Andy Schleck attacks as Contador cracks over Galibier

Alberto Contador's chances of winning this year's Tour de France were dealt a most likely fatal blow in Thursday's second Alpine stage as he found himself unable to keep up the pace on the final climb to Col du Galibier, finishing three minutes and 50 seconds behind stage winner Andy Schleck. The Saxo Bank rider now finds himself in seventh place overall, four minutes and 44 seconds behind — a huge margin to make up with just two competitive stages to go.

"Victory is now impossible," the three-times Tour winner conceded after crossing the finish line. "I had a bad day. My legs did not respond and I was incredibly weak in the last 10 kilometers. It was a very tough day from the beginning."

The Spaniard confessed he had to ask the doctors' car for a painkiller to calm the pain in his right knee. "I wasn't expecting this, but I am used to passing through different states. Now I'm thinking about resting. I am exhausted and I'm now thinking about tomorrow," he said.

Stage winner Andy Schleck managed to shorten yellow-jersey wearer Thomas Voeckler's overall lead to just 15 seconds following an impressive attack during the penultimate ascent to Col d'Izoard. The Leopard-Trek rider broke away with 60 kilometers to go, eking out a lead of four and a half minutes over the unresponsive chasing pack as he began the final climb.

Australian Cadel Evans finally decided to up the pace nine kilometers from the end and gradually cut down Schleck's lead. Contador, however, found himself unable to keep up with the group of challengers and slipped back in the latter stages.

A final push by Voeckler for a fifth-place stage finish allowed him to cling on to the yellow jersey, two minutes and 21 seconds behind. Andy's older brother Frank Schleck crossed the line in second place, two minutes and seven seconds back and now lies in overall third place, trailing Voeckler by one minute and eight seconds. Also still in contention is Evans (BMC) who finished third and lies fourth overall, just four seconds further back from the Luxembourger.

Italians Damiano Cunego (Lampre) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas) lie in fifth and sixth overall respectively, both three minutes and 46 seconds behind Voeckler.

It was also a bad day for Spain's Samuel Sánchez who fell from fifth to eighth overall after finishing four minutes and 42 seconds off Schleck's winning time.