Menchov wins 11th Tour stage, Landis grabs overall lead (Roundup)

By Andreas Zellmer Jul 13, 2006, 19:14 GMT

(R-L) Dutch Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), Russian Denis Menchov (Rabobank team) and Spanish Carlos Sastre (Team CSC) ride during the eleventh stage of the Tour de France 2006 between Tarbes, France and Val-d\'Aran (Pla-de-Beret), Spain, Thursday 13 July 2006. The eleventh stage leads the riders over 206,5 kilometers. EPA/GERO BRELOER

Valle de Aran, Spain -  Denis Menchov of Russia won Thursday's 11th stage of the 2006 Tour de France, the main mountain stage in the Pyrenees, as American Floyd Landis claimed a narrow overall lead.

The 28-year-old Menchov, who rides for the Dutch Rabobank team, was part of a group of 3 riders who pulled away near the top of the last of five huge climbs, and took his first-ever Tour stage win in a sprint to the finish line.

Levi Leipheimer and fellow-American Landis finished second and third.

The winner covered the 206.5 kilometres from Tarbes to Calle de Aran, in Spain, in 6 hours 6 minutes 25 seconds, an average speed of 33.81 kph.

Landis got an eight-second bonus for his third-place finish and it is exactly by this small eight-second margin that he snatched the race leader's yellow jersey from Frenchman Cyril Dessel, who held it for one day. Menchov ranks third, 1 minute 1 second behind Landis.

By taking the Tour lead, the 30-year-old Landis, a member of the Swiss Phonak formation, stamped himself as the man to beat for the championship.

'I didn't expect to take the lead today,' a delighted Landis said after the stage. 'I had to be very careful because I had no teammates riding with me.'

Landis announced earlier this week that he was suffering from a degenerative hip ailment and would undergo hip replacement surgery after the Tour is over. He said that this year's race might be the last Tour de France of his career.

'There's a possibility this is my last Tour de France,' he told France 2 television. 'I'll see how it goes with my new hip. I'll certainly try to be back.'

Menchov said it was too early to stamp him as one of the favourites to take this year's Tour.

'Floyd (Landis) is no doubt the big favourite now,' he said. 'It's too early for me. There is a lot of racing to be done.'

Thursday's stage was catastrophic for one of the pre-race favourites, Iban Mayo of Spain, who dropped out of the Tour after falling far behind on the stage's first climb, up to the legendary Tourmalet Pass.

In addition, American George Hincapie, who was widely regarded as one of the top contenders for the title, lost more than 16 minutes to the leaders and appears to have lost all chances of winning the championship.

Friday's twelfth stage brings the riders out of the Pyrenees Mountains for the first of two relatively flat stages before the Tour heads into the French Alps.

The Tour de France ends on July 23 in Paris.