BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON, France (AP) ― Cadel Evans’ vision of repeating as Tour de France champion vanished under the sun-baked punishment of the Pyrenees mountains on Wednesday, as Bradley Wiggins took another step toward taking the yellow jersey home.
French fan favorite Thomas Voeckler took a starring role into big climbs along the Spanish border, winning Stage 16 in a breakaway as Wiggins kept his big rivals a bay ― or dusted them.
“It’s pretty much the Tour de France over for me,” Evans said.
The 35-year-old Australian fell from fourth to seventh overall, and trails Wiggins by 8 minutes, 6 seconds, after struggling on the last two of four climbs in the stage. He cited stomach problems.
“When you have it two hours before the race there’s not a lot you can do,” Evans said. “I did not think it would affect me in the race, but obviously that’s not my normal level.”
As if the four ascents weren’t hard enough, cycling’s big event was also trying to get over the re-emergence of another longtime challenge: The doping-marred image that has hung over the sport.
Late Tuesday, Frank Schleck of the RadioShack team was sent packing after cycling’s governing body UCI said an anti-doping lab’s test on his urine turned up a banned diuretic.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
