AIN'T BAD FOR BRAD; TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 18.

Byline: Ted Tracey

BRITISH bomber Bradley Wiggins stormed into the hunt for a podium finish after making up ground on his rivals in yesterday's time trial.

The Garmin rider moved from sixth to fourth spot overall, just 11 seconds behind Lance Armstrong who moved up one place to third.

Champion-in-waiting Alberto Contador was fastest over the 40.5km course, finishing in 48 minutes 30.72 seconds.

Saxobank rider Andy Schleck lies second overall, just over four minutes adrift.

Today's flat stage is likely to have little impact on the final placings.

That's not the case with tomorrow's 20th stage, though.

The 167km (103.8 miles) from Montelimar to Mont Ventoux is likely to decide who takes the other two podium spots on Sunday behind Contador.

Protect

The Spaniard conjured a remarkable performance in the time trial and he is now set to win his second Tour, having previously triumphed in 2007.

He had already proved he is the master of the mountains and yesterday showed he is also one of the best time trialists on the Tour.

But the Astana ace insisted his only intention had been to cement his position in the General Classification.

Contador said: "It's absolutely huge for me to win a time trial on the Tour.

"I went out hard but thinking only to protect my place in the GC. But when I got to the first check and saw my time it gave me a bit more belief.

"After that I just went as hard as I could to the finish. It was a crucial day for me and I came through it far better than I expected." Contador finished three seconds ahead of Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara and one minute 45 seconds ahead of nearest rival Andy Schleck.

Schleck's brother and fellow Saxobank rider Frank dropped from third overall down to sixth while Astana's Andreas Kloeden remains in fifth, two seconds behind Wiggins.

Wiggins, a three-time Olympic track champion, will find it difficult to close the gap on Armstrong, who will have the might of his Astana team-mates to help him during tomorrow's slog up Mount Ventoux.

But the 29-year-old has impressed in the mountains and will look to his teammate Christian Van de Velde to help him stay in touch with his rivals.

Tracks

Time-trial dangerman Wiggins was looking to eat into the advantage his rivals had over him and midway through the Annecy route it appeared the Londoner was set to post a fast time.

But in the final few kilometres the Brit faded to finish 43 seconds behind Contador.

Scot David Millar came home fifth on a course he believed favoured the climbers because of the category three climb over the Bluffy pass, which wound upwards for 3.7km three-quarters of the way through the stage.

He said: "I felt like I had stopped dead in my tracks on the climb."

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HERE FOR THE GEAR: Wiggins shifts in yesterday's time trial