This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Gap, France • Chris Froome preserved his healthy overall lead after a nervous finish to Tuesday's 16th stage, and then blamed his main Tour de France rival Alberto Contador for a downhill incident that could have ended their races.

Portuguese rider Rui Costa won the stage with a solo breakaway, while behind him the subplot between Contador and Froome thickened with a few days left until the finish line in Paris.

Although Froome is still more than four minutes clear of Contador, the British rider felt he could just as easily have ended up in hospital.

"One little accident and it could be the end of your Tour," Froome said. "In my opinion it was a bit dangerous from Alberto to ride like that, it's not good."

On the final descent down from the Col de Manse, Froome and Contador were undone by a sharp right turn as the Brit chased after the Spaniard.

Froome went off the left side of the road and had to plant his left foot on the ground to stop from toppling off completely. Contador also lost balance and hit his knee on the ground before quickly jumping back up on the bike.

"It actually put me in danger because I had to go off the road to avoid him," Froome said. "He couldn't control his own speed and crashed."

Contador, the 2007 and '09 champion stripped of his '10 title for doping, defended himself.

"It was really difficult. In normal conditions I wouldn't have slipped like that, but it was very difficult terrain and the bike got away from me," he said. "Sometimes you have to go for it, whether it's at the start or the end of a stage."

Froome seemed to be more than a little exasperated, and his radar will be on red alert in the days to come.

"All teams are starting to get desperate now and they're taking uncalculated risks," he said. "In my mind this Tour is not over until I cross the final line on the Champs-Elysees." —

Tour de France

P Stage 17

Wednesday, 6 a.m.

TV • NBCSN —

Leaders

1. Chris Froome —

2. Bauke Mollema -4:14

3. Alberto Contador -4:25

4. Roman Kreuziger -4:28

5. Nairo Quintana -5:47