Contador takes tour lead into final stages

PAU, France, July 21 (UPI) -- Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador owns an 8-second lead as the world's most famous bicycle race heads into the home stretch.

There are four stages remaining in the 2010 Tour de France, which is on a rest day Wednesday after finishing a tough mountain stage Tuesday.

Contador, who won the tour in 2007 and 2009, grabbed the overall lead Monday when previous leader Andy Schleck had his chain come loose. There are questions as to whether etiquette dictated Contador give his competitor a break but Contador said he had already started his charge and didn't learn of Schleck's mechanical problem until later.

The lead riders were given the same time in Tuesday's stage and are 8 seconds apart.

The race has covered 1,931.5 miles -- it has about 326.5 to go -- and Contador's lead time is 78 hours, 29 minutes, 10 seconds. Schleck is in second, followed by Samuel Sanchez, who is 2 minutes off the pace. Denis Menchov sits in fourth, 13 seconds behind Sanchez, and Jurgen Van Den Broeck is in fifth, 3:39 behind the leader.

Lance Armstrong made a run at a stage victory Tuesday and moved up to 25th overall, 33:46 behind Contador.

Stage 17 Thursday features the final hard climbs along a 107.9-mile route from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet, a pass more than 6,400 feet above sea level than the starting point.