Cadel Evans defends slender 20-second lead heading into 9th stage of Tour de France in Alps

Evans defends slender lead into Tour’s 9th stage

MORZINE, France — Cadel Evans holds a slender 20-second lead as riders head out on the ninth stage of the Tour de France for a grueling day in the Alps featuring three huge climbs.

The Tour is shaping up as a three-way fight between Evans of Australia, defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain and Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

Evans leads Schleck by 20 seconds and Contador by just over 1 minute. American seven-time champion Lance Armstrong is down in 39th place.

Tuesday’s punishing Alpine route features two category 1 climbs up Col de la Colombiere and Col des Saisies and then the mammoth 15.9-mile ride up the Col de la Madeleine.

Contador calls it a “really hard and complicated stage” and says the main contenders should emerge on the Madeleine.