Leipheimer Wins 19th Stage of Tour

ANGOULEME, France – Levi Leipheimer won Saturday’s 19th stage of the Tour de France, while Alberto Contador held off main rival Cadel Evans to keep a narrow lead in the doping-marred event.

Contador holds a 23-second lead over Evans. Barring a crash or other mishap, the 24-year-old Spaniard likely will bring home the yellow jersey Sunday after the 20th and final stage – a 90.7-mile ride from Marcoussis to Paris’ Champs-Elysees.

Contador entered Saturday’s time trial with a 1 minute, 50 second lead over Evans. The big question was whether he could hold off the Australian.

Leipheimer, an American rider with the Discovery Channel team, won the stage in a time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, 44 seconds in the 35-mile race against the clock from Cognac to Angouleme.

"I have always dreamed of winning a stage of the Tour de France, either a mountain stage or a time trial," Leipheimer told Versus after the stage. "I think my emotion took over (at the end), and I went faster and faster."

The tense ride injected racing drama to cycling’s premier event after three riders were kicked out in the space of 30 hours – two for doping, and one for lying to his team.