Roche finishes 19th as Schleck edges closer

NICOLAS ROCHE finished 19th in yesterday’s 18th stage of the Tour de France after a dramatic day in the Alps which saw Thomas Voeckler cling to the yellow jersey for an 11th consecutive day while Alberto Contador saw his hopes of a fourth title all but disappear.

Roche, who now lies 19th in the general classification, was aggressive from the outset once again and forced himself into the day’s 16-man breakaway that surged clear of the peloton after 40 kilometres.

That group rode well together, benefiting from having 12 teams represented and all collaborated well to open up a maximum advantage of nine minutes.