The battle for the 2009 Tour de France effectively ended today with Alberto Contador of Spain virtually securing his second Tour de France crown after the race's 20th and penultimate stage won by Spaniard Juan Manuel Garate. The dreaded Mount Ventoux acted as the third and final summit of the race the 2007 Tour de France champion proved imperial as his main rival Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) launched a series of attacks with his brother Frank on the 21.1km climb to the legendary summit of Mont Ventoux.

 
Andy Schleck began the day in second overall at 4min 11sec behind Contador and despite his efforts he will go into Sunday's final stage to Paris with the same deficit after finishing with Contador nearly 40-secsonds behind Garate. American seven-time champion Lance Armstrong finished just behind in fifth place at 4-seconds behind Garate meaning he will go into Sunday's 21st stage virtually assured of finishing on the podium in third place. Schleck is second overall at 4:11 while Armstrong is third on 5:24. Britain's Bradley Wiggins was dropped from the leading group on several occasions but each time clawed his back to secure his fourth place on GC.
 
The Fight For Ventoux
Garate had been part of an earlier breakaway and rode most of the race's final climb in the company of German Tony Martin. The former Spanish national champion attacked once, was caught as he slowed down, but then launched another more decisive attack a few hundred meters from the summit to leave Martin down in second place.
 

Having started the day with a huge lead on Andy Schleck, Contador said his task was simple. "All I had to do was control Andy Schleck. He tried several times to attack, it was a good day for him but I was on a good day as well," said 2007 champion Contador, who admitted that it had not been an easy Tour for him. "This was a very difficult Tour. Even though it looks easy for the spectators, quite a few times I had doubts whether I would win or not."
 
It was an incisive attack by the 24-year-old Luxemburger Andy Schleck around 12km from the summit, which proved decisive for the outcome of the stage. Contador, who looked comfortable in his trademark dancing position throughout the climb up the steep gradients of the ‘Giant of Provence’, easily countered Schleck’s move. Armstrong eventually made it back to Contador and Schleck's group but the American was initially left trailing to keep a close eye on Frank Schleck and Bradley Wiggins - potential rivals to his coveted podium place.

 
Up ahead Garate and Martin continued their two-man slog towards the finish line but after starting the climb with a lead of over 4:41 on Contador's group their advantage dropped to 2:50 by the time Andy first started attacking. Italian Franco Pellizotti, wearing the polka dot jersey for the race's best climber, launched a futile attack for the stage win after he saw Contador and Schleck closing and later finished in eighth at 56-seconds.
 
Another attack by Andy just over 2km from the finish wiped out Wiggins' fading hopes of attacking Armstrong to overcome his 15-second deficit to the American. It prompted Contador, Armstrong and Frank Schleck to follow but dropped the Englishman, who went on to finish the stage 10th at 1:03 and 22-seconds behind Armstrong. Armstrong, who is set to return to the Tour next year with a new team, RadioShack, was happy with his likely third place finish four years after he last competed in the race. "I can't complain, for an old fart coming in here and getting on the podium with these young guys is not so bad," grinned the Texan.

Up the road Garate was digging deep to pull ahead of Martin and claim his maiden win in the race. Having come in with a plan to help team leader Denis Menchov win the yellow jersey, it helped make up for Rabobank's disastrous race. "It's a dream come true for me," said the Spaniard.

Garate was not be the only Spaniard grinning with joy on Sunday. Having beat Australian Cadel Evans by only 23-seconds to win the race in 2007, Contador overcame the tension in his own team, due to Armstrong's presence, to win the race in style. "It was a very difficult Tour," said the Spaniard when asked how he coped with the tense atmosphere at Astana. "I knew Lance was here to win the race and so was I. It wasn't really a compatible situation but I prepared myself well physically and I knew that in the end the sporting truth would come out."
 
Two days after capitulating himself Armstrong was echoed by Schleck, who said: "Contador was the strongest rider of the race. He was always up there when he needed to be and he didn't suffer any off days. Next year it will be hard to beat him again but I'm young and I can still progress."

Stage 20: July 25, Montelimar to Mont Ventoux 167km
1. Juan Manuel Garate (ESP/Rabobank) 4h39min 21sec (average: 35,869 km/h)
2. Tony Martin (GER/Columbia-HTC) @ 0:03
3. Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) @ 0:38
4. Alberto Contador (SPA/Astana) @ 0:38
5. Lance Armstrong (USA/Astana) @ 0:41
6. Frank Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) @ 0:43
7. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/Liquigas) @ 0:46
8. Franco Pellizotti (ITA/Liquigas) @ 0:56
9. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/Liquigas) @ 0:58
10. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Garmin-Slipstream) @ 1:03

Overall Classification After Stage 20
1. Alberto Contador (SPA/Astana) 81h46min 17sec
2. Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) @ 4:11
3. Lance Armstrong (USA/Astana) @ 5:24
4. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Garmin-Slipstream) @ 6:01
5. Frank Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) @ 6:04
6. Andreas Kloden (GER/Astana) @ 6:42
7. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/Liquigas) @ 7:35
8. Christian Vande Velde (USA/Garmin-Slipstream) @ 12:04
9. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/Liquigas) @ 14:16
10. Christophe Le Mevel (Française des Jeux) @ 14:28

Other Classifications
Green Jersey: Thor Hushovd (NOR/Cervélo TestTeam)
Polka Dot Jersey: Franco Pellizotti (ITA/Liquigas)
White Jersey: Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank)
Teams: Astana