This has been a punishing Tour all right, with the result that at least two otherwise tantalizing mountain stages (including today’s) have been busts as far as the lead pack goes.

It was a docile run, enlivened only by an 8-rider breakaway that included ageless — well, aged maybe is more accurate — Lance Armstrong and even more senior French champion Christophe Moreau. In the end a Frenchman, Pierrick Fedrigo, did win — the sixth stage for the host country in this edition of the Tour — and Moreau closed to within 15 points of the polka-dot mountain jersey. In a surprise, Thor Hushovd regained the green jersey from Alessandro Petacchi, who entered the stage with a new doping cloud over his head.

Otherwise the general category stayed the same at the top, with Alberto Contador maintaining an 8-second edge over Andy Schleck following yesterday’s controversial 39-second win. We fantasized a sportsmanlike finish today where Contador rode to within 5 feet of the finish, then stopped for 39 seconds before crossing the line. But it was not to be.

It’s unfortunate not one of the Top 10 riders chose to press any kind of attack, because Stage 16 is one of the toughest in this year’s Tour and by rights should’ve provided some fireworks. World champion Cadel Evans, who fell from the back of the peloton, tweeted @cadelofficial, “All suffered here today. I rode in with a group that indicates my level…can’t remember a time I came in after the preso was done ( “

Putting this stage up against tomorrow’s rest day was probably a strategic mistake by the organizers. The riders obviously held back with the thought of focusing on Thursday’s climactic Pyrenees stage as the ultimate decider of this year’s race, the penultimate time trial notwithstanding.

Full report from VeloNews.

French national champion Thomas Voeckler brought home another stage win for the home country in this year’s Tour, riding off the front of a 10-minute breakaway up the final shark-tooth climb.

But the tragedy of the day, and perhaps the Tour, came when Schleck, just starting to put the hammer down on Alberto Contador, threw his chain and almost front-kicked over the bars. It wasn’t clear exactly what happened — we’re guessing a slack cable left him just enough between gears to throw the chain when Andy put down pressure hard — but by the time Schleck dismounted and got things going again, Contador was nearly 20 seconds up the road. [UPDATE: VeloNews speculates on possible causes for Schleck's lost chain.]

Benefiting not just from Schleck’s misfortune but the downhilling skills of Sammy Sanchez and a small group of race leaders, Contador finished 8 seconds in the lead, taking 39 seconds from Schleck on the day.

So the debate of the day — and perhaps of the 2010 Tour de France — will be whether Contador should have waited, as is the prerogative of any racer. Waiting is not required by the rules, but has been done in the past as a matter of courtesy and “champion etiquette.” (In 2003 Jan Ullrich waited for Lance Armstrong.)

“My stomach is full of anger, I want to take my revenge,” Schleck told Versus TV after the stage. He acknowledged, “It’s not to me to decide” whether it was fair for Contador to keep riding on, but did add: “It was not something I would do.”

Andy can take comfort in one thing: Contador obviously is scared. If the two-time Tour champion was confident, he would never have ridden away.

One new wrinkle we did get a chuckle out of: Versus is running a commercial where Schleck and Contador get into a playground snit, “Did so, did not!” for Specialized. You can barely understand what they’re saying (both speak in thick accents) but the point is made. Glad to see this comic relief from the “Gladiator” nature of the blow-by-blow commentary.

Although maybe given today’s grim turn of events, the repartee should be, “Should’ve waited!” “Should not!”

UPDATES

Pro-Contador Bikehugger gets plenty of pushback.

VeloNews reports on Lance Armstrong and other pros’ reactions.

CyclingNews full report on Stage 15.