Out of the Alps; into the Pyrenees as Contador seeks to apply pressure on Schleck

Schleck holding the Yellow Jersey with main rival Alberto Contador (Getty Images)

In a week where dark horse General Classification contenders floundered and an omission of one of the best lead-out men in cycling left many surprised, the Tour De France's thus far punishing journey, has still got one more week to provide 190-odd cyclists leg-breaking pain, and fans on the roads palpable tension.

The physical exertions of hilltop finishes, and the Alps has really put paid to many contenders' dreams of GC glory, more so Lance Armstrong, Cadel Evans and Bradley Wiggins. While the latter has never looked a serious threat in the mountains of the Alps, Armstrong and particularly Evans looked more of an ominous threat to defending Yellow Jersey winner Alberto Contador. Evans even took the Maillot Jaune on Stage 7, only to suffer the ignominy of seeing his rivals Contador and Andy Schleck cycle pass him on the way to the summit of the terrifying Cote de la Madelaine Alps mountain during the next stage, a hors-category (most severe) beast.

Schleck has since held the Maillot Jaune - his first ever - fending off countless number of Contador's powerful attacks on the mountains, when perhaps Luxembourger Schleck should have been the one asserting the pressure on the Spanaird to build himself a buffer for the penultimate stage of the Tour - the time-trial - Schleck's achilles heel. He succumbed to the pressure on Stage 12's hilltop finish at Mende, losing 10 critical seconds off his 41 second advantage. Now with only a 31 second cushion, Schleck needs to build some momentum in the Pyrenees to increase the time gap between him and his arch-rival for arguably the most prestigious jersey in the sport.

In the sprints points competition, Thor Hushovd has been dicing with Alessandro Petacchi, and Mark Cavendish, for the Green Jersey. Cavendish is some 29 points behind, though, and is currently licking his wounds over his split-second decision not to compete for a major haul of points at Stage 3's finish in Arenbourg (the cobbles stage), after finding out he had nothing in him to compete for stage victory. That has cost him dear, and Petacchi has since moved ever closer to Norwegian Hushovd in the points classification, competing for precious placings in intermediate sprints at the front of the peloton in flatland during the middle of the stage, something Cavendish is unable to compete in. Although the sprint finish awards the highest amount of points, Cavendish's strategy of accumulating points has so far proved flawed as he makes a last-dich attempt to dislodge rival Hushovd for glory.

People with great interests in the sport will be eagerly waiting for events to unfold in the Pyrenees, particularly Thursday's climb up to the Col du Tourmalet.