Andy Schleck made his claim for Tour de France victory with a solo surge to win at the highest summit finish in the race’s history today, but Thomas Voeckler retained the yellow jersey for a 10th day with another resilient performance.

IRELAND’S Nicolas Roche moved up one place to 21st on the overall classification at the Tour de France yesterday after he finished 14th on a testing 179 kilometre stage from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy.

NICOLAS ROCHE’S goal of a top-10 finish in this year’s Tour de France is over after a nightmare day on Saturday when he conceded almost seven minutes to his main rivals and dropped back from 11th to 18th on the overall classification.

The Tour de France's overall favourites fought out a stalemate on the final day in the Pyrenees as Belgium's Jelle Vanendert claimed victory at Plateau de Beille.

HE may have finished over two minutes behind stage winner Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) but Ireland’s Nicolas Roche gave the strongest indication yet that he’s bang in line for a top 10 overall finish at this year’s Tour de France after he produced a superb ride up to the summit of Luz Ardiden in the Pyrénées on the toughest stage of this year’s race yesterday.

Thomas Voeckler successfully defended the race leader's yellow jersey on Bastille Day, but defending champion Alberto Contador lost time to his overall rivals on the first mountain stage of the 2011 Tour de France.

The titanic tussle for the 2010 Tour de France title is set to end in Alberto Contador’s favour after the defending champion increased his advantage in today’s penultimate stage.

ALBERTO CONTADOR emerged from a mist-shrouded Col du Tourmalet yesterday with his Tour de France race lead intact and one foot on the top of the Paris podium.

Andy Schleck took the stage finish atop the Col du Tourmalet but will require a miracle if he is to usurp the yellow jersey of Alberto Contador after today’s epic stage 17 of the Tour de France.

TOUR DE FRANCE leader Andy Schleck believes he fared better in the latest battle with nearest rival Alberto Contador yesterday as the race entered the Pyrenees.

The latest bout in the battle for the Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey ended in a stalemate in the Pyrenees today.

ANDY SCHLECK has laid down the gauntlet to Alberto Contador as the race for the Tour de France became a duel following yesterday’s second Alpine stage.

THE first Alpine stage of the 2010 Tour de France witnessed the fall of a legend as Lance Armstrong declared: “My Tour’s finished”.

BEING the son of a famous father can have its disadvantages, and it just may have worked against Nicolas Roche in Saturday’s Olympic road race.

FRANK SCHLECK surrendered the yellow jersey to team-mate Carlos Sastre as the Spaniard kicked away to a convincing victory on Alpe d’Huez in the 17th stage of the Tour de France.