Last chance for T-Mobile

Italian climber Eddy Mazzoleni is the only magenta rider within two minutes of leader Jens Voigt with just three stages remaining, and with Tuesday's time-trial looming large, it is difficult to imagine him keeping pace with the leaders, never mind closing a gap.

Despite sending a second string team along to the Tour of Germany, the presence of Tour de France starter and 2004 champion Patrik Sinkewitz alongside Linus Gerdemann had raised hopes of a challenge for a podium spot at the very least.

The Bonn-based team have so far flattered to deceive, and if indeed they are to finish with any riders inside the top ten in the general classification, a vast improvement on current form is needed. Only the exploits of home favourite Voigt have saved T-Mobile from harsher criticism in the German press.

While Sinkewitz's legs still appear heavy from the Tour de France, Gerdemann's (right) performance has been a major disappointment. After an impressive seventh placed finish in the Tour of Switzerland where he led eventual winner Jan Ullrich through the Alps, many had the German marked down for a challenge to the yellow jersey in Germany, though his hopes appear already to have faded, and with them, those of T-Mobile.

The premature finish to Sunday's stage must have seemed like Christmas come early for CSC's Jens Voigt, though another titanic effort will be required of the man from Berlin in he is to stand a chance of still being in yellow after tonight.

Discovery's Volodymir Gusev and Lampre's Marzio Bruseghin are just seconds off the pace, and both will fancy their chances in the time-trial should they remain in touch with the leaders in the final alpine stage.

It is Levi Leipheimer (right) though, who appears to have the best chance of taking the overall lead. The Gerolsteiner man is at the peak of his form after un inexplicable blip in the 'grande boucle', and looked fresh as a daisy after his victory in Sunday's stage, exclaiming "I love this race."

His exuberance is likely only to be heightened by the beyond category ascent of the Hahntenjoch and the first category climb to the stage finish in St. Christoph am Arlberg.