Cycling: Landis and Kloeden take advantage on tour

American Floyd Landis and German Andreas Kloeden snatched an advantage over their rivals for the Tour de France cycling title in the showcase stage of the race at the summit of L'Alpe d'Huez overnight (NZ time).

The 187km 15th stage was won by Luxemburg's Frank Schleck, who powered away with 2km left and crossed the line 11 seconds ahead of Italian Damiano Cunego (Lampre).

Italian Stefano Garzelli (CSC) won the sprint between the chasing group for third but Landis reclaimed the yellow jersey in fourth and Kloeden (T-Mobile) was fifth. All three finished 1:10 behind Schleck.

It was a psychological victory for Landis and Kloeden in the battle for the overall title.

Phonak rider Landis leads the standings by 10 seconds from Spaniard Oscar Pereiro, who was 14th on the line, 2:49 off the pace.

Kloeden, second to Lance Armstrong in 2004, was sixth overall at 2:29.

The first of three stages in the Alps included the Col d'Izoard and the Col du Lautaret climbs, as well as the 13.9km lung-busting ascent of Alpe d'Huez, but failed to prove decisive in the search for a successor to retired seven-times winner Armstrong.

Frenchman Cyril Dessel, Russia's Denis Menchov, Spaniard Carlos Sastre and Australian Cadel Evans are less than three minutes off the pace.

"The plan was to take as much time out of the guys who were close to me as possible," Landis told reporters.

"I had hoped that Pereiro could hold on to the lead because his team did a really good job. But I got the yellow jersey back, so there you go.

"Kloeden was very good, and the time differences are not so big yet. I wouldn't write any of the others off - a bad day could change everything," the 30-year-old added.

"I think with our conservative tactics, the only likely stage victory is in the time trial. Personally I like it when there's more climbs. The team didn't do as badly as everybody has hoped.

Davitamon's Evans admitted his chances of an overall win on July 23 on the Champs-Elysees did not look promising.

"I wasn't good enough. Phonak and T-Mobile set a really fierce pace and they just kept going from there," The Australian said.

"They were all better than me. I just stayed there and fought."

World Champion Tom Boonen pulled out 59 km from the finish at the foot of the Col du Lautaret. The Belgian wore the yellow jersey for four days but did not win a stage after being constantly outsprinted by green jersey holder Robbie McEwen.

After riding through a storm, a group of 15 reached the 21-hairpins of the Alpe d'Huez ascent with a 3:20 lead over the peloton, which was led by Pereiro, Landis and Kloeden.

Landis and Kloeden started catching the escapees and dropped their rivals for the overall win one by one but despite several attacks, their battle behind Schleck and Cunego turned into a stalemate.

It will resume in Wednesday's 182-km 16th stage from Bourg d'Oisans to La Toussuire.

After a brief visit to his former teammates on Tuesday, Armstrong said he would follow the race in the Discovery Channel car with team manager Johan Bruyneel.

- REUTERS