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It may have been a rest day but the major contenders took no respite from attacking Cadel Evans.

It seems like only yesterday that the pre-race favourite was blubbing his eyes out after a career-first yellow jersey, talking of celebrations and champagne with only a one-second lead over Frank Schleck.

But the tables turned and Shlecky was beaming after Evans struggled up the Prato Nevoso. The main contenders are really sticking the knife in as crunch-time beckons.

One day after Bjarne Riis extraordinarily masterminded the surely irredeemable demise of Evans, the hefty Dane dealt a low blow by claiming stage 15 "was not a real mountain stage, unlike the next two day's stages, so it gives us confidence".

CSC's youngest statesman at 23, Andy Schleck, didn't mince his words either.

"We can do better," he war-cried. "Yesterday was not an out-of-category final climb. It was an ascent that was more designed for guys like Cadel Evans; it was regular with not many steep parts."

The Rabobank team of clumsy uphill-ascender Denis Menchov soon jumped on the bandwagon.

"First, we must get rid of Evans," sniped directeur sportif Erik Dekker before peering into his crystal ball and saying: "He lost time yesterday and he will lose some more in the next two stages."

All this Evans-baiting is all very well, but it is very easy to get carried away and forget that the Australian is a rider renowned for his consistency and his time trialling.

He is only eight seconds down in the GC and will easily take in excess of two minutes off all bar Menchov in the 53km race-against-the-clock on Saturday.

That said, attacking him on his day off seems about as logical as doing so on the steep slopes of the Alps, for there is a rising suspicion that Evans is an accident waiting to happen, that his thin Silence-Lotto team are more of a hindrance than a support, and that the Australian might soon hit a high-altitude wall.

Arise Sir Denis

Menchov enjoys privileges fitting for a Russian oil oligarch when touring with his Dutch-flavoured team.

In the absence of any other stars in the Rabobank squad - except, of course, the unassuming green jersey Oscar Freire - the 30-year-old not only has the entire team working for him, but a lavish entourage to boot.

"Everyone rides for him," said Dekker. "He has a translator if needed, he has a cook and also has his own mattress every night. It's a combination of all these factors. We support him as much as we can."

Maybe if his team-mates didn't have to cook, interpret and lug a bed around they would give Menchov more support where he needs it most - on the front of the peloton and over the high cols.

Market day

Tuesday's 157km stage 16 starts in the Italian town of Cuneo, whose large Piazza Galimberti comes to life every Tuesday with its morning market.

The stage starts at 11.40am local time, so the peloton has time for some bargain-hunting.

Blazin' Saddles concocted a shopping list for the top six riders, separated by just 49 seconds with six saddle days remaining.

Frank Schleck: A taser gun so he can zap Carlos Sastre if the Spaniard looks to make the transition from self-effacing team-mate to genuine race rival.

Bernhard Kohl: Some hip-hop attire so he can look even more like a Caucasian Jay-Z.

Cadel Evans: Some dog food because if he continues to get such a battering in the Alps he will need to spend even more time with the calming influence of faithful mutt Molly. He might need a knife too so that, if journalists step on his cute canine again, he can decapitate them as promised (check a popular video sharing website for evidence).

Denis Menchov: Kneepads and some bike stabilisers for Tuesday's two dangerous ascents, a state-of-the-art musette so the lunches cooked for him by Gordon Ramsey don't get ruined in the feeding zone hand-over, a sidecar for his translator...

Christian Valdevelde: A CSC replica shirt - he's basically still one of them isn't he?

Carlos Sastre: Some Pritt-Stick to make wheel-sucking all the more easier. Plus a leash, to keep Frank Schleck in check. After all, does Schleck seriously expect Carlos to let pass his best and maybe last chance to win a major Tour?

Plat du jour

There's so much to choose from, as Cuneo is the international centre of rum praline truffles known as Cuneesi. Chestnuts and mushrooms are local delicacies too, but things get infinitely tastier as you cross the border.

Simple mountain fare is where it's at, with succulent Alpine pig up there with the quite frankly unbeatable Tartiflette - a dish so good it could be the gastronomic equivalent of Lance Armstrong.

Potatoes with melted reblochon and beaufort cheeses thrown together in layers with fried lardons and onion and a bit of creme fraiche, this rustic gem goes best with a chilled Beaujolais and a shot of genepi.

Lanterne Rouge

One of Blazin' Saddles' faithful readers wrote in to suggest that Riccardo Ricc-epo had discovered God while caged by French cops. This can now be confirmed. Apparently the Cobra now displays more religious zeal than the shaved legs of Milram's German rider Christian Knees.

Felix Lowe / Eurosport