Don't close door on Contador: Richie

RICHIE Porte won't hear of Alberto Contador quitting the Tour de France before Paris as the race heads into the Pyrenees.

richie porte

RICHIE Porte won't hear of Alberto Contador quitting the Tour de France before Paris as the race heads into the Pyrenees.

Porte's job for the next three days will be to ensure Contador not only gets to the other end safely but also somehow recovers his time losses.

The Tasmanian super-domestique still believes Contador can win the race overall.

Contador is 16th at 4min 07sec behind Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), 1:41 behind third-placed Australian Cadel Evans and 1:30 behind Andy Schleck.

"I've got no personal ambition here for myself other than to work and support Contador as best I can," Porte said.

"Alberto is no dictator. I'm just part of a team here to ride for him."

In his first Tour de France, Porte again rode himself into the ground to ensure Contador did not lose any more time to Evans (BMC) and the Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, of Leopard Trek on the 10th stage.

But Contador knows he will need to rely on Porte even more.

"My job will be to cover any move from the likes of Evans and the Schlecks," Porte said.

It was on today's corresponding stage in 2008 that Evans rode himself into the yellow jersey over the top of the Col du Tourmalet.

Evans will need to have a decisive gap on his main rivals if he is to repeat the effort as, after scaling the Tourmalet, there is still another 36km to the finish at Luz-Ardiden.

"Cadel has been incredibly strong. He's peaked (for a race) three times this season already and so far he's got it right every time," Porte said.

"Maybe he's going to be the first Australian to win."

Contador is receiving extensive treatment on his knees after a series of accidents.

Reluctant to concede he was riding in pain, Contador finally admitted he was receiving treatment to his knees for swelling as a result of three falls, prompting rumours of him pulling out.

"I don't think I'll be going home, not before the end of the Tour de France," Contador said in a statement. "I will do everything possible to achieve my goal, which is to fight for overall victory in Paris."

Andre Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) broke through for his maiden win on stage 10, proving Mark Cavendish and the HTC-Highroad train can be derailed.

"Greipel got what I felt was a deserving win," Evans said.

Cavendish took the loss to the German, who left HTC-Highroad to prove himself on French soil, on the chin.

"I am disappointed because I feel I made a mistake, but Greipel beat me so there is nothing I can do about that," Cavendish said.

"I went early, about 250m out, it was a flat finish, but I really didn't have that 'kick'.

"But I'm happy for him, I've really no excuse."

Despite missing out on what would have been his third stage win, Cavendish clawed back 35 points on Philippe Gilbert in the fight for the green jersey.