| TOUR DE FRANCE |
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Cycling Today's TV: 8:30 a.m., VERSUS |
PAU, France - Frank Schleck of Luxembourg wants ideas.
The Tour de France resumes today and he's trying to figure out how to erase his one-second deficit to race leader Cadel Evans of Australia.
After 10 stages and more than 46 hours of racing, competitors took a rest day yesterday after two punishing days in the Pyrenees in which Evans captured the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.
Several rivals wilted up the Tourmalet and Hautacam passes, narrowing the field of likely competitors for cycling's ultimate prize when the race ends in Paris on July 27.
The final shakeout is expected to come in three agonizing stages in the Alps - each featuring at least one climb that defies classification for difficulty - and a time trial a day before the Champs-Elysees finish.
Schleck doesn't expect to overtake Evans during today's 11th stage, a 104-mile trek from Lannemezan to Foix.
"I ain't gonna catch Cadel," Schleck said beside a swimming pool at the hotel of his Team CSC outside Pau. "I guess it's going to be a breakaway day and the favorites are going to watch each other."
But the prospect of trying to swipe the jersey did cross his mind.
"If you have any other options, I'll take it," he said.
Before the Tour started July 5, Evans gave himself "a pretty good chance to win." He took a big step Saturday by gaining the yellow jersey and widening his lead over Alejandro Valverde of Spain, Damiano Cunego of Italy and Schleck's younger brother, Andy. All were considered title threats before the race.


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