Tour de France 2005

[Eric in Long Beach]

“This is a way of re-launching the Liberty team’s plane,” said Marcos Serrano. The champion of the 18th stage of the 2005 Tour de France resorted to a typical Spanish expression when asked for his thoughts on the second victory of his 13-year professional career. The Liberty Seguros-Wurth squad came to the race filled with ambition. The team’s director Manolo Saiz believed that his riders were not only capable of stage wins, but also a high place in the general classification. After 17 stages, however, the best they had achieved were some top 10 finishes courtesy of their Australian recruit Allan Davis. In the GC stakes, there was a veritable drought for a formation that boasts both Roberto Heras and Joseba Beloki as its star riders.


On a breakaway, Serrano rides near the Millau viaduct in the southern Aveyron region during the 18th stage.

Serrano began the stage one place ahead of the triple winner of the Vuelta A Espana, Heras, in the overall rankings. The 32-year-old worked his way into a 10-man escape group that netted a gain of over 15 minutes on the real protagonists and then outwitted his day-long companions on the cruel closing ascent.

In what was considered the last climbing stage of the Tour’s 92nd edition the potential existed for the likes of Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich and Mickael Rasmussen to attack Lance Armstrong. It would have required a freakish effort for any of the riders in the top 10 to eclipse the American’s leading margin on the final ascent but strange things can occur in the Tour de France. When it comes to acquiring the yellow jersey at the end of the Armstrong Era, however, no one has been bold enough – or strong enough – to topple the man who has dominated the world’s biggest race since his comeback from cancer in 1999.


George Hincapie of the U.S., foreground, leads his Team Discovery Channel as they pace the peloton.

When the Tour last visited Mende, Mr. Jalabert threw caution into the wind. He attacked the peloton, established an escape group with five other riders – including two team-mates – and threatened the overall lead of Miguel Indurain. This is the reason that the Cote de la Croix-Neuve received a second title.

The ‘Montee Laurent Jalabert’ is short but steep. It is a climb which split Serrano’s 10-man escape group into pieces and nullified the opportunity for Axel Merckx to give Belgium a victory on the day his country celebrates ‘National Day’. Poor Axel. He was so close to success again. The son of Eddy almost claimed a coup on Bastille Day. A week ago he put himself in the winning move but his hopes for a victory were foiled by an inspired Frenchman.


Overall leader and six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso of Italy (left) and fourth-placed Jan Ullrich of Germany (right), pedal in the ascent of the Croix-Neuve pass less than 2 kilometers before the finish of Stage 18.

Today Merckx appeared to be in control. Together with Mattias Kessler, Luke Roberts, Xabier Zandio, Franco Pellizotti, Cedric Vasseur, Thomas Voeckler, Egoi Martinez and Serrano he swapped off at the front of the stage. These 10 riders reached the penultimate climb with an advantage of a quarter of an hour on the peloton which was controlled by the Discovery Channel team.

Axel came to the race with hopes of achieving a result. Why else would he leave behind his second daughter who was born only two days before the ‘Grand Depart’?

Even halfway through the stage, Armstrong took a moment to declare to French television who he thought the winner would be. “I’m not going too bad for an old man,” said the rider who has just three days to go in his racing career. When prompted for his thoughts on the stage, the American smilled and said, “I think the winner will be Axel.”

So did Merckx. Why else would he have spent so much energy on the final climb?

He ignited the action after over 180km in the saddle and appeared to be in control. But Serrano is one of Saiz’s recruits and the outspoken boss of the Liberty-Wurth team boss needed another result in Mende. Senor Serrano might not have the same pedigree as Monsieur Jalabert but at he was motivated and strong enough to respond to Merckx’s attacks and then try one of his own. That was all it took. He got to celebrate his first success at the Tour with a two handed salute before any other rider even reached the finishing straight which was actually placed on an aerodrome atop the ‘Montee’.

While Serrano’s plane was taking off, Merckx mood was at a low ebb. Why else would he have chastised Cedric Vasseur who sprinted past him in the dying meters to claim second place?

All Merckx needed on the final climb was a bit of cooperation from the Frenchman and they could have been racing for first place rather than the runner-up position. That’s life. The Merckx name is synonymous with success at the Tour and Axel wanted a part of it, especially in the week when his former team-mate from his formative years is about to set an entirely new standard.


Serrano and his trophy.

There’s one more stage for an opportunist to put their name on the winners list at the 2005 Tour for the final weekend is when the Texan will earn all the headlines. He’s still chasing a stage win and the time trial for stage 20 should provide that platform. The next day, Armstrong’s career will conclude. And we now know that there’s virtually nothing that can stop him from winning yet again.


I hope he had a breath mint before this moment. Rider's breath . . . YUCK!

(Info and photos from letour.com and foxsports.com.)

[Eric in Long Beach]

On a day that an escape was destined to succeed the two main groups which raced away from the peloton in the first 40 kilometers were a study of contrasting techniques. Giuseppe Guerini earned the reward of another victory in the Tour de France while his compatriot Salvatore Commesso really animated the action but netted nothing other than a fifth place for his aggression.

Guerini will be remembered because of his professionalism while Commesso is just another man who came close to a coup but effectively only succeeded in annoying his companions on a day they could have contested the stage.

The rolling terrain between Issoire and Le Puy-en-Velay provided the platform for the opportunists who still had enough energy to chase a victory on the eve of the only long individual time trial of the 92nd Tour. There is no doubt that this was a transitional stage. The rider in the yellow jersey already had his mind on the quest for his first solo victory in his final race. But before Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel colleagues could ease the pace of the peloton and allow a sortie to succeed, the right combination had to be found.


Overall leader Lance Armstrong pedals as T-Mobile team leader Jan Ullrich of Germany checks the stage's profile during the 19th stage.

There was an attack in the first kilometer and the attempts continued for the first hour. Even Jan Ullrich was bold enough to try and sneak ahead but, as always, the Texan and his team-mates were attentive. Every move was rendered void until Sandy Casar surged forward after 30 kilometers. He was chased down by Guerini and Oscar Pereiro Sio. This trio was later joined by Franco Pellizotti and it became a quartet that Discovery was satisfied with.


From left to right, Giuseppe Guerini of Italy, Oscar Pereiro of Spain, Sandy Casar of France and Franco Pellizotti of Italy pedal during their four-men breakaway in the 19th stage.

Why not let them go? The best-placed in the general classification was Pereiro but the winner in Pau was no threat to the yellow jersey. He began the day in 13th place, over 17 minutes behind Armstrong. And so the bunch eased off the gas momentarily. That was the cue for Escape Number Two.

Kurt-Asle Arvesen was foiled by Paolo Savoldelli only two days ago when he was beaten in the sprint to the line in Revel. If at first you don’t succeed… then why not try again? That’s what the Norwegian did. And nine other riders decided they also stood a chance.

Arvesen was joined by Ronny Scholz, Bert Grabsch, Juan Antonio Flecha, Sylvain Chavanel, Peter Weening, Carlos Da Cruz, Alessandro Bertolini, the Discovery team’s policeman, Jose Azevedo and Commesso. With some cooperation over the next couple of hours they could have paced themselves up to the leading quartet. But Commesso had a point to prove. Instead of swapping off with even turns of pace, the Lampre-Caffita rider – the only fugitive from today who had previously won more than one stage at the Tour – insisted on attacking.

As soon as his companions caught up with him Salvatore would surge again. It happened time after time after time. And as the finish drew near, the effects of almost three weeks of racing was obvious. One by one, Commesso’s cohorts surrendered to his antics.


Guerini wins Stage 19.

If the four riders ahead hadn’t worked in unison Commesso stood a chance of adding a third stage victory to his resume. Instead he earned fifth place, almost three minutes behind Guerini.


Guerini on the podium.

There were no attacks in the lead group until crunch time. It was clear that an accord had been reached during the 120 kilometers in which they cooperated like team-mates. Pereiro would take the climbing points and confirm his position as runner-up to Mickael Rasmussen in the mountains classification. As a pay-back he would roll through and take longer turns at the end of the stage. Something else motivated him today; if Oscar could remain sufficiently ahead of the peloton a second successive top 10 place in the general classification would be his. He missed out on the stage win but, like Cadel Evans did on the day Pereiro won in Pau, the Spaniard pushed his way into the top 10.


Only two more stages until retirement.

This is all likely to change tomorrow. The time trial in St-Etienne is going to shuffle the top order significantly but, barring disaster, the yellow jersey will not budge. Armstrong is expected to win his only stage this year on the fourth Saturday of the race. But the question remains: who will stand beside him on the Parisian podium in two days time? By this time tomorrow, we’ll know the answer.


Can Thor Hushovd of Norway and Credit Agricole stay in green for the rest of the Tour?

(Info and photos from letour.com and foxsports.com.)

[Eric in Long Beach]

There’s nothing left for Lance Armstrong to do at the Tour de France. He’s done it all but this year’s race would have seemed a little incomplete had he not won a stage on his own. Tomorrow will be the American’s last day as a professional cyclist and he’ll stand on the podium at the Champs Elysees as the only man to have won the race seven times. But today he had some business to attend to. In the race of truth he had to prove exactly why he’s The Boss of the Bunch. That’s exactly what he did.


Lance Armstrong, warming up for Stage 20, looks at his son Luke, taking photos at right, and girlfriend Sheryl Crow, holding Armstrong's twin daughters Isabelle, left, and Grace.

Favorites have been known to fail but since 1999 Armstrong has collected at least one stage victory per year. Today there was no option for him to offer any gifts. He needed to get from point-A to point-B as fast as possible to capture a victory which, until now had eluded him all year. Okay, he teamed up with his Discovery Channel posse in stage four to win the team time trial. That was a collective celebration for the well-drilled unit which has controlled the racing for three weeks this July.


Luke, the official Armstrong family photographer.

After 55.5km Lance got to stand on the podium alone to celebrate what is likely to be the last stage win of his life. But favorites have also been known to want more; and maybe – just maybe – he’ll conclude his career with an attack on the streets of Paris in the final stage. That would be a dream scenario but it’s not necessary.


Lance rolls out for Stage 20.

“Bernard Hinault won on the Champs Elysees in 1979,” said the Tour’s historian Jacques Augendre on the eve of today’s time trial. “Of course it would be a beautiful way for Armstrong to end his racing days. He’s a complete rider and I’m sure he would be tempted but the final day is one for the sprinters. Armstrong doesn’t need to take a risk and get involved in the quest for line honors.”

Lance didn’t “need” to win today either. But it was right that he did. Jan Ullrich wanted the victory perhaps even more than his nemesis who has won six of the final time trials during his seven-year reign (only losing to David Millar in the year of the Tour’s centenary). The German was superb again today, but he could not get close to the American. At every check but the last, Lance increased his advantage on the rider who elevated himself from fourth overall to third.


Ullrich is probably one of the persons most pleased about Armstrong's retirement.

Unless he contradicts Augendre and wins the stage in Paris, Armstrong will end his riding days with 25 stage victories in the Tour. Today’s was not the most beautiful but it was still stunning to watch. He’s a picture of perfection in the time trial. He takes risks but not too many. He spins his legs at a rapid pace but always has more power in reserve. He allows his rivals to get near him, but never ahead.


Armstrong zooms across the countryside during the 20th stage.

And poor Jan will no longer get the opportunity to say that he beat Armstrong in the race of truth. For the second successive year, the 1997 champion will not even get the chance to be the second-best rider in the race. That honor goes to Ivan Basso who was the only rider capable of eclipsing Armstrong’s time at any of the four intermediate checks.


Spectators encourage Armstrong along during the individual time trial.

The Italian slowed towards the end of the time trial and finished the stage in fifth, but he is one minute and 41 seconds ahead of Ullrich in the general classification with one day to go.


Basso in action during Stage 20.

The race is never over until the final line is crossed. But today was when the final positions in the top 10 were going to be settled. Mickael Rasmussen was expected to lose a lot but several severe faux-pas saw him drop from third overall to seventh.


Although he started six minutes ahead of Armstrong, Rasmussen was passed by him during Stage 20.

The Dane has prize he came to the Tour to win. The King of the Mountains crown is his but he also had a place on the podium until the time trial around Saint-Etienne. His lead was always within reach of Ullrich, the rider who won the time trial on the same course as today’s back in the year of his overall victory. But Rasmussen failed to minimize his losses. And he did so in dramatic fashion.


One of the few moments on Saturday when Rasmussen wasn't crashing or having mechanical problems.

He was already losing time to his main rivals before a crash on a roundabout slowed him down. Mechanical failures then haunted him over the undulating route. Rasmussen was forced to change his bike on four occasions and the wind was truly knocked out of his sails. He needed a touch of luck to save him from slipping out of the top five, but it didn’t come his way. Instead of rolling safely through to the finish, Rasmussen crashed again and eventually limped home in 77th place almost eight minutes behind Armstrong.


Can you tell what kind of a day Rasmussen had?

Rasmussen nor any of the other riders in the peloton were able to make a dent on Armstrong’s domination. That’s why the Texan will arrive in Paris with the option of winning a 26th stage . . . and his second race in 2005. Of course, the hordes of Americans who flock to the French capital would love to see two victories in the one day – the stage and the overall title – but as Augendre reminds us, there’s no need for the risk of ruining a beautiful conclusion to a dominant career.


Armstrong is escorted to the the finish line by a flotilla of cars and motorcycles.

"Quite honestly, I wasn't absolutely sure I could do it," Armstrong said. "I thought Jan would be strong, and then when I got to the first check I saw that Ivan was seven seconds up and I thought 'Oh boy, this could be an interesting day."'

"I ended up turning things around and winning," he said. "So, pleasant surprise."


Armstrong on the podium for his stage win.

"It's nice to finish your career on a high note," said Armstrong. "As a sportsman, I wanted to go out on top."


Armstrong shares the spoils of victory with his children and Crow.

[Eric in Long Beach]

Lance Armstrong, second-place finisher Ivan Basso of Italy (left) and third-place finisher Jan Ullrich wave goodbye to the 2005 Tour de France.

When Lance Armstrong claimed his first yellow jersey on 3 July 1999 he gave millions of people hope. At the age of 27 the all-American champion proved there was life after cancer. He had ridden the Tour de France before, won stages in fact, but victory in his first appearance since he was struck down by the illness was a triumph of spirit. But surely his time in the overall lead of the world’s biggest bike race wouldn’t last much longer than the first week. Aficionados of the event knew his name and they recognized his weaknesses.

Before cancer, the Texan couldn’t climb and his ability in the time trial was reasonable at best. Tactically he’d made more than one faux-pas. He was a star but not a rider capable of holding onto the ‘maillot jaune’.

Lance proved that the cynics were wrong. And he has continued to do so every year.


Overall leader Lance Armstrong, third left, pedals along with best sprinter Thor Hushovd of Norway (green jersey), best climber Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark (polka dot jersey), and best young rider Yaroslav Popovych of Ukraine (white jersey), during the 21st stage.

In the final race of his career there was nothing left to prove. At the age of 33 he had eclipsed the efforts of the greatest cyclists in history in the race which matters most. When Armstrong last raced on the famous Avenue des Champs Elysees he established a new benchmark. Winning six titles was an unobtainable quest. If Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain couldn’t achieve this mark, how could a brash Texan who almost lost his life to cancer reach the elusive tally?

Pure determination powered by a phenomenal physique, directed by a master tactician and support from teams of heroes all contributed to the re-writing of cycling history.


Given that he entered the final stage with a 4:40 lead, Lance Armstrong could afford to sip a little champagne with Discovery's team sports director Johan Bruyneel as he made his way to Paris.

Another major contributing factor to the Hollywood-esque tale of success is the self-confessed insecurity of the rider who sealed his seventh victory in the French capital on the final day as a professional cyclist.






Tell a champion he can’t do something and you fuel his ambition. From 1999 onward there was always someone who suggested they had figured out a way to crack Armstrong’s formula for success. They came, they tried and they failed.

Of the 162 Tour stages he contested since his first day in the yellow jersey, Armstrong has won 21 of them.


There's a reason they call it the Champ Elysees. And it's because Lance Armstrong is the champ once again.

It’s not a bad percentage for a man who was told he’d never ride a bike again. If he was lucky, he’d live. Since that diagnosis, he’s not only survived but thrived. Lance lives strong.

His career cannot be summarized in a post-race report or a series of clichés. There’s much more to Lance Armstrong that victories in the Tour de France alone. But after today there’s plenty of time to analyze the impact he’s had on his chosen sport and the hordes of fans who confess that he’s their hero.

Sunday July 24 was Lance Armstrong Day. It marks the end of an era. His achievements can never be repeated. Even if a star emerges tomorrow, it will be a long wait to see if they can match Armstrong’s unprecedented tally of Tour victories. But there’s no chance for any future champions to be Lance’s equal.


The peloton arrives in Paris.

He broke new ground in every aspect of cycling. He has shifted the goal posts by focusing on one race and one race alone. “The Tour de France is the biggest race in the world,” said the American on more than one occasion. “And I want to win.”


Armstrong pedals past the Arc de Triomphe on his way to a seventh straight Tour de France win.

The recipe for success was cooked up again by Armstrong and his director Johan Bruyneel this year. He arrived at the start in the Vendee region motivated and prepared. After just 19km of racing in the 92nd Tour, it was obvious that the defending champion was ready to match every challenge his rivals could throw at him.



A lot of anticipation was gone after the first stage when Lance finished a close second to his compatriot Dave Zabriskie. The CSC rider was one revelation of this year’s race but he never got a chance to test his legs in the mountains during his debut Tour. He abandoned at the end of the extremely fast first week. During the first eight days over 1,300km were raced at over 47km/h!



Zabriskie contributed to this rapid average. He set a record for a time trial, completing the opening stage at 54.676km/h – the fastest ever in the Tour. Three days later when Zabriskie crashed, Armstrong and his colleagues established another record: the quickest team time trial ever – 67.5km at 57.324km/h. But it would not be until the penultimate day that Armstrong earned the last stage victory of his career, which was also his first win of the 2005 season.

When he crossed the line in 118th place in the final stage Armstrong claimed his second victory of the year. And what a win it was! “To end my career with this podium is perfect,” declared Armstrong from the centre of the Champs-Elysees. He stood alongside Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich, the two riders considered the most likely to win the title in the first year of the post-Armstrong Era.


Vino pips McGee at the finish line of the final stage.

The final stage of the 92nd Tour was, however, won by a man who refuses to concede defeat until he has absolutely no other option. Alexandre Vinokourov was the first rider to animate the 21st stage when he attacked the peloton on the approach to the first of two intermediate sprints. He began the day in sixth place overall, claimed six seconds worth of bonuses in Chatenay-Malabry and began the Parisian laps on the same time as the rider in fifth overall, Levi Leipheimer.


Robbie McEwen of Australia and Davitamon Lotto does a wheelie during the team parade after Sunday's final stage.

Although the race for general classification was effectively neutralized for the eight laps because rain fell as the peloton entered Paris, ‘Vino’ demonstrated that he had unfinished business.


Alexandre Vinokourov celebrates after winning the final stage of the Tour de France and moving up to fifth in the overall classification.

While opportunists scampered ahead in mini-escapes on the Champs-Elysees the teams of the main sprint finish protagonists reeled them all in with less than three kilometers to go. Then, on the Quai des Tuileries ‘Vino’ chased down a move by Laurent Brochard. Suddenly he was in the lead of the stage with less than 1,500m to go. Brad McGee followed his lead and the Kazakh and Australian raced under the one kilometer with an unbeatable advantage on the peloton. In the dying meters ‘Vino’ blasted into the lead. Not even the stage winner could believe the coup he had just achieved. Not only did he win for the second time in the 2005 Tour, he elevated himself from sixth overall to fifth thanks to the time bonuses acquired for the victory.


Pavel Padrnos, George Hincapie (with flag) and Lance Armstrong take a lap of honor on the Champs Elysees.

Lance Armstrong is now officially retired. The next Tour is an open race again. It’s impossible to suggest who his heir will be.


Lance sings as the Star-Spangled Banner is played.

Yaroslav Popovych is a team-mate, a winner of the youth classification and a likely candidate for next year’s crown. Ivan Basso has all the traits of a champion after finishing one step higher on the podium than 12 months ago. Jan Ullrich still dreams of another title and although it’s likely that 2006 will be his last year as a professional he must be favored to add a second win to his resume.



Other likely challengers have emerged during the 2005 race. Leipheimer may have lost his fifth place in the final meters but he is strong when it matters. Another American also stands a chance, for Floyd Landis was in the top 10 during his first year with leadership responsibilities. Other hopes for next year’s race are the ever-present Francisco Mancebo, the perpetual-aggressor Oscar Pereiro Sio and the Tour virgin this year, Cadel Evans – an Australian who finished eighth this year and is clearly strong in every facet required for success in the biggest race of all.


Lance Armstrong holds the winner's trophy during ceremonies on the Champs-Elysees after winning his seventh straight Tour de France cycling race.

For now, however, it’s time to savor the end of the remarkable Armstrong Era. Congraulations Lance! Farewell. Goodbye. And Amen. What a ride you have taken us on! Thanks for the memories.


Luke Armstrong (rear right) tries to touch the winner's trophy held by his father Lance. Armstrong's twin daughters Grace (right) and Isabelle look on.

(Info and photos obtained from letour.com, foxsports.com and espn.go.com.)

[Bud]

Thanks for keeping us up to date, Eric! We'll probably never see the likes of a Lance Armstrong again...

You want to go out on a limb and make a prediction for next year?

[Eric in Long Beach]

Thanks for your thanks, Bud. I enjoyed the Tour immensely this year, and I was glad to see that a few people were checking out this thread as it went along.

I can't make a prediction for next year because it is wide, wide open. I don't think it will be Jan Ullrich, Brad McGee, Robbie McEwen, Thor Hushovd or any of the other sprinters. I think the farthest out I'd go is that someone from this year's top 20 (excluding the names I've mentioned) will win it next year.

What do you think?

[steelyourfaith]

Too bad Lance missed the <a href=http://www.tourdetoona.com/> Tour de Toona</a> last week.

[Eric in Long Beach]

Gee, I can't imagine why, especially since the GC winner's prize was a whopping $4,000.00.

[steelyourfaith]

Way back then $4000 was actually a chunk of change (pre-inflation).

[mapache61]

[mapache61]

Lewis Black on Lance Armstrong:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-o ... animal-sex

"Why aren't all of us doping?!"
Great!
Go straight to hell, Lance.
Us Californians who enjoy a cigarette or cigar will not forget your hypocritical Prop 29 campaign, LIAR, LOSER.

[Coda]

Sad about the doping and sad about the denials and sad about a myth built on a lie.

[mapache61]

Yes. Lance is a sad creep. He is the Barry Bonds (Bud's hero) of bicycling. Never tested positive and maintains his innocence. Ha! We're not fools, Lance.

I don't care that Lance was doping, not one bit. But then Lance goes on this California anti-tobacco crusade, spending an untold fortune pushing Prop 29, acting all righteous, trying to jack cigarette taxes on poor folk, and telling filthy smokers like myself "it's for your own good"? You know what, King Lance? I have no doubt you're right. In the meantime, go jab a steroid needle in your butt, and as I said before, go straight to hell.

[mapache61]

Burn, Lance, burn!
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow ... 1380.story