Cervélo’s Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU) posted an excellent result in Saturday’s 52 km individual time trial to confirm he could have a bright future in three-week stage races. Konovalovas stopped the clock in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 30 seconds to finish fourth at 2:34 back in the flat, windy route from Bordeaux to Pauillac. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) won the stage and Alberto Contador (ESP) cemented the overall title. “It was very hard today. I was suffering all the time. You cannot give yourself a rest. I got caught by Cancellara after 20kms, then I kept the same gap for 20kms, so it helped me a lot. Then I cracked in the last eight kilometers. He started sprinting and then I couldn’t hold his tempo anymore. It was a good time trial, because I can see that I can keep the speed of Cancellara. OK, not for 50kms, but if I can keep that for 20km, that’s a good sign for me,” Konovalovas said. “The legs are OK. I fell stronger, more experienced. The Tour de France is a great experience.” Konovalovas led Cervélo in the important time trial to settle the overall standings. Strong headwinds and crosswinds hammered the riders as they raced one at a time against the clock across the vineyards north of Bordeaux. Cervélo sport director Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) said the result confirms that Konovalovas has a bright future in three-week tours. “I think it was a very important result for Ignatas. This is his first Tour de France and after all of what he’s done for the team since day one to be able to still have the power in his legs to make such a great race on the second-to-last day is a great sign,” Konovalovas said. “It proves he has a great motor, and that he can recover and handle a three-week tour. He has a great future.” The remainder of the team didn’t push too hard because the team wants to give the maximum in Sunday’s finale on the Champs-Elysées. Cervélo’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) will make a run for the final sprint in Paris to wrap up the 2010 Tour de France. Hushovd could still win the green jersey if he’s able to make up the 10-point difference to Alessandro Petacchi (ITA). “The rest of the team didn’t go too deep. A few riders wanted to do something special in the final time trial, but with the idea of saving something for Sunday for the final sprint on the Champs-Élysées,” Van Poppel said. “We know with 10 points behind in the green jersey it’s going to be difficult, but the team has to be ready. We are going to try Sunday.” Cervélo’s Carlos Sastre (ESP) finished 48th in the stage and climb into 20th overall. The 2010 Tour concludes Sunday with the 102.5 km 20th stage from Longjumeau to Paris. There are two intermediate sprints before hitting eight laps on the Champs-Élysées. Cervélo will ride to support Hushovd in the final stage what almost always ends in a mass sprint. Tour de France Stage 19 Results: Bordeaux > Pauillac 52.0 km

1st	Fabian Cancellara (SUI)	1:00:56	51.20 km/h (31.81 mph)
2nd	Tony Martin (GER)	+0.17
3rd	Bert Grabsch (GER)	+1.48
4th	Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU)	+2.34
5th	David Zabriskie (USA)	+3.00
30th	Brett Lancaster (AUS)	+5.16
48th	Carlos Sastre (ESP)	+6.30
88th	Jeremy Hunt (GBR)	+7.46
105th	Volodimir Gustov (UKR)	+8.25
124th	Thor Hushovd (NOR)	+9.03
155th	Daniel Lloyd (GBR)	+10.19
161st	Andreas Klier (GER)	+10.33

General Classification after Stage 19:

1st	Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP)	89:16:27	39.65 km/h (24.64 mph)
2nd	Andy Schleck (LUX)	+0.39
3rd	Denis Menchov (RUS)	+2.01
20th	Carlos Sastre (ESP)	+26.37
35th	Volodimir Gustov (UKR)	+1.09.51
111st	Thor Hushovd (NOR)	+3.12.57
127th	Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU)	+3.23.36
159th	Brett Lancaster (AUS)	+3.57.00
163th	Jeremy Hunt (GBR)	+4.02.59
164th	Daniel Lloyd (GBR)	+4.02.59
168th	Andreas Klier (GER)	+4.17.16

Points Classification after Stage 19:

1st	Alessandro Petacchi (ITA)	213
2nd	Thor Hushovd (NOR)	203
3rd	Mark Cavendish (GBR)	197
79th	Carlos Sastre (ESP)	16
96th	Brett Lancaster (AUS)	12
103th	Jeremy Hunt (GBR)	8
107th	Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU)	8
126th	Daniel Lloyd (GBR)	4
130th	Volodimir Gustov (UKR)	2