Tour de France: One second looms large as Alps near

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 Tuesday after two punishing days in the Pyrenees in which Evans captured the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

Several rivals wilted on the Tourmalet and Hautacam passes, narrowing the field of likely competitors for cycling's ultimate prize when the three-week 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 beyond category -- 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.

Schleck's Team CSC is strong and has many assets with which to challenge Evans. The last day in the Alps (Stage 17) finishes at the legendary Alpe d'Huez, where Schleck won a stage in 2006.

"Put it this way, we're not going to let Frank Schleck go in an early breakaway on the stage to the Alpe d'Huez the way he did that year," Evans said.

In addition, Evans must keep an eye on another CSC rider, Carlos Sastre of Spain. Like Schleck, Sastre is a strong climber. He is sixth overall, 1:28 behind the Australian.