L'ALPE D’HUEZ, France, July 23 (UPI) -- Carlos Sastre won the 17th stage of the Tour de France by more than 2 minutes Wednesday, earning his first stage win in five years and the overall tour lead.
Sastre last won a tour stage in 2003, but led Wednesday's race by healthy margins over the final 6 miles of the 126.3-mile run from Embrun to L'Alpe-d'Huez.
The run included three uncharacterized climbs, including one at L'Alpe d'Huez in the final 9 miles where Sastre was able to take control.
He was timed in 6 hours, 7 minutes, 58 seconds, which was 2:03 ahead of runner-up Samuel Sanchez and Andy Schleck, and 2:13 ahead of Alejandro Valverde and Frank Schleck.
Sastre began the day 48 seconds behind Frank Schleck, his Team CSC Savxo Bank teammate, in the overall standings. The stage win Wednesday made Sastre the seventh rider this year to wear the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Frank Schleck is second 1:24 behind Sastre with Bernhard Kohl in third, 1:33 off the pace, and Cadel Evans fourth another second back.
The 18th stage, set for Thursday, runs from Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Etienne, a 118-mile route that features two Category 2 climbs about three-quarters of the way through the race.
