Belgian Jelle Vanendert, of the Omega Pharma team took a deserved victory on the 14th stage of the Tour de France after jumping out of the group of overall favourites 6.8 kilometres (km) from the finish.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Thomas Voeckler stubbornly held on to his yellow jersey as reigning champion Alberto Contador survived another onslaught in the mountains.
Contador, who has a deficit of 2 minutes and 11 seconds to Frank Schleck and a sore knee, came under constant attack on the 15.8-km climb to Plateau de Beille but soaked up the pressure to lose only two seconds to key rival Andy Schleck.
Vanendert pulls off a shocker
Vanendert caught early breakaway rider Sandy Casar of France and despite a late counter-attack by Samuel Sanchez, the Belgian held on to claim his maiden win on the race.
He finished 21 seconds ahead of Euskaltel rider Sanchez, with former two-time runner-up Andy Schleck coming over the line at 46.
Vanendert had started the stage ranked 30th overall, almost 13 minutes behind Voeckler. His victory here means that he will move up the rankings but it is unlikely that the winner at the Plateau de Beille will win the Tour, something which has happened quite often in the past.
Meanwhile, Voeckler stunned everyone by countering a number of accelerations by the Schleck brothers and Italian Ivan Basso, and came over the finish line shaking his fist in celebration.
“I do not really know what to say,” said Voeckler. “I’m really surprised. I didn’t expect to still have the jersey.”
Voeckler will now go into the mainly flat 15th stage from Limoux to Montpellier with his lead on Frank Schleck intact.
The yellow-jersey battle will resume during three consecutive days in the Alps starting on Tuesday’s stage 17.
Hushovd wins 13th stage
Earlier, Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Garmin-Cervelo continued his dream Tour de France with victory in the 13th stage from Pau to Lourdes.
Hushovd, who wore the race leader’s yellow jersey for a week, became the first rider since Spain’s Oscar Freire to win a stage as reigning world champion.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2011.
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