TdF: Mont Ventoux

The big news of the day is that the top 3 in the general classification stayed the same, as they finished together on the stage. Andy Schleck (in 2nd place) kept attacking Contador, but Contador always kept up. Spaniard Juan Manuel Garate won the stage.



Crowds were enormous. An estimated 500,000 lined today's route.
Lance says:

Ventoux done. What a day!! I have never (ever) seen crowds like that @ the TdF. Unreal!! I felt great too and kept my "podium" spot. Happy.

Things shouldn't change much tomorrow, as it is in Paris and the last day which is very predictable. Start in a neighboring town, then 10 laps aux Champs Élysées. This has been the norm since 1975. Usually the stage ends in a bunch sprint. Cavendish and his team will try for stage #6 for this year.

General classification after stage 20
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 81:46:17
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:04:11
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 0:05:24
4 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0:06:01
5 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:06:04
6 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0:06:42

That makes Astana teammates 1st, 3rd, and 6th. Also notice that 4th and 5th places are separated by only 3 seconds, after 80 hours of racing.