ANNECY, France,  (Reuters) – Overall leader Alberto  Contador took a giant step towards his second Tour de France  victory when he humbled the time trial specialists over 40.5 kms  to take the 18th stage around the lake of Annecy yesterday.

The Spaniard, who outshone Olympic champion Fabian  Cancellara by three seconds, now leads his nearest rival for  final victory, Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck, by four minutes and 11  seconds, a comfortable gap three days before the finish in  Paris.

Contador won in 48 minutes and 30 seconds, taking his second  stage in this Tour after the mountain ride to Verbier in  Switzerland last Sunday.

Lance Armstrong made it back on the overall podium, 5:25  behind his Astana team mate, ousting Andy Schleck’s brother  Frank from third place.

Yet the seven times champion was relatively disappointing in  what used to be his favourite discipline, finishing 16th, 1:30  behind Contador.

American Armstrong announced as the stage was finishing that  he would start a new team next season sponsored by electronics  wholesalers RadioShack.

“I heard that Lance was launching a new outfit but I just  want to concentrate on finishing the Tour,” Contador told  reporters. “I will think about my own future afterwards.”

Contador’s performance was all the more impressive as most  of the Tour favourites, who started after Cancellara and  third-placed Russian Mikhail Ignatiev, faced a headwind in the  finale.

BEST ALL-ROUNDER
The 2007 Tour champion, who also holds the Spanish  time-trial title, confirmed he was not only the best climber in  the peloton but the best all-rounder in the race.

“I was really not expecting this. I was tired from  yesterday’s efforts,” said Contador, who finished second in the  big mountain stage in Le Grand Bornand on Wednesday.

“To win a time trial on the Tour de France is simply huge.”

“I was (in the car) behind Alberto, so I saw a nice show,”  said Astana sports director Alain Gallopin.

“The goal was just to secure the (overall) win but when  we  saw by the end that he could win the time trial, we pushed him  to the limit. I am happy for him.”