L’ALPE D’HUEZ (France), July 24: Spaniard Carlos Sastre seized the Tour de France yellow jersey with victory in the last mountain stage on Wednesday but looked incapable of preventing Cadel Evans from winning the race.

Australian Evans, who was seventh in the 210.5-km stage and now trails Sastre by one minute 34 seconds overall, is expected to gain at least two minutes on the CSC rider in Saturday’s decisive 53-km time trial.

Sastre attacked in the last climb of the day to Alpe d’Huez and never looked back, taking victory ahead of compatriot Samuel Sanchez, with his CSC team mate Andy Schleck of Luxembourg coming home third, both 2:03 behind.

Sastre climbed up to the ski resort in 39:31, far outside Marco Pantani’s record of 37:35 in 1997.

Frank Schleck, who wore the yellow jersey at the start of the stage, could not drop Evans and now trails his team mate by 1:24.

Austrian Bernhard Kohl, who is almost sure to wear the polka-dot jersey for the best climber all the way to Paris, is third, 1:33 off the pace, with Evans fourth, one second further behind.

Silence Lotto’s Evans will now set his sights on Saturday’s individual time trial. He beat Sastre by 1:16 in the first stage against the clock in Cholet, though that was over 29.5 km.

France’s Remy Di Gregorio, Slovakia’s Peter Velits, German Stefan Schumacher and Spaniard Ruben Perez broke away after three kilometres on Wednesday and opened up a six-minute lead.

The peloton, led by the CSC team, increased the pace and Di Gregorio and Perez were quickly swallowed. Velits broke clear as the CSC riders stepped up another gear at the foot of the Col de la Croix de Fer.

Former Giro d’Italia winner Damiano Cunego was once again left behind by the favourites’ group but Russian Denis Menchov and Evans kept up the pace.

Sastre’s first attack on one of the first of the 21 hairpins to Alpe d’Huez was shortlived but Evans was unable to follow the second.

Results of 17th stage:

1. Carlos Sastre (Spain/Team CSC) six hours seven minutes 58 seconds; 2. Samuel Sanchez (Spain/Euskaltel) +2.03; 3. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg/Team CSC) +2.03; 4. Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Caisse d’Epargne) +2:13; 5. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg/Team CSC) +2:13; 6. Vladimir Efimkin (Russia/AG2R) +2:15; 7. Cadel Evans (Australia/Silence-Lotto) +2:15; 8. Denis Menchov (Russia/Rabobank) +2:15; 9. Christian Vande Velde (US/Garmin-Chipotle) +2:15; 10. Bernhard Kohl (Austria/Gerolsteiner) +2:15; 11. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic/Liquigas) +3:11; 12. Tadej Valjavec (Slovenia/AG2R) +3:36; 13. Stephane Goubert (France/AG2R) +3:50; 14. David Moncoutie (France/Cofidis) +4:57; 15. Nicolas Vogondy (France/Agritubel) +5:16.

Overall standings:

1. Carlos Sastre (Spain/Team CSC) 74 hours 39 minutes 3 seconds; 2. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg/Team CSC) +1 minute 24 seconds; 3. Bernhard Kohl (Austria/Gerolsteiner) +1:33; 4. Cadel Evans (Australia/Silence-Lotto) +1:34; 5. Denis Menchov (Russia/Rabobank) +2:39; 6. Christian Vande Velde (US/Garmin-Chipotle) +4:41; 7. Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Caisse d’Epargne) +5:35; 8. Samuel Sanchez (Spain/Euskaltel) +5:52; 9. Tadej Valjavec (Slovenia/AG2R) +8:10; 10. Vladimir Efimkin (Russia/AG2R) +8:24; 11. Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg/Columbia) +8:35; 12. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg/Team CSC) +10:15; 13. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic/Liquigas) +12:13; 14. Damiano Cunego (Italy/Lampre) +12:26; 15. Sandy Casar (France/Francaise des Jeux) +17:08.—Reuters