Nocentini takes Tour lead; Contador attacks

Nocentini, who began the day in Barcelona more than three minutes behind the leaders, pushed ahead early up the Pyrenees mountains with a pack of nine other riders, including the eventual winner of the stage, Brice Felliu of France, 224 km later at the ski resort of Arcalis in Andorra.

Much of the interest, however, was in the peloton behind the breakaway pack, which contained many of the riders expected to contend for the overall tour win.

Contador, the 2007 tour winner, and Armstrong, the eight-time tour winner making his comeback three and a half years after retiring, are teammates considered among the top contenders to win the 3,500 km (2,175 mi) tour.

They rode together for much of the day’s run before Contador decided to attack in the last climbing stretch. He began the day 19 seconds behind Armstrong for the overall lead but finished 2 seconds ahead.

Meanwhile, was a day of changing fortunes for the previous overall leader of the race on Friday.

Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who led after Stage 6 and for much of the first week of the tour had a tough day, with two flat tires and relative slowness in the tough mountain stage. He finished 5 minutes and 37 seconds behind Nocentini.
Italy’s Roberto Nocentini took the overall lead at the Tour de France by six seconds on Friday while Spain’s Alberto Contador sprinted to second place in the last kilometers of the 7th stage, two seconds ahead of Lance Armstrong of the U.S.

Nocentini, who began the day in Barcelona more than three minutes behind the leaders, pushed ahead early up the Pyrenees mountains with a pack of nine other riders, including the eventual winner of the stage, Brice Felliu of France, 224 km later at the ski resort of Arcalis in Andorra.

Much of the interest, however, was in the peloton behind the breakaway pack, which contained many of the riders expected to contend for the overall tour win.

Contador, the 2007 tour winner, and Armstrong, the eight-time tour winner making his comeback three and a half years after retiring, are teammates considered among the top contenders to win the 3,500 km (2,175 mi) tour.

They rode together for much of the day’s run before Contador decided to attack in the last climbing stretch. He began the day 19 seconds behind Armstrong for the overall lead but finished 2 seconds ahead.

Meanwhile, was a day of changing fortunes for the previous overall leader of the race on Friday.

Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who led after Stage 6 and for much of the first week of the tour had a tough day, with two flat tires and relative slowness in the tough mountain stage. He finished 5 minutes and 37 seconds behind Nocentini.