Astana Takes Over Tour's Stage 15

Team Astana has been laying back in the first two weeks of the Tour de France. They allowed other teams to take and try to defend the yellow jersey. But the race has now reached the Alps, and that's just what Astana has been waiting for. In stage 15, they took over both the individual and team leads in the race.

There was a breakaway, but Astana took the lead in the peloton and made sure the breakaway riders didn't get too far ahead. As the peloton started the last climb of the day, they had absorbed the breakaway and strung out the field. As three Astana riders took the group up the mountain, only a few riders were able to hang with them. But the yellow jersey holder (Nocentini) was not one of them, and he dropped behind the leaders.

With 3.5 miles to go to the finish at the summit, Alberto Contador (pictured) took off, and no one was able to stay with him. He finished the race 40 seconds ahead of the second place rider (Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank). Lance Armstrong and Andreas Kloden finished a little less than one and one/half minutes behind Contador, but that was enough to keep Armstrong in second overall and Kloden in fourth.

Anything can happen in the next few days, but it's going to be very hard to get the yellow jersey away from Contador. I believe we've probably seen the race winners in both the individual and team competitions -- Alberto Contador and Astana. Tomorrow is a rest day, and then they continue racing in the Alps on Tuesday. Here are the current standings:

YELLOW JERSEY (OVERALL LEADERS)
1. Alberto Contador (Astana)
2. Lance Armstrong (Astana)..........1.37
3. Bradley Wiggins (Garmin)..........1.46
4. Andreas Kloden (Astana)..........2.17
5. Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank)..........2.26
6. Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R)..........2.30
7. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas)..........2.51
8. Tony Martin (Columbia)..........3.07
9. Christophe Le Mevel (Francaise)..........3.09
10. Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank)..........3.25

GREEN JERSEY (SPRINTERS)
1. Thor Hushovd (Cervelo)..........218 pts
2. Mark Cavendish (Columbia)..........200 pts
3. Jose Rojas (Caisse)..........126 pts
4. Gerald Ciolek (Milram)..........122 pts
5. Tyler Farrar (Garmin)..........110 pts

POLKA DOT JERSEY (CLIMBERS)
1. Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)..........109 pts
2. Egoi Martinez (Euskadi)..........101 pts
3. Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouyges)..........65 pts
4. Brice Feillu (Agritubel)..........64 pts
5. Christophe Kern (Cofidis)..........63 pts

TEAM LEADERS
1. Astana
2. AG2R..........1.17
3. Saxo Bank..........2.14
4. Milram..........2.41
5. Columbia..........2.49