SPAIN'S Alberto Contador has won stage 14 of the Tour de France, moving himself up to second in the overall standings, after outsprinting the yellow jersey Michael Rasmussen on Sunday's 197-kilometre stage from Mazamet to Plateau-la-Beille.

The charismatic climber from the Discovery team moved into second place in the overall standings and leapfrogged the Australian Cadel Evans, after he and Rasmussen blew their rivals away on the stage’s final climb.

The duo somehow managed to find the energy to bicker amongst themselves on the ascent to Plateau-la-Beille, but despite the Dane’s attacks, Contador had enough left in the tank to cling to his wheel and overtake him with 150 metres to go.

Rasmussen now leads Contador by 2:33, with Evans a further 41 seconds in arrears.

Stage 13 winner Alexandre Vinokourov’s chances were finally laid to rest on this tortuous Pyreneen stage when he cracked early on and lost all the time he’d clawed back on the leaders on Saturday, finishing over half an hour behind the front two.

Vinokourov’s Astana team will now pin their hopes on the German Andreas Kloden, who rode well to limit his losses and is still within striking range of Rasmussen, 4:38 behind in fifth place overall.