Neck and neck: Alberto Contador (left) gestures to new overall leader Andy Schleck (right) as they climb towards Madeleine pass during the 9th stage of the Tour de France.Trailing in their wake, previous leader Cadel Evans collapsed in tears at the finish in St-Jean-de-Maurienne having ridden the 127-mile stage across four mountain tops with a hairline fracture in his left elbow.
Britain's Bradley Wiggins had no such physical drama, but the fierce pace set on the Madeleine once again proved too strong for him and his pre-Tour aim of a podium finish in Paris has now been revised to a place in the overall top 10.
Wiggins lies 16th, more than seven minutes behind Schleck, and discussion with Team Sky may see him commute his overall position for an attempt at a stage win.
Home favourite: Casar is cheered on ahead of Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez close to the finish lineHe said: 'We put everything into this. It hasn't worked but it's not because we haven't tried. At least I know where I stand. I don't want to give up and throw my toys out of the pram, finish at the back or go home, so I'm going to just push on every day.'
Evans is also adamant he will finish. Riding with a protective blue cast on his left arm, the Australian still finished 42nd of the 181 who completed yesterday's course and even kept the nature of his injury a secret from his BMC team-mates until after the stage was completed.
For Schleck, joy mixed with bravado. He seized the first yellow jersey of his young career, then taunted Contador with words that may return to haunt him should the Spaniard rediscover his zest in the Pyrenees.
Just as he had on Sunday, Schleck looked more at ease than his rival, even when they broke the peloton apart four miles from the summit of the Madeleine - at 6,560ft, the highest peak the Alps has thrust in front of the riders.
Time and again, on gradients that reduce mere mortals to climbing off their bikes and walking, the Luxembourg rider injected a burst of pace, only to see Contador respond. Sensible, economic riding it was not.
It still proved too powerful for the rest of the field and so driven was their final descent to St-Jean-de-Maurienne that they even caught up a breakaway group of riders who had spent much of the day on their own, lapping up the applause, slaps on the back and impromptu water showers of a sun-crazed mountain throng. France's Sandy Casar took the stage win in a final sprint, but Schleck's verbal challenge seized the attention.
He said: 'In a race like the Tour, when there is an opportunity you have to take it. That's what I did today. The difference this year is that I am ahead of Contador. If he wants to win this, he's got to attack me.
'Two days ago he was a bit weaker than today. It looks like he's a little bit up and down. I'll try to attack one of his weak days so that I can gain more time on him.
It's possible that he might be stronger in the Pyrenees than he was here in the Alps, but so will I. I'll be better in the Pyrenees than him.'
Evans above: the Aussie (yellow jersey) suffers on one of Tuesday's climbs
source: dailymail
