The 96th Tour de France is made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,500 kilometers. This world watched event is set to finish this Sunday July 27th. The completion today of stage 18 was powered by the Spanish rider Alberto Contador, who secured the top spot and can almost taste victory.
Lance Armstrong moved up and it now sits third on the general classification standings. At age 37, Armstrong will have to ride hard and smart in the next two stages to maintain a spot on the podium of the 2009 Tour de France. Top cyclist Contador now leads second place rider, Andy Schleck, by 4:11 and third place rider, Armstrong, by 5:25. Bradley Wiggins is only nine seconds back of Armstrong while Andreas Kloeden is 11 seconds behind the seven time Tour victor.
One minute and thirty-seven seconds is the time that separates Alberto Contador from Tour de France seven times winner, the American Lance Armstrong. Even Armstrong says that Alberto Contador deserves to be the winner of the 2009 Tour De France.
Top 6 after stage 18
1 Alberto Contador (Astana) 48.40
2 Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) 0:03 behind
3 Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha) 0:15
4 Gustav Erik Larsson (Saxo Bank) 0:33
5 David Millar (Garmin) 0:40
6 Bradley Wiggins (Garmin) 0:42
General classification
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 73:15:39
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 4:11 behind
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 5:25
4 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 5:36
5 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 5:38
6 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 5:59
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 7:15
8 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 10:08
9 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 12:38
10 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux 12:41
11 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 13:36
12 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 14:08
13 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 14:37
14 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 15:26
15 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 15:27
16 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 19:47
17 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence - Lotto 19:49
18 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha 24:26
19 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel 25:58
20 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 27:05
