Tour leader Voeckler doubts he'll win

MONTPELLIER, France -- Thomas Voeckler kept up with the big Tour de France favorites in the mountains. He's had the yellow jersey for six days. Retired seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong tweeted that the Frenchman could even take the treasured shirt home when the race ends Sunday.

The biggest nonbeliever?

Voeckler himself.

"I will fight, of course, but I mustn't be dishonest," Voeckler said after retaining the overall lead in the flat 15th stage, won yesterday by British sprint star Mark Cavendish. "I consider that I have zero percent chance of winning the Tour de France."

For many French fans, Voeckler's surprising success has rekindled cautious optimism that the ultimate in Tour glory could return home for the first time since Bernard Hinault got the last of his five victories in 1985.

Voeckler isn't going there.

"I don't want to lie to the public," he said. "Maybe it would make for good publicity, I don't know, but it doesn't interest me. I'm not going to announce to the French people that 'I'm in yellow, I have a chance to win.'

"It's not a question of wanting. Everybody would like to win the Tour," Voeckler said. "It's true that since Bernard Hinault, the French people want a winner -- I really sense it well."

Voeckler leads Frank Schleck of Luxembourg by 1 minute, 49 seconds, and Cadel Evans of Australia is third, 2:06 back. Schleck's younger brother Andy is 2:15 behind in fourth. Contador is seventh, 4 minutes behind.

Monday is the final rest day before Stage 16 Tuesday, a 101- mile ride through the foothills of the Alps. Voeckler doesn't expect to hold off attackers for two days in the Alps on Thursday and Friday, each featuring an uphill finish. On Saturday, there's a final individual time trial -- not his strong point -- in and around Grenoble. But after three days in the Pyrenees when Voeckler surprisingly kept the jersey, the contenders are taking him seriously.

"Voeckler is in incredible form," Contador said. "He has a big lead, it will be hard to make that up."