Binky Boy Topples The Queen

Since the first mountain stage in the Pyrenees, CSC – Saxo Bank has made it known to the rest of the peloton that they were the strongest team in this year’s Tour. But for the last week, it’s been difficult to determine which leader the team would ultimately rally around. Carlos Sastre has the Tour experience and wears the number, #11, of a team leader, but Frank Schleck has been his equal [if not superior] in the mountains and wore the maillot jaune into today’s Stage 17.

But after the Queen stage of this year’s Tour; one that included climbs up the Galibier, the Croix de Fer, and L'Alpe d’Huez , all [all right, most] has been revealed.

Carlos Sastre who has been known to rock a pacifier as part of his victory salute, took today’s stage in solo fashion ahead of Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and teammate Andy Schleck. In doing so, the 33-year old also claimed the overall lead from teammate Frank Schleck.

Results
1 Carlos Sastre (Spa) CSC-Saxo Bank
2 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
3 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank

With the Brothers Schleck wrangling the pack of leaders after Sastre attacked at the base of L’Alpe d’Huez, the Spaniard and CSC were able to build the largest time gap, 1.24, that any of this year’s 7 maillot jaune wearers have enjoyed. The Tour record for the number of different riders to wear the leader's jersey in a single Tour is 8.

Unless there is a dramatic turn of events in the next two days, Saturday’s “race of truth” will determine the next Tour de France Champion.

General Classification After Stage 17
1 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
2 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.24
3 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 1.33
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 1.34
5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 2.39
6 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 4.41
7 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 5.35
8 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 5.52
9 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 8.10
10 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 8.24

Next: Stage 18 - Thursday, July 24 - Bourg d'Oisans - Saint Étienne (196.5km)


More:
Guardian.co.uk - Impressive Sastre shows why he is CSC team leader
CNN International - Sastre wins on Alpe d'Huez to lead Tour
Cyclingnews - Sastre shines on Alpe d'Huez

Photo: AP Photo/Laurent Rebours