Pierre Rolland wins 19th stage and Andy Schleck takes overall lead in 2011 Tour de France
Europcar team’s Pierre Rolland won the 19th stage and took his first stage victory in 2011 Tour de France on Friday, July 22. Andy Schleck took the overall leader’s jersey.
The race started in Modane and ended in Alpe-d’Huez. The 24-year-old French cyclist took a total of 3 hours, 13 minutes and 25 seconds to cover the distance of 109 kilometres.
After winning the stage, Rolland said, "I've imagined this dozens of times, I kept my cool up against the two Spaniards who know each other so well and have been riding together since the start. It was double or nothing, but I didn't want to be second."
Previously, Rolland took the fourth stage and also secured overall a second place in Circuit de Lorraine. He also took the eighth place in Criterium du Dauphine in 2010.
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez of Euskaltel-Euskadi was the runner-up with 14 seconds behind Frenchman. Alberto Contador of Saxo Bank Sungard was in the third place with a difference of 23 seconds.
After few kilometers to go, Contador and Schleck increased their pace and soon joined the group of 14 breakaway riders in Modane Valfrejus. Although, Evans followed the chasing group and reduced the gap of 30 seconds.
Rolland was also in good form and took a part of Evans' group, but Rolland launched the attack with Ryder Hesjedal. Both of them gained a lead of 45 seconds over the chasing riders, but in the final climb they soon caught and passed Alberto.
However, Sanchez and Rolland were working together, but Rolland launched the attack, made a decisive gap and crossed the finish-line, ahead of the other cyclists.
Andy Schleck took the yellow jersey from Thomas Voeckler with a timing of 82 hours, 48 minutes and 43 seconds. His brother was the runner-up with 53 seconds and Cadel Evans finished third with 57 seconds behind Andy.
Andy told the media, “It’s not a course for the big specialists, and everybody tells me it's a course that suits me so I'm hoping that will be the case tomorrow. The race is not finished, I have the yellow jersey on my shoulders and I'm sure that's going
to be a huge motivation.”
Voeckler was in the fourth place with a difference of 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
The next stage will start in Grenoble (ITT) and all the cyclists will cover the time trail distance of 41 kilometres.
Tags: