Contador spoils the Schleck party

Frank and Andy Schleck tried with all their might to shake the Tour de France peloton in the 17th stage but they could not topple leader Alberto Contador yesterday.

The Spaniard spoiled the brothers' party by sticking with them in the last two of five climbs on the final stage in the Alps, strengthening his overall lead with four days left in the race.

"Alberto has now won the Tour," his Astana team chief Alain Gallopin told reporters on the finish line.

The ceaseless efforts of the two riders from Luxembourg were not entirely in vain as Frank won the stage ahead of Contador and the brothers secured places on the podium before a potentially decisive time trial in Annecy.

Andy Schleck is now second overall, 2 minutes 26 seconds behind 2007 champion Contador and Frank is third, 3:25 adrift.

"We had nothing to lose at the start, we could only win. We took all the risks, it was make or break and I think we deserved to be rewarded," Frank Schleck said.

"We toughened the race on the Col de Romme, we attacked one after the other and the tactics worked perfectly," he added.

Frank Schleck dedicated the stage victory to his German team-mate Jens Voigt, who crashed on the previous stage and was forced out of the Tour with a broken cheekbone.