Schleck takes lead as Tour is blown wide open

PRATO NEVOSO (Italy)  - Luxembourg's Frank Schleck took hold of the Tour de France yellow jersey from Cadel Evans here on Friday after a thrilling 15th stage in the Alps which blew the race wide open.

Australian Simon Gerrans, of the Credit Agricole team, claimed his maiden win on the race - and the biggest of his career - at the end of the 183km stage from Embrun to here.

However, the big battle on the first of three days in the Alps was going on in Gerrans' wake. And it has resulted in what is the most open Tour in years.

Five riders finished the day within one minute of Schleck, meaning there should be guaranteed drama when the Tour recommences on Tuesday following Monday's rest day.

Schleck, the Luxembourg champion, had been almost guaranteed taking the yellow jersey having started just one second behind Evans, and bolstered by a strong CSC team that the Aussie was always going to struggle to outfox.

With his younger brother Andy, and co-team leader Carlos Sastre helping Schleck, Evans was left on his own when Yaroslav Popovych ran out of juice early on the final, 11.1km climb.

Evans did well to limit his losses, but came over the finish line nine seconds behind Schleck, leaving the Luxemburger with a seven-second lead on Austrian Bernhard Kohl.

Evans is now third at 08, 30secs ahead of Russian rival Denis Menchov, who has a one-second advantage on American Christian Vande Velde. Sastre, Schleck's team-mate remains in sixth but has reduced his deficit to just 49.