tour072308

Top three stay the same with L’Alpe d’Huez ahead

Frank Schleck of Luxembourg kept the yellow jersey in the Tour de France on Tuesday as the race left Italy and returned to France.

Associated Press

Last update: July 23, 2008 - 12:57 AM

JAUSIERS, FRANCE – Frank Schleck of Luxembourg kept the yellow jersey in the Tour de France on Tuesday as the race left Italy and returned to France.

French rider Cyril Dessel won the 16th stage for his first stage victory in this race. He led a breakaway group of four to a downhill finish, completing the 98-mile trip from Cuneo, Italy, in 4 hours, 31 minutes, 27 seconds.

Schleck refrained from attacking during the mountain climbs, choosing to stay with his closest rivals. He finished 1 minute, 28 seconds behind Desseland but gained ground on two rivals — Russia’s Denis Menchov and Christian Vande Velde, an American contending in a major three-week race for the first time.

A more decisive performance could come today, when the Tour’s toughest stage ends with the storied serpentine climb to L’Alpe d’Huez.

“We’re going to try to make the other riders lose the Tour de France tomorrow,” Schleck said.

Bernhard Kohl of Austria remains second overall, seven seconds behind, and prerace favorite Cadel Evans of Australia is third, eight seconds back. Menchov and Vande Velde had trouble on the concluding descent. Menchov couldn’t keep up with the other race leaders and lost 35 seconds; Vande Velde fell, lost 2:36 and slipped to sixth.