A Frenchman won a stage at the Tour de France for the third time this year, the yellow jersey stayed with an Italian – and one comebacking American headed into Monday’s rest day having earned a well-deserved break.
France’s Pierrick Fedrigo sprinted across the finish line just ahead of Franco Pellizotti to win the ninth stage of the Tour on Sunday, joining countrymen Brice Feillu (seventh stage) and Thomas Voeckler (Stage 5) as first-place finishers in ’09, while the race favorites all crossed the line 34 seconds later. Italy’s Rinaldo Nocentini retains the yellow jersey, while Astana teammates Alberto Contador (six seconds behind Nocentini overall) and Lance Armstrong (eight seconds back) round out the top three.
Armstrong, in his first Tour since notching his unprecedented seventh yellow jersey in 2005, and Contador, a Spanish rider considered the top contender this year, remain the favorites – though their budding rivalry could be a threat to the cohesion of their race team, Astana. Both men covet the overall lead – though one may be forced to yield to his teammate in the end.
Armstrong, 37, feels he’s still got what it takes to win.
“We’ll have more moments there when we’ll see who’s truly the strongest,” Armstrong told reporters on Sunday, referring to the 21 seconds Contador gained on him in the Pyrenees.
Armstrong could be aiming for nine Tour wins, hinting he could be back for another go next year, too.
“Probably not,” Armstrong said on French TV, when he was asked if this race was his last. “Maybe one more Tour.”
Sunday’s stage – a 99.7-mile journey from Tarbes to Saint-Gaudens – marked the end of a punishing three-day trek through the Pyrenees, setting the riders up for the race’s first off-day before Tuesday’s relatively flat route from Limoges to Issoudin.
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