ANNECY, France, July 23, 2009 (AFP) – Both 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and pre-race contender Denis Menchov have admitted their only goal now remains getting to Paris on Sunday to finish the race.

Sastre, who rides for Cervelo came into the race admitting he faced a tough challenge against the likes of current race leader Alberto Contador of Astana.

Menchov, however, has been arguably the biggest under-achiever from the handful of contenders who set out to win the race’s yellow jersey.

Having crashed several times in the first and second weeks of the race the Russian, who rides for Rabobank, also crashed twice on Wednesday’s 17th stage.

On the final day in the Alps he had set out to try and close his gap to Contador but ended the stage over 21 minutes behind Contador to sit a massive
48 minutes behind the Spaniard.

“I think it’s just bad luck, I can’t really explain it,” said the 31-year-old Russian who crashed twice on the 17th stage from Bourg Saint Maurice to Le Grand Bornand.

“The only ambition I have now is to finish the race in Paris.”

Cervelo’s Sastre was 13th in the general classification before Thursay’s time trial around Lake Annecy.

The Spaniard, who won the race riding for CSC (now Saxo Bank) last year, finished the 17th stage 7:47 behind winner Frank Schleck which leaves him 11:39 behind Contador overall.

“I tried to lose as little time as possible to the favourites because I knew that my last chance on this Tour was today,” admitted 34-year-old Sastre.

“That was one really hard day, with the wind and the rain.

“My aim was to attack on the (penultimate climb at the) Col de Romme, because it suited my style of riding well.

“I couldn’t match the rhythm and I just wanted to finish the stage in the best possible way.”

Another pre-race contender who has lost all chance of a podium place is Australian Cadel Evans, who rides for Silence.

The runner-up for the past two years, Evans flattered to deceive in the Alpine stages where he had been hoping to claw back the time he lost during his team’s disastrous time trial performance on stage four.

After finishing the 17th stage 29 minutes behind Frank Schleck and Contador, the 32-year-old is in 32nd place at 37:06 behind Contador.