Image from here.
Image from here.
After stage 12, Andy Schleck is still in yellow but Alberto Contador definitely let Schleck know he won't be for long. Contador took 10 seconds off of Schleck's lead for the overall. Contador and fellow Spainard Joaquin Rodriguez escaped from the peloton on the steep slopes of Montée Laurent Jalabert. Rodriguez out sprinted Contador for the win.
I'm excited for stage 16 in the Pyrenees. That will undoubtably be the climax for Schleck v Contador battle. Stage 16 will have 2 cat 1 climbs and 2 NC climbs. Definitely not for babies. Can't wait to see something epic like Contador v Rasmussen in 2007.
General Classification after stage 12
| 1 | Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 58:42:01 | |
| 2 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana | 0:00:31 | |
| 3 | Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:45 | |
| 4 | Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank | 0:02:58 | |
| 5 | Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 0:03:31 | |
| 6 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack | 0:04:06 | |
| 7 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank | 0:04:27 | |
| 8 | Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:04:58 | |
| 9 | Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:05:02 | |
| 10 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo | 0:05:16 | |
| 11 | Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 0:05:30 | |
| 12 | Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana | 0:06:25 | |
| 13 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions | ||
| 14 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:06:44 | |
| 15 | Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | 0:07:34 | |
| 16 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 0:07:39 | |
| 17 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | 0:07:47 | |
| 18 | Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 0:08:08 | |
| 19 | Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team | 0:08:24 | |
| 20 | Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack | 0:09:05 |
More results here.