In stage 12, Alexander Vinokourov seemed out in front on the stage-concluding climb to Mende and poised for a stage win when Contador attacked the chase group behind his teammate. Rodríguez came with him, and the two easily rode past Vinokourov. As Contador had driven their little breakaway, Rodríguez was much fresher in the final sprint, and took the stage win. The ten seconds they took on the group of contenders moved Rodríguez up to eighth overall. After Schleck and Contador engaged in a bizarre trackstand on the Port de Pailhères in stage 14, Rodríguez, who had been trailing them on the climb, caught up and finished together with them and two others, for fifth on the day. In the Tour's queen stage, stage 17 finishing at the Col du Tourmalet, Rodríguez finished third, just over a minute behind Schleck and Contador at the head of the race. He therefore took time out of every other contender in the race, and moved up in the overall standings again, to seventh. The stage 19 time trial provided for the final changes to the overall standings. The day on which it was run involved a drastic change in wind direction during the time trial, which is part of the reason Rodríguez was 154th on the day, losing ten minutes to stage winner Fabian Cancellara. He also lost considerable time to other members of the top ten in the overall standings, and slipped back to eighth, which was his final placing the next day. The squad finished 18th in the teams classification.