What the riders said...

Yellow jersey Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel):

I dedicate this victory to my family who always support me in my career. They were really important to me during the time that I had problems with my health after my brain surgery. We still have one more day to go but I feel like the champion of the Tour now. This is a way for me to repay all the fans that cheered for me on the side of the road and gave me so much encouragement. It was an impressive time trial and I managed to maintain momentum despite pressure that was applied by Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer. I had a lead to defend and although I lost a bit of time, but I expected that: Cadel is a good time trial rider and he showed that today. Levi was extremely fast and it is the perfect way for my team to end the Tour de France: a victory in the stage and the yellow jersey on my shoulders with just the stage to Paris remaining.

Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto):

“I had a really good start to the time trial. In the middle section I had a feeling that Leipheimer was going to be good there and I said to the director, Hendrik Redant, this morning before the stage for him to look out for him. Everyone was talking about how much time I could take on Contador but Levi was closing in on me. I thought, ‘Well, if he can go that fast in the middle, I hope that my strength – over the finishing section where there were some little climbs – would come back. If I slowed down I could have lost second place.

“For me, it was when the Astana team didn't contribute to the pace of the chase over the Col de Peyresourde that I lost the Tour de France. Or perhaps it happened when Contador and Rasmussen worked together on the climbs… that's when I lost time too. It could have been on the Aubisque when I lost time on Leipheimer. Maybe it was a combination of many elements but what's happened has happened and I'm content.

“I was depending on Caisse d'Epargne and Astana to help me chase the escape going into Loudenvielle but they weren't interested and that's why we lost 55 seconds to Contador. That's what spoiled what is otherwise the best Tour I could have done.”

Stage winner Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel):

"To be able to go so fast on the bike is my lifelong dream especially to do so while winning a stage of the Tour de France. I always dreamed of being able to do this: I wanted to win a mountain stage or a time trial because that's where my strengths are. I think that, after today, I've earned the right to stand on the final podium tomorrow.

“I was already experiencing joy halfway through the stage because I was getting good feedback from Dirk [Demol]. He said that I was going fast. I knew that I had enough time to be conservative in the corners and make sure that I kept enough energy to the end. So I was really able to enjoy it and I think my emotion took over and I went faster and faster.

“The thought of taking the yellow jersey had crossed my mind. If either Cadel or Alberto had an off day it could have happened but to tell the truth, I was really hoping for Alberto. He had a big gap and also had a lot of pressure on his shoulders these last few days. He's only 24 years old and he defended his lead well; he was amazing.

“Having Lance on the bus with the team before the stage was very motivating. He was nervous – just as anxious as we were – so that helped us raise our game. It gave us a sense that he was really behind us. We were here to do big things and his presence helped.”