afternoon.

How it was won

1. 142 km to go

   Down the ramp in Grenoble

   Contador pops a shoe out of its pedal and wobbles away from the start house. Voeckler rolls out of it almost casually, to a huge cheer. And last of all comes Andy Schleck, with fifty-seven seconds of yellow jersey to defend over forty-two kilometres against Cadel Evans.

2. 227 km to go

   Thirty-six seconds gone already

   At the first time check Evans is level with Contador for second fastest on the day and virtually second overall on the road. Andy Schleck, who has looked uncomfortable on the bike and worse on the descents, has already surrendered thirty-six of his fifty-seven seconds.

3. 312 km to go

   Leader on the road

   Evans comes through the second check in 40:33, seven seconds off Tony Martin's pace and quicker than anyone else with a general classification to think about. Andy Schleck goes through it in 42:15, losing time in bags.

4. 4At the line

   The race of truth

   Tony Martin's mark stands — unable to follow the best in the mountains, he has spent a week riding for this one afternoon. Evans finishes seven seconds short of the stage and a minute and thirty-four clear of Andy Schleck overall; Voeckler's 57:47 keeps him fourth. "Really, I can't quite believe it," says the Australian, pulling on the yellow jersey with one processional day left.

The result