 The next several stages favored sprinters and a solo breakaway winner . The overall standings did not change until stage 9 , when a breakaway group involving Thomas Voeckler gained sufficient time that the veteran Frenchman became the new race leader . The Schleck brothers were two and a half minutes down in the classification at this point , but within a few seconds of the nearest true overall favorite Evans . Fuglsang as well remained in the top ten , 30 seconds the lesser of Andy Schleck and just over three minutes off the race lead . Fränk Schleck took time out of the bulk of the field in stage 12 . With 2 @.@ 5 km ( 1 @.@ 6 mi ) remaining in the stage @-@ concluding climb to Luz <unk> , the elder Schleck brother broke free of the group of the race 's top riders in pursuit of two down the road . He did not quite reach them , finishing ten seconds back on the day , but the ride moved him up to second place overall , 28 seconds ahead of his brother and 17 the better of Evans . The brothers both missed an important move in stage 16 , ending on the descent from the second @-@ category Col de Manse . Contador , Sánchez , and Evans rode the most aggressive descent , a tactic which gained them a solid measure of time . Evans took 21 seconds out of Fränk Schleck to re @-@ assume second place overall ; the younger Schleck brother lost a full minute and six seconds to the veteran Australian . 
