Evans, Rogers survive late scare
Both Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers of Australia were given a taste of the rough stuff on the 211.5km 12th stage of the Tour de France won by Denmark's Nicki Soerensen overnight.
Evans, still three minutes behind race favourites Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, had to up the pace after an already "incredibly fast" start after another rival, Andy Schleck, tried to bridge to a leading group of riders.
Schleck's move prompted Levi Leipheimer, a team-mate of Contador and Armstrong, to mark the Saxo Bank leader's wheel, and when Evans saw the Astana jersey go he moved as well, thinking it was Contador.
Evans, Leipheimer and Rogers were then among the riders who came down with 2.5km to race in the 211.5km stage after the American failed to handle a tight bend.
Columbia rider Rogers came over the top of Leipheimer but got up to emerge with "a few scrapes", according to his team spokesman.
It the second crash for Rogers, whose tumble on the stage to Barcelona last week gave him a swollen disc in his back and, because of the excruciating pain, almost forced him off the race.
Although Evans did the right thing in counter-attacking when Schleck, only 1:43 behind Contador in the general classification, made his move the Australian appeared to have panicked prematurely.
"Contador went in there so I thought I better put myself in there otherwise they might not have anyone to chase," Evans said after a stage which, having completed 48km in the first hour, he admitted was intense.
"It was really intense, a real Tour stage - attack, attack, attack. It was good racing, it's softened everyone's legs a bit for tomorrow."
Evans was later thanking his lucky stars after getting caught up in the crash which appeared to be caused by Leipheimer and left Rogers flying over the top of the Californian.
"They overshot the corner in front of me - they didn't intend to do it, they had nowhere to go," said Evans, claiming he had no physical damage.
Leipheimer was left with a sore wrist and although two-time runner-up Evans wouldn't wish it the American's abandon could help his own cause to beat Astana and win the yellow jersey.
"With 2km to go, my tyre was sliding and I couldn't save my bike from sliding out," said Leipheimer.
"I slid out and hit the kerb, I saw (Columbia's) Mick Rogers come over me onto the grass, I have heard he will be okay."
Because it took place inside the last 3km, the stragglers were credited with the same time as the second main bunch.
The race resumes tonight and the AG2R team of Rinaldo Nocentini, who were put through their paces through the 12th stage, may well struggle to keep the Italian, an unlikely Tour winner, in the race's yellow jersey.
But he is hoping Astana, somehow, help his bid to keep the race lead: "Tomorrow I think it's possible that Astana work with us, because it's quite a difficult stage."
- AFP