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HAUTACAM, France, July 13, 2008 (AFP) - Leading Spanish contender Alejandro Valverde’s hopes of winning the Tour de France yellow jersey suffered a huge blow on a thrilling second day of racing in the Pyrenees here Monday.

Valverde, who began the day in sixth place overall at 1min 12sec behind overnight leader Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg, finished the 156km 10th stage from Pau to here over five minutes off the pace of stage winner Leonardo Piepoli.

It means Valverde is now in 14th place overall at 4min 41sec behind new race leader Cadel Evans of Australia.

The 28-year-old Caisse d’Epargne team leader suffered a first blow when he failed to keep pace with the fast rhythm being set by the CSC team of yellow jeresey contender Carlos Sastre as they forged their way towards the 2115-metre altitude summit of the Col du Tourmalet.

He eventually crossed over with a 50-sec deficit to a group containing Kirchen and all the big favourites, which in turn had a 6:00 deficit to stage leader Remi Di Gregorio of Francaise des Jeux.

The young Frenchman was eventually caught on the early part of the 14.4km climb to the summit finish at Hautacam, on which Valverde - whose team failed to close the gap to the CSC chasing group - was further delayed by a mechanical problem, apparently his chain.

Valverde was then left on his own as he tried to close a gap to a first group of favourites and the leading duo of Frank Schleck and Leonardo Piepoli.

However, a number of attacks, apparently in a bid to isolate Evans, sealed the Spaniard’s fate.

CSC rider Schleck attacked four kilometres into the 14.4km climb, forcing a series of splits in the group and leaving Kirchen trailing off the back.

With only five kilometres to the finish line, Valverde’s deficit to Schleck was already over four minutes.

Valverde pushed on valiantly but eventually struggled over the line over five minutes behind Piepoli to close the day with a massive deficit to the Australian.

Evans now leads Frank Schleck, of Luxembourg, by just one second.