Jan Ullrich is unlikely to repeat last year's triumph after Marco Pantani's remarkable ride through the Alps on Monday but yesterday the young German showed his mettle with a desperately courageous attempt to snatch second place on the podium.

Monday, said Ullrich, was the worst day he has ever experienced on a bike. He reached his team hotel on the verge of tears and physically exhausted after losing almost nine minutes and the yellow jersey to the Italian in pouring rain and freezing cold. To cap it all, he was booed as he crossed the finish line.

Yesterday the sun shone out of a chilly sky and Ullrich rode the entire Tour field apart from Pantani off his back wheel, eventually out-sprinting the Tour leader for his second stage win of this year's race.

The four passes of the Chartreuse Massif had softened up legs and minds when the riders arrived at the day's chosen battleground, the Col de la Madeleine, the final "super category" climb of the Tour being more gently graded than the Col du Galibier, where Pantani took the Tour apart on Monday. The Galibier culminates on a desolate peak of scree, the Madeleine, on a lush Alpine plateau.

Ullrich's attack a quarter of the way up the 13-mile ascent was sudden, abrupt and scattered the lead group. It was a change of pace worthy of Pantani and only the little Italian was able to stay with him.

For the rest of the stage the pair gave a passable impression of a large pink-clad engine towing a tiny yellow wagon behind, bulky all-rounder towing diminutive climber.

Ullrich made the pace for the rest of the climb, most of the vertiginous descent and the bulk of the valley road to Albertville while Pantani was happy to watch the German work away. He had little to gain in helping him but much to lose if he let him go.

This arrangement did not help Ullrich but nor did it hinder him. His target was not the Italian's yellow jersey but the third place of the Spanish climber Fernando

Escartin, and the runner-up slot held by the American Bobby Julich. Both had watched impotently as Ullrich made his escape and were two minutes behind by the summit of the Madeleine, which they crossed in a six-strong group including a name that pulled a few heartstrings: Axel Merckx, son of Eddy, the greatest cyclist of all time, who put in his best performance so far to move into 16th overall.

On the valley road into the home of the 1992 Winter Olympics, Julich and Escartin defended their positions like men possessed and in the end Ullrich slotted in neatly between them. Just 21 seconds now cover second, third and fourth places behind Pantani, who extended his lead over Julich to more than five and a half minutes.

Barring accidents, the yellow jersey is secure. On the other hand, as the race crosses two first category passes today en route to Aix-les-Bains, the match for the remaining two podium places will be nip and tuck.

Ullrich says he now believes Pantani will win the Tour. "I was much better in this stage and I wanted to attack as a way of thanking my team, who have worked so hard for me on the Tour," the German said. "It was important for my future chances to have a day like today.

"But I have to congratulate Pantani, because I thought he'd not be able to pull off a Tour win as well as the Giro. As far as I'm concerned, there's no question about it - he's won it."

But Pantani was having none of it, saying: "I don't think it's over - not by a long chalk.

"Ullrich was very strong and he deserved to take the stage. I tried to stay with him and he reacted like a champion."

An Italian spectator in his sixties is receiving hospital treatment after fracturing ribs when he was hit by a car following the Tour.

The accident took place before the start of yesterday's stage.