SPAIN'S Alberto Contador won the 14th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, pipping Denmark's Michael Rasmussen, who retains the leader's yellow jersey.
Antonio Colom had led the way both as part of the escape group and then as an individual for much of the race, but was caught by Tour leader Rasmussen and Contador with just over three kilometres to go.
It was then a head-to-head race between the
pair but although the Dane put the hammer down to try and break his rival, youngster Contador kept right on his tail, refusing to provide cover and eventually out-sprinting him on the final turn to take his first stage win of the Tour.
Rasmussen's efforts helped him extend his lead in this year's race with Contador now his closest challenger, two minutes and 23 seconds back, and he also held onto the lead in the race for best climber.
Australia's Cadel Evans came seventh to drop to third in the overall standings but it was a bad day for Alexandre Vinokourov who, after breaking back into the top 10 by winning stage 13's time-trial, finished more than 28 minutes shy to plummet to 30th.
Contador kept the white jersey as the best-placed rider under 25 and further enhanced his chance of becoming Lance Armstrong's heir in the Discovery Channel team.
And he described his first ever stage win as a "dream".
He said: "Winning a stage like this with so many spectators is a dream for me.
"Rasmussen and I worked together until the last kilometre and then we fought over the sprint."
The fight saw Rasmussen leading until being passed just short of the finish, despite requesting that Contador overtake him and do his share of the work at the front, but the Rabobank rider insisted there were no hard feelings.
The Dane said: "When we saw Sastre and Evans were in trouble we tried to make them suffer - both of us were united in that.
"This is the Tour de France and you give nothing away and you have to fight to the finish and Contador deserved to win.
"There is a long way to go to Paris."
The British contingent remain off the pace with Charlie Wegelius 67th and David Millar 77th.
Bradley Wiggins lies 58 places further back in 135th and Geraint Thomas sits in 162nd.
