168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) went on the attack yet again in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France, this time on the final descent near the finish in Pinerolo of stage 17, as he continued to🧸 try to pull back every possible second on his rivals and fight fo🐠r overall victory.

Contador was delayed by a crash at the very foot of the Pramartino climb but quickly regained position ♒at the head of the peloton and ൩made two sustained surges.

When these efforts failed to split the lead group, he cha❀rged down the twisting descent and opened a gap with fellow Spaniard Samuel S🧜anchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). That sparked a pursuit match, with the Schleck brothers and Cadel Evans (BMC) catching them just before the finish. Only Thomas Voeckler lost out, finishing 27 seconds further back, following a near-crash.

"It was a very dangerous descent. I was a✱t the front, I saw I had a chance to attack, so I di⛎d. The important thing is to pull back time every day," Contador said of his attack.

"It was very difficult to gain time because there were a lot of riders ch🎶asing us and so it was easier for them. But it was important to try. It seems as though the Schlecks are awaiting me to attack, but I'm just riding my own race. Voeckler is a great rider and whatever time I can pull back on him is good."

Contador is now 3:15 𝄹behind the Frenchman and less than two minutes behind Evans and the Schlecks. The race is wide open as the two big Alpine🐻 stages loom large on the horizon.

Alpine showdown

Contador seems to have rediscovered his confidence and his climbin𓄧g streng💜th after the second rest day.

He believes Thursday's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:longer stage toও t🍒he summit of the Galibier is more important, and could open up bigger time gaps than 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Friday's finish at L'Alpe d'Huez.

"I think the toughest stage is tomorrow and the final part of the Galibier i💙s very exposed and the gradients are very demanding⛎," he said.

"Itꦡ will all depend on the direction the wind comes from. Alpe D'Huez is short aꦦnd explosive but tomorrow's stage is definitely harder."

Contador was back in Italy for the first time since dominating the Giro d'Italia in May. He hopes to have the same superior form in the next two days as he tried to complete a rare𓃲 Giro-Tour double.

"I'd like to be as strong as in the Giro but I'll do what I can," he said. "The other riders are very strong and we're all motivated. I💞t will be very difficult."