Sanchez wins opening mountain stage of tour

Spaniard Sanchez of the Basque-based Euskaltel team dropped fellow escapee Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) on the final straight to win atop the fabled Pyrenean climb of Luz Ardiden after just over six hours in the saddle.

There was more woe for defending champion Contador (Saxo Bank), who succumbed to a series of attacks from the Schleck brothers on the final climb, and eventually lost 13 seconds to his rival Andy, the younger Schleck, at the finish of stage 12.

But the performance of the day came from Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, who defended his yellow jersey on Bastille Day with gusto - thanks to a combination of sheer determination and grit, and the selfless hard work of his Europcar team-mates.

Voeckler even had to pick himself up off the floor after crashing on the descent of the opening climb, the first-category Horquette d'Anzican, 80km from the finish of the long 211km stage from Cugnaux.

The former French national champion now leads Leopard Trek's Frank Schleck, who finished the stage in third, by one minute and 49 seconds, with Australian Cadel Evans (BMC) in third at 2:06.

Andy Schleck is poised in fourth place, 2:17 down, while Spaniard Contador is exactly four minutes off the pace in seventh place.

The Tour continues on Friday with the 152.5km stage from Pau to Lourdes, which features the HC climb of the Col d'Aubisque.

Tour de France Stage Stage 12: Cugnaux to Luz Ardiden
1. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) - Euskaltel - 6:01:15
2. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) - Omega-Pharma-Lotto - at seven seconds
3. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at 10 seconds
4. Ivan Basso (Ita) - Liquigas - at 30 seconds
5. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team - Same time
6. Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - Same time
7. Damianno Cunego (Ita) - at 35 seconds
8. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Bank Sungard - att 43 seconds
9. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar - at 50 seconds
10. Pierre Rolland (Fra) - Team Europcar - Same time
36. Geraint Thomas - (GB) - Team Sky - at 5 minutes 20 seconds

General classification after Stage 12:
1. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar - 51:54:44
2. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at one minutes 49 seconds
3. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team - at two minutes 06 seconds
4. Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at two minutes 17 seconds
5. Ivan Basso (Ita) - Liquigas - at three minutes 16 seconds
6. Damianno Cunego (Ita) - at three minutes 22 seconds
7. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Bank Sungard - at four minutes
8. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) - Euskaltel - at four minutes 11 seconds
9. Tom Danielson (USA) - Garmin- Cervelo - at four minutes 35 seconds
10. Nicolas Roche (RoI) - AG2R La Mondiale - at four minutes 57 seconds