COL DU TOURMALET (France), July 23 Overall leader Alberto Contador let his main rival Andy Schleck win the Tour de France's showpiece stage at the top of the fog-covered Tourmalet on Thursday in the knowledge he has a firm grip on his third Tour de France title.

The pair left the rest behind in the last ascent to the Pyrenees summit and embraced after crossing the line of the 174-km 17th stage.

Spaniard Contador, one of five men to have won the Tour, the Giro and the Vuelta, is set to go into the time trial with an eight-second advantage over Schleck and is the better rider of the two in the timed effort.

Following a heatwave that sapped the peloton's energy in the first two weeks of the Tour, temperatures dropped to eight degrees Celsius at top of the Tourmalet after thunderstorms rumbled through the mountains all night.

A flock of sheep ran through the peloton in the ascent to the Col du Soulor and a few puzzled riders zigzagged to avoid a crash.

They cut through thick fog in the tricky, 19-km descent from the Soulor with 2008 champion Carlos Sastre stuck on his own between the peloton and seven breakaway riders.

Results (17th stage)

1. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank) 5hrs 03mins 29secs; 2. Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana) same time; 3. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +118”; 4. Ryder Hesjedal (Canada /

Garmin) +127”; 5. Samuel Sanchez (Spain / Euskaltel) +132”; 6. Denis Menchov (Russia / Rabobank) +140”; 7. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / Rabobank); 8. Chris Horner (US / RadioShack) +145”; 9. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Belgium / Omega Pharma-Lotto) +148”; 10. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic / Liquigas) +214”; 11. Damiano Cunego (Italy / Lampre) +300”; 12. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R) +326”; 13. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / RadioShack) +330”; 14. John Gadret (France / AG2R) +335”; 15. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Belarus / HTC - Columbia) +344”; 16. Steve Morabito (Switzerland / BMC Racing) +358”; 17. Lance Armstrong (US / RadioShack) +412”; 18. Carlos Barredo (Spain / Quick-Step) +416”; 19. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus / Caisse d'Epargne) +427”; 20. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne); 21. Pierre Rolland (France / Bbox - Bouygues) +430”; 22. Christophe Moreau (France / Caisse d'Epargne) +436”; 23. Ruben Plaza (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) +459”; 24. Gorka Verdugo (Spain / Euskaltel) +515”; 25. Daniel Moreno (Spain / Omega Pharma - Lotto) +523”.—Reuters