Tour de France contenders Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador relax in Stage 10 as Paulinho wins

Tour rivals Schleck and Contador relax in Stage 10

GAP, France — Andy Schleck of Luxembourg maintained the leader’s yellow jersey at the Tour de France with little difficulty on a day when the main contenders were happy to sit back and let others do the suffering.

After several days of brutal racing and crashes in searing heat combined to knock both seven-time winner Lance Armstrong and two-time runner-up Cadel Evans out of contention, Wednesday’s 10th stage was never going to be contested by Schleck or defending champion Alberto Contador.

One day after a mammoth 9th stage spent trying to outwit each other in the high Alps, Contador and Schleck stayed safely in the main pack on another hot day over the 111-mile trek from Chambery to Gap. It featured only one difficult climb — the Laffrey pass.

“We were happy to let the breakaway go. That allowed us to ride at an easy pace for most of the day,” said Schleck, who leads two-time winner Contador by 41 seconds. “It was very, very hot and I think most of the guys are still feeling the effects of (Tuesday’s) stage.”

They rolled in more than 14 minutes behind stage winner Sergio Paulinho — Armstrong’s RadioShack teammate.

“He’s a very strong rider and never thinks about himself. I’m very happy to see him win a stage in the Tour de France and shine for himself,” RadioShack manager Johan Bruyneel said.

The top 3 did not change, with Samuel Sanchez of Spain still 2:45 behind Schleck.

Armstrong lost more time and is over 17 minutes back, although the 38-year-old conceded that his Tour bid was over after he was affected by three crashes during Sunday’s chaotic first stage in the Alps.

Easing up in the saddle offered Schleck and Contador a chance to take in some mesmerizing scenery, as glistening sky-blue lakes cut a path through the dark green hills and steep climbs of the southern Alps.

Paulinho edged Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus in a sprint to the line after four riders had formed an early breakaway, and then two more joined them while the others dropped off and saved energy.

No one was going to argue that call.

Paulinho, meanwhile, had just enough energy left to sprint.

“I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a little child,” Paulinho, who won silver at the 2004 Olympics in the road race, said after his first Tour stage win — and RadioShack’s first of this race.

“I’m sure we’re going to celebrate this win because it’s the first for us,” he added.

The 25-year-old Schleck knows he will need all the energy he can get as he tries to take the title away from his Spanish opponent Contador.

He hopes his teammates will get the message that they need to give everything they have for him against Contador’s Astana team.

“My team is here to work,” Schleck said. “I have a fairly complete team and I don’t see any real weaknesses … Perhaps our team doesn’t have as many climbers as Astana but that doesn’t really matter.”

Schleck, however, still seems intent on trying out mind games on the 27-year-old Contador, who has yet to respond and seems focused on winning a third Tour title.

“I have already said that the situation is straightforward, the team only has one rider to look for (Contador),” Schleck said. “With what happened in the last few stages, I know that I am climbing better than all the others.”

It was Schleck’s first day defending the coveted yellow jersey, and he said he noticed greater fan support on the side of the roads of southeastern France during his ride in the coveted shirt.

“My name was on some of the signs. It’s nice to see that,” he said, referring to banners unfurled by spectators. “I’m getting popular even here in France.”

Thursday’s flatter 11th stage is a 114.65-mile ride from Sisteron to Bourg-les-Valence.

A medium mountain stage follows on Friday, followed by one made for sprinters on Saturday — two more days where Schleck and Contador should get a chance to rest their aching bodies.

They’ll need it.

The Tour then hits the Pyrenees climbs, reputedly even harder than the Alps this year, and where the battle between Contador and Schleck will heighten over three straight days of intense climbing.

Then, after a rest day, there is the fourth and final of the harrowing Pyrenean climbs.

Between Schleck and Contador, whoever gets through that ordeal in the best shape will take a huge advantage into the penultimate-day time trial on July 24.

Associated Press Writer Jamey Keaten contributed to this report.