Tour de France 2005

[Eric in Long Beach]

I looooove the Tour de France!!! I get all geeked up for this race. I set up my stationary bike in front of the TV during the live broadcasts to ride with the boys across the beautiful French countryside. Rémi knows my cycling fantasy, but as each year goes by, it becomes more and more unlikely.

Anyway, I hope you will read and enjoy my posts on this great event!

[Eric in Long Beach]

If you believed that the American influence on the Tour de France is going to wane because of the retirement of one particular rider at the end of this year’s race, think again. The young time trial protégé Dave Zabriskie has landed on Planet Tour in spectacular fashion. He won the stage, relegating six-time champion Lance Armstrong by two seconds, and has earned his CSC team its first yellow jersey.



Zabriskie had to be quick to beat a determined Armstrong on the flat, straight course to the island of Noirmoutier. That’s exactly what he was.

The 26-year-old was so fast in fact that he stole the record speed for a time trial in the Tour de France from another celebrated American.

Zabriskie burst out of the start house, slipped into his aero tuck and covered the 19km stage at an average of 54.676km/h – it was fast enough to eclipse the efforts of Greg Lemond’s famous victory on the Champs Elysees at the end of the 1989 Tour.

It was a long wait before the rider from Salt Lake City realized that his effort would relegate Armstrong. Zabriskie was the 19th rider to begin the stage. In less than 22 minutes his job was done but he had to wait over three hours to see if he’d done enough.

“It was stressful to watch on TV,” said the softly spoken Zabriskie after the stage. “I’m glad it worked out in my favor.”

Although he’s said to be quite a comedian in a relaxed environment, there wasn’t a great deal of humor in the post-stage press conference. Perhaps the surprise of beating Armstrong hindered his natural ways. “I never thought this would happen. Never ever.

“I’ve had some bad luck in the past. I got hit by a car in 2003… perhaps that’s why a lot of you haven’t seen many results from me in the past.”

It’s obvious that a lot more results will come in the future but Zabriskie doesn’t believe there is any expectation on him. Even though his arrival as a star of the Tour comes at the end of the Armstrong Era, he insists that nothing will change. "I’m just Dave Zabriskie. I’m happy with that." And why not?

Zabriskie is now a part of Tour history and although he is coy about how he’ll cope defending his two second advantage over Armstrong, there’s no doubt we’ll see more of him in the future.

In the past 10 months he’s won a stage of the Vuelta A Espana while part of the US Postal team, then a time trial at the Giro d’Italia with CSC. Now he’s in charge at the Tour de France.

The time trial is what Zabriskie excels in. This is also the discipline in which Jan Ullrich has extracted time from Armstrong during the tight competition in 2003, but the German failed today. After just 19km, he is over a minute behind his main rival.

It’s possible for weakness to be hidden in a short prologue but Armstrong gained a major psychological advantage on Ullrich today by catching him with just under four kilometers to race. The German has the excuse of an accident on the eve of the opening round of the 2005 Tour. He crashed through the rear window of his team’s car while doing a reconnaissance ride of the course in the Vendee. But he insisted that his injuries were minimal. If that’s the case, then it’s now clear that he needs to find some form in the coming week if he’s to challenge Armstrong for the title – 12th place isn’t exactly what was expected from Ullrich.

The more likely scenario for the latter stages is that the main challenge will come from Armstrong’s compatriots. The time trial was a good gauge of form. No one could afford to hide their strength, but some big pre-race favorites simply didn’t have any answer to the speed of Zabriskie and Lance.

Alexandre Vinokourov was third at 53 seconds, George Hincapie fourth, Laszlo Bodrogi fifth and Floyd Landis sixth. Dave concedes that he doesn’t expect to hold onto the yellow jersey for long. Lance has every intention of wearing it again. ‘Vino’ never ceases to surprise and he must be eyeing the prize. George is faithful to his captain. Laszlo is a ‘chrono man’ who won’t get over the mountains. And Floyd is determined to prove that there’s even more depth in American cycling.

There’s a lot more yet to come but we’ve now got a taste of who the heroes will be this July. And it looks like there’s going to be a strong American flavor in the 2005 Tour.

letour .com

[Eric in Long Beach]

The flat profile and the presence of Tom Boonen in the peloton helped make it easy to predict the outcome of the first road stage of the 92nd Tour de France. The 24-year-old Belgian timed his sprint to perfection and claimed the victory ahead of Thor Hushovd and Robbie McEwen.

Less than 48 hours earlier Boonen was on the verge of forfeiting his place in the race because of a tooth infection. “I thought I was going to die I was in such pain,” explained the rider who has won more often than he’s lost in 2005. After some dental treatment before the first stage, he was back on the bike and ready to continue his winning ways.

Boonen can win sprints or epic contests where only the strong survive. He won in January in Qatar; was second in the Belgian season-opener Het Volk; maintained his form and picked up two stages in Paris-Nice in March… and then controlled the major cobbled Classics in April. On successive weekends he put his name on the honor roll of the Monuments of Spring, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Today Boonen claimed his 11th victory of the year and it never looked in doubt. Other sprinters had ambitions. Baden Cooke had his squad on the front of the bunch for in the hope of a repeat of his victory in Sedan two years ago but the crash of a team-mate in the final kilometer hindered his chances.

It also split the field in two but the main hopes for the stage win were up front. Coming out of the final turn, Robbie McEwen opened the throttle. It was a finish which suits his style; slightly technical with a bend just 300m from the line. From a good position he appeared in control but he had no answer to Boonen’s powerful acceleration.

“McEwen took off and I dropped it down two gears and I managed to get past him when it matters most,” said Boonen. “The first goal was to win a stage; that’s been done so now I want the green jersey.”

It was a contrast to the early stages of last year when Boonen suffered mechanical problems early. His powerful legs forced his chain to skip gears at crucial moments during the opening days in 2004. A solution was found and he promptly won his first Tour stage. He made it over the mountains and was strong enough to win the final stage last year.

Victory in the points classification is now a realistic option. He knows he can reach the finish and he demonstrated that he has the speed to pass the two riders who topped the race for the green jersey last year.

McEwen lamented about his missed opportunity – “I just got the timing wrong” – and although Hushovd followed Boonen to the line, he didn’t have the kick required to pass him.

Today’s stage was the first bunch sprint in the Tour that the six-time green jersey winner Erik Zabel didn’t have an opportunity to contest since 1995. The German wasn’t selected for the T-Mobile line-up even though he was third in the points classification last year. Zabel didn’t win a stage since 2002 but he was a consistent performer every time he lined up. The rejection of his squad has prompted him to mention retirement as an option after 13 years as a professional.

Although Boonen will spend his first day in the green jersey tomorrow, only a cynic would suggest that he’s not capable of holding on to it through to Paris. There’s a long way to go and the other main candidates for the sprinter’s prize will come out fighting in the stage to Tours but it’s fair to say that Boonen’s blitz is likely to continue for another day… if not long enough to eclipse Zabel’s record. It’s a bold call, but Boonen is a bold man with a lot of ambition – and the ability to back it up.

letour.com

[Eric in Long Beach]

Sprinting is a technical art and the master of the moment is Tom Boonen. The 24-year-old Quickstep rider appears to be in a league of his own in 2005. When the peloton arrived on the famous Avenue de Grammont in Tours every sprinter was in prime position to claim victory. But Boonen demoralized them all in the dying meters of the 212.5km third stage from La Chataigneraie.



While other riders frantically tried to get to the front of the rapid peloton in the final 500m, Tom remained patient. When he decided it was time to accelerate he blasted into the lead and reached the line with enough time to savor the moment with another two-handed salute.



There were signs of panic amidst the other candidates for the win. The most obvious display of desperation came from the defending champion of the Tour de France’s points classification Robbie McEwen from the Davitamon-Lotto team. Just as happened at the end of stage two, the Australian was well positioned to challenge for the win but as Boonen bolted into the lead he found himself boxed in. On McEwen’s right was his compatriot Stuart O’Grady. “I was in the best possible position for the sprint,” said the Cofidis rider. “But Robbie realized he was racing for second place.”

The action McEwen took wasn’t pretty. The Australian champion used his head to try and direct O’Grady off his line and open a space for him to move but it was too late. Stuart had to stop his effort in favor of ensuring he stayed upright while Robbie continued to lean to his right. Lesser bike riders would have come tumbling down because of this high-speed battle. “All I could concentrate on was making sure I stayed on my bike,” said O’Grady moments after the race jury relegated McEwen to 186th place, last in the main group. “I need a beer to calm my nerves. That’s not how I saw today concluding… although I must admit that I’m not surprised by Boonen. He’s pure class. As for Robbie, I can understand that he was desperate but he shouldn’t make it dangerous.”


McEwen (in the yellow "Lotto" jersey) momentarily loses his mind.

There’s obvious admiration for the rider who wore the green jersey for the first time in the Tour de France today. Even Boonen’s rivals recognize his talents. He’s already accomplished the same as he did in his debut last year and he wants more. “I’ve got two sprint wins already,” said Boonen. “It’s equal with last year and there is still plenty of time for more.

“Now I really want to focus on the green jersey and on earning points. The best way to earn points is at the finish line not at the intermediate sprints.” In two days the Belgian has a tally of 70 points, 20 more than the current runner-up, O’Grady.

We’ve seen riders dominate the first week of the Tour de France before. Mario Cipollini and Alessandro Petacchi are two who have won four stages before the first mountain range. But they’ve never made it to Paris. Boonen seems to have the sort of condition which will allow him to continue winning after tomorrow’s team time trial. We know he can not only survive the mountains and make it to Paris and he can also win. He appears to be the rightful heir to the Sprint King crown. Robbie’s relegation today has certainly helped Tom’s cause.

The focus of the past two days has been on stage wins, but tomorrow the race for the yellow jersey resume. Dave Zabriskie has handled his time in the lead of the Tour with plenty of panache but he admits he hasn’t really been tested since winning the first stage. “Today was just another day in a bike race,” said the American CSC rider. “So far it hasn’t been too difficult. The final kilometers are dangerous but there’s no need for me to stress about what happens in the sprints.

“I can’t forecast what will happen tomorrow but I know we’ll be doing what we can to hold onto the lead.”

The latest maestro of the time trial awaits tomorrow’s challenge, but today we can appreciate the continued progression of the master of the sprint, Mr Tom Boonen.

letour.com

[Eric in Long Beach]

“The TTT is so hard at the end. Everybody is on the limit,” said Lance Armstrong minutes after claiming the overall lead in the Tour de France again. “Everybody is a little bit cross-eyed and you come into the city and there are a lot of turns and there’s a whipping wind… if he’s going to make a mistake like that, I can certainly [understand] how it happened. But clearly it’s bad luck for him.”



The defending champion, stage winner and Tour leader was talking about the unfortunate end to Dave Zabriskie’s tenure in the yellow jersey. The CSC rider crashed heavily in the final two kilometers of the 67.5km team time trial. He lost a lot of skin as he slid along the bitumen in Blois and his team-mates knew they could not afford to wait for him. Zabriskie’s colleagues were in a winning position; they controlled the stage, leading at every time check, but lost the momentum at the crucial moment to allow Armstrong’s Discovery Channel squad to claim line honors.



“They were flying,” said Armstrong of the rival team. CSC led Discovery by 15 seconds at 25km, six second at 45km and just two seconds at 61km. They appeared to be in control. But then Zabriskie’s front wheel washed out from under him with one more turn to go in the stage. At the finish the Danish squad was just two seconds behind the American formation which has now won the past three team time trials at the Tour de France. “They were strong,” continued Armstrong with his appraisal of CSC and Zabriskie in particular.

“It took everything we had to catch up to them.

“He’s a great young rider and I expect he will be in yellow again in the future.”

For now, however, The Boss is back in control of the Tour de France. And the American influence at the French race is obvious. There are four riders from the United States in the top 10 of the general classification; two each from Discovery and CSC. These two teams dominate the top order with T-Mobile’s Alexandre Vinokourov the only ‘imposter’ in the top 10.

Not only did Discovery win the stage, they finished with all nine riders. CSC lost Giovanni Lombardi with 10km to go and Zabriskie in the final two kilometers to claim second place with seven riders. (Had the yellow jersey crashed in the final kilometer, however, he would have been awarded the same time as his team-mates and only a fraction of a second would have determined the race leader.)

T-Mobile came to the Tour touted as the most formidable opponent to Armstrong and his Discovery crew. But they finished with just six riders 30 seconds behind Armstrong et al. It’s further evidence that a seventh successive title is a realistic goal for the Texan.

Although there’s a lot of racing to go and the Discovery Channel team’s manager, Johan Bruyneel, is uncertain if he wants to defend the yellow jersey in the coming days, there’s no sign of any other rider challenging the defending champion for the title. His squad have established another benchmark: a new record average speed for a team time trial in the Tour – 57.324km/h! (The previous best effort was by Gewiss-Ballan 10 years ago.)

What happens during the rest of the first week is unlikely to alter the top of the general classification quite like today’s stage did. There are flat stages which are suited to the sprinters through to the second weekend and Bruyneel admits that his team needs to consider its options. “We have the yellow jersey and we’re going to think about (whether or not we defend it) tonight,” he said before Lance interjected at the post-stage press conference.

“I’m going to put a little pressure on him,” said the rider who clearly wants to stamp his authority on the final race of his career.

Bruyneel didn’t flinch and continued with his commentary. “We are here to try and win the Tour de France and we’re going to try and find the best strategy.

“I think the advantage of winning the team time trial is that we have a lot of guys in a good position so we can play a little bit with that. Maybe the team could keep the yellow jersey but it may be that it’s not Lance. It depends on the next few days, but I repeat our goal is to win in Paris. If that means that, in a certain situation, another guy takes the jersey then that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Between here and the climbs of the Alps, Armstrong believes he knows who will dominate the headlines. “Sometimes there is someone in the race who is clearly the fastest,” he said. “We’ve seen that in the last two days with Tom Boonen… and the thing about Tom is that he’s the most ambitious. I can see him lying in bed at night thinking, ‘I want to win six or seven stages of the Tour de France.’ And I think he could do that.”

Tomorrow we’ll find out if Armstrong’s forecast for the stage win is right. For the moment, however, it’s pretty clear that six victories haven’t dulled Lance’s ambitions.

He’s happy in yellow and it’s where he’s likely to end this race. His rivals either crash or crumble under the pressure and while Armstrong again admitted that he’s insecure, his grip on the jersey appears to be a solid one. So how does it feel to be back in charge? “It feels very good actually. It’s always nice to win this event and show that the team is strong.” So strong in fact that they can toy with who the leader might be.

letour.com

[Eric in Long Beach]

The non-time trial stages of the 2005 Tour de France have run to a similar formula: a group of escapees gets clear early, around the mid-way mark the Davitamon-Lotto and Quickstep-Innergetic teams come to the head of the peloton and begin the pursuit of the fugitives and set up a bunch finish. Tom Boonen then blasts into the lead. There was, however, a variation to the theme today. Robbie McEwen maintained his composure and followed the green-clad Belgian up the finishing straight. In the last 25 meters the Australian champion moved left, pounded down on his pedals and pushed himself ahead at the crucial moment.


From left, Tom Boonen of Belgium, Robbie McEwen of Australia, and Thor Hushovd of Norway battle in the final sprint of the fifth stage.

The man who won the first two road stages of the 92nd Tour was in the prime position in the dying moments of the stage. Boonen received the perfect lead-out from Stefano Zanini and Guido Trenti in the finishing straight. He was the first of the sprinters to hit out on the slightly uphill finale. It took no time at all for Boonen to get into the lead but today he had a fast-moving shadow.

Fuelled by the frustration of being relegated from third to 186th place in stage three, McEwen refused to concede defeat to the leader of the points classification. As the line loomed Tom ran out of gas and Robbie swooped.



The Davitamon-Lotto team sprinter admits that defending the green jersey which he won in 2002 and again last year, is a big ask because of the race jury’s decision two days ago. Although he won the stage, he is still well behind in the points tally because of Boonen’s consistency. “The best I can hope for now is stage wins,” said McEwen. “Today I proved that I’m the fastest rider in the peloton but the win is bittersweet.

“I should have had third-place points from the sprint in Tours but the ‘commissaires’ didn’t agree.”

It’s hard to win the green jersey in the Tour de France. And it’s even more difficult against a formidable opponent like Boonen. As we saw today, however, McEwen doesn’t give in easily. Although he claims that the points classification is out of reach, he’s destined to make another challenge in the stage to Nancy tomorrow. Before that happens, however, we can expect to see another group of opportunists scamper ahead to absorb the intermediate sprint points. This is the scenario of stages two, three and five.

The rouleurs today were Juan Antonio Flecha (FAS), Salvatore Commesso (LAM), Laszlo Bodrogi (C.A) and Kjell Carlstrom (LIQ). They fought hard to stay ahead but the sprinters’ teams simply toyed with the escapees; allowing them to linger ahead until the final 10km. This is when the traditional jostling for position began and, once again, the Quickstep and Davitamon teams proved their ability to find the front at exactly the right time.

Expect a similar scene in stage six. Egos are on the line. Can Robbie match Tom’s tally of stages this year? He’ll certainly try.

This is the Tour de France and anything can happen. One thing is almost certain in July; Lance Armstrong will wear the yellow jersey. But this was something that almost didn’t happen today. In a sympathetic gesture for Dave Zabriskie, the rider who lost the overall lead because of a crash at the end of the team time trial, Armstrong refused to don the coveted jersey at the start of the stage.

He didn’t believe he’d earned the right to wear yellow because of the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his inheritance. In the neutral zone, Lance wore his Discovery Channel jersey but the race organizers insisted that the peloton stop at the site of the official start. They had to coax Armstrong into yellow. He eventually succumbed to their wishes and racing got underway, albeit five minutes after the expected departure time.



Once the action got underway, the riders quickly set about making up for lost time. Flecha covered no less than 52km in the first hour. And by the finish, McEwen’s average speed was an impressive 48.584km/h making today the seventh fastest stage in the history of the Tour.

The conditions have obviously been favorable for the average speed after 663.5km is 48.242km/h! This is bound to drop once the race reaches the mountains. But until then, expect to see the two main sprinters plying their trade at the front of the peloton. Tom versus Robbie – it’s already a familiar theme and it’s one that’s likely to continue through to Paris.

letour.com

[Rémi]

I have been so busy these last few days at work that I haven't been able to watch the Tour de France yet...

Thanks for your reviews Eric.

[Eric in Long Beach]

You are welcome, my friend.



Forget about their being a predictable formula for the flat stages of the Tour de France. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much work opportunists or the teams of the sprint specialists do, because chaos can ensue.

Today Lorenzo Bernucci was in the right place at the right time and his achieved the biggest win of his four year career. He may not have been the strongest rider but he was certainly the luckiest.



The 25-year-old Fassa Bortolo rider burst out of the peloton in the final three kilometers in pursuit of Alexandre Vinokourov. The champion of Kazakhstan had jumped ahead only moments earlier with the knowledge that the final kilometers of stage six were going to be treacherous. A tight right hand turn in the final 1,000m was illustrated in the race manual. Even on dry roads it had the potential to cause problems. But in the wet it proved to be chaotic.



While Bernucci raced ahead to claim a surprise victory, the hero of the day Christophe Mengin lay in the gutter bleeding from a wound sustained in a crash 900m from the finish.



His Francaise des Jeux team director Marc Madiot was in tears at the finish. “It’s a sad end,” he murmured. “To see the effort of Christophe come to an end in such unfortunate circumstances is awful. He demonstrated his courage all day but it ended in the worst possible way.”

Only a matter of seconds after Mengin lost control and slammed into the crowd control barricades, the peloton arrived at the same turn. Hordes of bunch sprint contenders ended their bid for honors in the same way as the main protagonist of the stage from Troyes to Nancy. As the stage leader and local star lay motionless after his crash, many other riders lost control at exactly the same place.

Look at the footage in slow motion and you see the story of the day. Bernucci had bolted and was on his way to victory but behind him Jaan Kirsipuu, Allan Davis, Stuart O’Grady, Baden Cooke, Robbie McEwen, Tom Boonen all came crashing down. Many also ended up on the ground. Those who didn’t were either held up or so relieved to still be upright that they didn’t have the energy to contest the sprint for minor places.

Amidst the carnage was Bernucci’s team-mate Fabian Cancellara. He quickly illustrated that he had escaped the smash unscathed by promptly standing, reaching for his radio microphone and screaming encouragement to his colleague.

“Vai! Vai! Vai!” You could see the words come from Cancellara’s mouth. Bernucci went. Lorenzo rode away from Vinokourov and the rest of the peloton which could do nothing but limp to the finish line.

Madiot let his emotions show because he’d planned the stage to perfection. Mengin was nominated early as the man who would animate the day. He did everything right. From his initial surge at the 23km mark, to the long cooperative effort with four escape companions, to his solo burst over the final climb which went right past his house in Villey-le-Sec only 25km before the end of the stage… it was an inspired effort.

“On est maudits!” Madiot declared. “He is cursed!” It ended a chorus of encouragement from the director. He could see the win in his mind’s eye and he called out to Mengin over the last 10km. The initial quest was a difficult one. Stay ahead of the peloton that’s being driven by the teams of Boonen and McEwen. But Mengin needed to do more than just ride fast. He had to be careful at the conclusion but he couldn’t take that chance. If he was to win the stage, he had to take risks. With one turn to go, it was over.

It’s better to try and fail than not bother at all. That’s something Bernucci now knows. We may not have seen much of him in the past but he is part of the Tour’s history after today. He’s no winner by default, but even Lorenzo knows that he was presented with a special opportunity. He grinned like a Cheshire Cat as he rolled across the line with nothing but carnage behind.

On an ordinary day - one without the events that transpired in London this morning - Mengin’s crash could have been seen as a curse, but hindsight and video footage will remind us that such an accident can almost be amusing so long as no serious injuries are sustained. It’s another thing which makes the Tour such a hypnotic and entertaining event. Winners can emerge from no where. Heroes can crash. Formidable stars can be taken out of the equation. And the racing will continue. Thank goodness that there’s a glimmer of good on an otherwise somber day. Vai Lorenzo, vai. Go hard and go strong and remind us that there’s hope for the future and trivial things to help us smile.

Lance Armstrong remains in yellow, as there were no changes at the top of the general classification.



letour.com

[Eric in Long Beach]

“Sometimes sprinting is a question of luck,” said Robbie McEwen moments after claiming his second stage win of the 2005 Tour de France. Of course a bit of planning combined with a strong team and a rapid finishing burst also comes in handy for riders seeking success.



The Australian champion had all bases covered in the German city of Karlsruhe. The reward is his seventh stage victory in the Tour and the satisfaction of knowing that he still has the speed to beat his young rivals.

“I went for a gamble today,” explained the 33-year-old from the Davitamon-Lotto team. “I knew that if I was to sprint in the middle of the bunch, I wouldn’t win.” He tried that tactic in stages two and three but lost out to Tom Boonen. Today he opted to race down the right side of the road once all the lead-out men had peeled off and the rush to the line really began.

McEwen was tucked in tightly against the barriers when his compatriot Baden Cooke put his legs into overdrive and led an elite field of sprinters to the finish. McEwen rode his own race and in the end it was Magnus Backstedt who proved to be the most serious challenger. The big Swedish rider followed Robbie into the final kilometer and although he unleashed a powerful series of pedal strokes in the closing meters, he was unable to get into the lead.



There was another crash at the end of a long stage but the two riders involved today quickly bounced back up and stood at the 200m to go mark to watch the sprint unfold ahead of them. Isaac Galvez had reason to feel robbed. He was in a good position for the sprint but he never had the pace to match McEwen. The Illes Balears team’s sprinter has won a few races this season. He’s quick but not on the same level as the winner.





There are only two riders in the peloton who are nearly as consistent as McEwen. Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd lead the race for the green jersey. This is a prize that has motivated McEwen in the past but after his relegation in stage three he insists that it’s no longer on his list of priorities.

“I very much doubt that I can still win it,” said McEwen about the points classification. “I don’t need the green jersey to know that I’m the best sprinter. I’m not going to concentrate on it anymore; I’m just going to go for stage wins.”

This was obvious today. When the intermediate sprints loomed, McEwen was nowhere to be seen. Instead Tom and Thor went head to head in the quest for bonus points. The other rider who has won two stages this year is in charge of the green jersey. Boonen leads Hushovd 133 points to 122. Had Robbie not been relegated for irregular riding four days ago he would have had 126 points.

Anger is a motivating factor for the Australian. He was upset when a bedding company that sponsors Boonen’s team placed an advertisement in L’Equipe with a caption suggesting McEwen was tired. He promptly won the next sprint stage and told the assembled media that he should never be written off. “I’m the fastest here,” Robbie said after his first stage win this year. Perhaps he’s right after all but he won’t get the chance to highlight that claim again tomorrow.

The route of the Tour is aiming in a southerly direction, through the Black Forest tomorrow and into the Vosges region the next day.

The sprint week is effectively over. Tom and Robbie have two stages each and Thor is looking ominous. But before we see another thunderous bunch finish, the climbers will get a chance to ply their trade.

Fabian Wegmann ensured that there was some reason for local celebration on the day the Tour came to Germany. He was the star of today’s stage thanks to a 140km solo escape which was reeled in with 23km to go. His move began on the first climb and on the descent he had just one companion, McEwen. The Australian appeared willing to prove his diversity and go on the attack early. He soon retreated and Wegmann had no option but to plough on alone. He soaked up more climbing points at the 75km mark and ensured he led the Tour into Germany. The Gerolsteiner rider’s consolation prize is the polka-dot jersey.



Wegmann may not be a pure climber but he’s won the Giro d’Italia’s mountain classification before by being vigilant and consistent. Perhaps he can apply the same method in France and, with a little bit of luck, he may be able hold onto his prize longer than the night he spends in his motherland.

Lance Armstrong remains at the top of the general classification.




letour.com

[Eric in Long Beach]

The race for overall honours in the 92nd Tour de France really began today. Although the time trials of stage one and four gave us a hint of who the champion may be, the first day in the mountains offered a preview of what is yet to come. And the T-Mobile team immediately delivered on their promise of taking the race to the main favourite for the title, Lance Armstrong.

Amidst the bout of action from the predictable protagonists on the final climb, however, there was one surprise name.


Pieter Weening of the Netherlands and team Rabobank celebrates after winning Stage 8.

Pieter Weening robbed Andreas Kloden of the stage victory with a late surge. Only 0.0002 of a second separated first from second place – a margin to small that it was not visible to the naked eye, not even with the benefit of the photo finish equipment.


Weening (top) edges Kloden (bottom) by 0.0002 seconds to win Stage 8.

The 24-year-old Rabobank rider spent some energy by putting himself in an escape group of seven riders on the approach to the Col de la Schlucht, the first category-two mountain of this year’s race. As the gradient increased he wasted immediately attacked his companions. At the base of the ascent in the Vosges region his advantage over an elite field of climbing specialists was 2’45”.

Weening isn’t a name many of us are familiar with but his fighting spirit was put on display in a fine way today. Behind him riders like Alexandre Vinokourov, Alejandro Valverde and Brad McGee were driving the pace of the chase. What Weening had to do was maintain his focus and arrive at the summit ahead of his rivals. He just missed out on first-place points when Andreas Kloden swooped past him in final meters but he got his revenge 15.5km later when he passed the German right on the finish line.


Weening (left) after beating Kloden (right) at the finish line.

At the top of the 1,139 Schlucht climb Kloden and Weening had a lead of just 17 seconds.

"When I heard what our margin at the top was I was sure we’d be caught," said the Dutchman. But together with a committed Kloden, the pair increased the advantage.

Mickael Rasmussen claimed third on the Col de la Schlucht leading Santiago Botero, Jan Ullrich, Bobby Julich and Cadel Evans over the top. Armstrong was also present but in an atypical situation. He had no team-mates with him.

“We will have to analyse things tonight,” said Armstrong after an hour to reflect on his 20th place in the stage. “I don’t understand what happened today. There were 35 riders in my group and I was the only one from my team.


Armstrong fights it out on his own.

“It was a peculiar climb. It wasn’t particularly steep and the speed was up around 40km/h all the way up. It wasn’t exactly something that we’re used to… I had to concentrate on who was attacking and make sure I picked the right wheels to follow.”

Armstrong maintained his lead in the general classification but the top order was shuffled significantly because of the final climb. When asked to summarise his thoughts on the stage, Armstrong laughed and stated: “Un jour de merde.” He still has his humour but he must be anxious about the days which lay ahead.



“We’ve had one the fastest weeks of racing in the history of the Tour and I think everyone’s really tired,” said Armstrong.

Could it be that the T-Mobile boys are just warming up? Instead of having to set things up for the sprint stages as they’ve done for Erik Zabel since 1995 Ullrich, Kloden, ‘Vino’ and the other magenta-clad crew have been relatively subdued until today.


The T-mobile team lead the peloton through Germany.

And when the opportunity to attack the yellow jersey came, they had plenty of firepower. The first surge came from Vinokourov. Armstrong responded without hesitation. Then came a series of sorties; first Christophe Moreau, then Alejandro Valverde who was nursed to the base of the climb by his committed Illes Balears colleagues. The yellow jersey ignored these moves. And when Kloden’s turn came, Armstrong was focused on Ullrich’s wheel.

“You can only chase so many attacks,” concluded Armstrong. “You’ve got to make sure you follow the important ones.”

Neither Weening nor Kloden are in the top 10 overall after eight stages. Clearly Lance marked only the men he fears most. Vinokourov and Ullrich must be at the top of his list for he twitched each time they moved. He can be grateful that Ivan Basso and his CSC pals didn’t launch any bold attacks for the team was well represented. Jens Voigt is now second overall, Julich fourth and Basso fifth.

We saw today that Armstrong has the legs but not the team support of recent years. We also witnessed the willingness of T-Mobile’s heroes to cooperate with a common goal. What we’re yet to experience, however, is CSC’s collective lashing out on the climbs. While stage eight concluded with Weening the surprise winner, the biggest shock of the day was the collapse of Armstrong’s normally-reliable colleagues. Much bigger mountains await the Tour’s arrival in the coming fortnight and the race is far from over.

letour.com

[Eric in Long Beach]

Why did the chicken go up the road? Because there were plenty of points for the polka-dot jersey on offer. Mickael Rasmussen has a special talent. At 60kg his body is ideally suited to climbing. He proved that on the first real day in the mountains of the 2005 Tour when he inherited the polka-dot jersey on the day his Rabobank team-mate Pieter Weening won the stage.


Lance Armstrong (right) talks with best climber Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark as the pack takes the start of the 9th stage.

The rider they call ‘Chicken’ has a power-to-weight ratio that allows him to scale high ‘cols’ with apparent ease.

Before Rasmussen lined up for his second attempt at the Tour de France he announced that his ambition was to fight for the win in the mountains classification. The battle began en-route to Gerardmer yesterday. A day later he is in complete control. His rivals must now reconsider their options.

In the 171 kilometers between Gerardmer and Mulhouse there were six categorized mountains. The 31-year-old ‘Chicken’ was first over each summit. His objective for the stage had been achieved with 50km still to race. But Rasmussen wanted more. Instead of sitting up and resting his legs before the Tour’s rendezvous with the Alps, he maintained his effort.

Although he attacked early in the stage and conquered the climbs – including the celebrated summit of Le Ballon d’Alsace, the mountain pass which made its Tour debut 100 years ago – he realized that he had enough of an advantage to consider the stage win.


Spectators urge Rasmussen, foreground, followed by Dario Cioni of Italy, as they ride up the Grand Ballon pass during their two-man breakaway.

Rasmussen led Christophe Moreau and Jens Voigt by 4’20” over the first category-one ascent of the 2005 Tour which was also the final challenge of the day. The yellow jersey’s peloton was over five minutes further back.


Jens Voigt of Germany (right) and fellow breakaway rider Christophe Moreau of France during the ninth stage Sunday.

Why would you not go up the road? A strong headwind for the final 50km is a good reason but Rasmussen didn’t chicken out. He put his head down and refused to look behind. A moment of hesitation and he would have been swallowed up by Voigt and Moreau.

The Dane delivered Rabobank its second stage win in as many days, finishing over three minutes ahead of the French and German duo who also escaped the peloton early in the stage.


Rasmussen celebrates at the finish line for Stage 9.

Moreau insists that the polka-dot jersey is still a realistic objective but after today’s display by Rasmussen he must be ready to concede defeat. Voigt, on the other hand, earned a great reward for his toil today. He began the day second overall and by finishing third in the stage, three minutes ahead of the peloton, he has taken the yellow jersey off Lance Armstrong on the eve of the first rest day.

“I should be ready to defend the jersey tomorrow,” said ‘Jensie’ after the stage with wide smile. “I’ve got a strong team around me and maybe even Bjarne (Riis) will come on the bike to help.”


New overall leader Voigt puts on the yellow jersey.

He’s had a taste of wearing the yellow jersey before. Back in 2001 he wore it for just one day before his team-mate at the time, Stuart O’Grady, took it from him after being involved in The Great Escape to Pontarlier. It was a bittersweet day for the rider from Berlin. He missed out on a chance to defend his lead because a friend and colleague was in a position to take it from him. When asked if he expected the same to happen when the Tour resumes on Tuesday he never hesitated. “It would be really perfect if that happens again.

“I wouldn’t be angry at all. I have the yellow jersey and I’m a good rider but I’m just not made for the high mountains. You can’t have it all. The stage to Courchevel is in the high Alps and we have plenty of riders to take over and we’re going to be ready there and I’ll be happy to do my job.

“Today was my very last chance to get this jersey and I’m looking forward to one of my team-mates taking the jersey off me.”

Voigt’s CSC squad is in control of the team classification with a lead of 2’35” over Rabobank. There are four CSC riders in the top 10 in the general classification and the designated captain is Ivan Basso. The Italian was third overall last year and after nine stages in 2005 he’s well positioned in seventh place. He is the man Voigt hopes will take control after stage 10.

“The morning we had a meeting in the bus and Bjarne said, ‘Okay, the whole team stays calm around Ivan except Jens, he can go.’ I was really pleased with that decision,” explained Voigt who thrives on the opportunity to attack the peloton. “In the first days I asked (Bjarne), ‘Can I go?’ ‘No.’ The next day, ‘Can I go now?’ ‘No.’ Finally he let me free and I could go out and do what I wanted to do and it worked out perfectly.”

The winning Chicken and the freed opportunist get a chance to rest their legs in Grenoble tomorrow and they’ll need it because Armstrong admits that, although he didn’t ride to defend the lead today, he feels a little hollow without the yellow prize in his possession. “A certain part of me felt a little sad,” said the rider who finished 28th in the stage and now trails Voigt and Moreau in the overall standings. There’s no doubt that the Texan will attempt to reclaim the lead in Courchevel but if Jens has it his way, his jersey will go to a colleague rather than a rival.

From Penthouse to the Outhouse

After reaching the heights of cycling by wearing the yellow jersey in the first stage, CSC rider David Zabriskie of the USA abandoned the race. Although no official statement has been released yet, there can be little doubt that Zabriskie's morale was crushed in Stage 4 during the team time trial when he crashed near the end, but none of his teammates stayed behind to help him, despite their having the extra riders available to do so.


Zabrisikie in happier times, receiving a congratulatory handshake from Armstrong at the beginning of Stage 2.

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

[Eric in Long Beach]

There was a lot of anticipation surrounding Alejandro Valverde’s debut in the Tour de France. On the day that the race arrived in the high mountains of the French Alps he proved he was worthy of the hype. Only a rare breed can beat Lance Armstrong on the crucial days but that’s just what the young Spaniard did at Courchevel. The 25-year-old was one of three riders capable of matching the surges of the Texan who is back in the yellow jersey after a dramatic day that saw the collapse of many pre-race favorites.

Forget about the one-two-three punch that the T-Mobile team insisted would help them win the title of the 92nd edition of the French event. Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloden and Jan Ullrich may have shown what was possible on the final climb of stage eight. But they didn’t win that stage and their taunting only encouraged Armstrong to ensure his Discovery Channel troops were better organized for the first mountain-top finish of this year’s race.

Instead of seeing the German team’s trio of champions attack the six-time Tour winner on the category-one climb to the ski station in the Savoie we saw the Discovery crew eliminate ‘Vino’, ‘Klodi’ and ‘Ulle’ with 10km to go. The scene was reminiscent of what has happened on the major mountains since the beginning of the Armstrong Era. It’s a formula which requires phenomenal legs and perfect timing.

The policy is simple: ignore the early escapes, don’t panic on the first mountain, get to the final challenge with a complete team setting a pace that’s high enough to ward off any dangerous attacks, let the ‘domestique’s go into overdrive to sort the pretenders from the contenders, and then give Lance the chance to dance.

That’s what happened again today but Armstrong didn’t have it all his way. His team had already destroyed the T-Mobile trio before the business end of the stage. And okay, Lance did drop his main rival from the mountains of last year, Ivan Basso with eight kilometers of climbing still ahead. But he tried everything to take the King of the Mountains Mickael Rasmussen and a strong Illes Balears duo out of the equation, but they matched him all the way to the summit.

Jens Voigt knew that his time in yellow was going to end but he expected Basso, Bobby Julich or Carlos Sastre would be the heirs. Sastre tried an early attack on the final rise but he only inspired Armstrong’s young Ukranian colleague Yaroslav Popovych to prove that he wasn’t injured in a crash on the descent from the Cormet-de-Roseland. The new Discovery Channel recruit was the last man in line before his boss took over. ‘Popo’ put every ounce of energy into his pedal strokes 11km before the summit and then peeled off ready to limp home to 19th place almost four minutes behind Valverde.


Valverde overtakes Armstrong in the last meters to win the 10th stage.

There was one winner today but four champions. Francisco Mancebo has a contorted technique that makes him look like he’s in a world of pain and there’s no doubt he was. The former Best Young Rider in the Tour joined his team-mate Valverde, as well as Armstrong and Rasmussen to create a quality quartet that would finish over a minute ahead of everyone else.

Each of these four took turns to set the pace up the second half of the 22.2km climb to Courchevel. They wanted to put as much time as possible in the casualties from the first half and their cooperation was admirable.

The only thing which prompted attacks in the closing kilometre was the prospect of acquiring double points for the climbing classification and the stage win. The first reason was why Rasmussen surged first but the others chased him down without too much trouble. With 500 meters to go, Armstrong must have remembered his “no gifts” policy from 12 months ago and he raced ahead for the stage win.



Lance expected to throw a victory salute but Valverde had other ideas. “I’m a bit disappointed not to have won because I’ve been looking for a victory since the beginning of the year,” said the rider who now leads Rasmussen by 38 seconds in the general classification.

Valverde is closing in on the yellow jersey. He began the day in 24th place overall and finished it in fifth. It’s a confirmation of Lance’s appraisal of his rivals. "My opponents were slightly different than what we expected," he said after the stage. Indeed they are formidable riders but it is becoming rather obvious that the six-time winner is on course to claim title number seven.

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

[Eric in Long Beach]

Phil Liggett described it best when he said that the carnage was strewn about today's race course. This was a brutal massacre of the field engineered by Armstrong. But both Rasmussen and Valverde showed that they were up to the challenge. Stage 11 has two HC climbs (which are the highest ratings for mountain climbs; Stage 10 had two Category 1 climbs, so Stage 11's climb are tougher), and there is a stage in the Pyrenees that has four or five Cat 1 climbs. Whether Armstrong can do this again seems probable. Whether his challengers can keep up with him like they did today is the big question.

Footnote: Today was the first day I saw the devil on the racecourse. Apparently, he was out there earlier, because I've seen a picture of him when Zabriskie was still in yellow.

[Eric in Long Beach]

A day shy of the second anniversary of his first stage victory in the Tour de France the champion of Kazakhstan Alexandre Vinokourov has won again. Finally the T-Mobile squad has something to celebrate in Le Tour 2005.


Vinokourov celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win Wednesday's 11th stage.

At the beginning of July, the German-registered squad had a combination of stars who were considered the most likely to challenge Lance Armstrong for the yellow jersey. After 10 stages, however, the only real headlines that the pink-clad boys generated have come from crashes, near misses and their failed attempts to get the yellow jersey off the Texan.

Jan Ullrich crashed while training on the time trial course for stage one. Andreas Kloden lost stage nine by just 9.6mm. And Vinokourov dropped from fifth overall to 16th after the stage to Courchevel.

After two stages in the Alps, T-Mobile expected that at least one of these stars would be within striking distances of the race lead. They’re not. Ullrich is ninth and Kloden 10th. But Vino has given his team some hope.



By going on the attack after 28 kilometers of racing in the 173km epic stage that included the Col de la Madeleine, the Col du Telegraphe and the daunting ascent of the Col du Galibier, ‘Vino’ has again offered some redemption for the heavily-funded formation.


Spectators cheer on Vinokourov in his ride up the Galibier pass during the 11th stage.

He did the same thing in 2003 when he won the dramatic stage to Gap on Bastille Day. With his first stage victory he moved from fourth overall to second. Only 21 seconds stood between him and the yellow jersey 24 months ago. It’s not quite the same scenario after the brutal adventure from Courchevel to Briancon, but at least Vinokourov can raise a glass of champagne with his colleagues this evening.


Vinokourov (right) holds off Santiago Botero of Colombia to win Wednesday's 11th stage.

They will toast a number of victories. And all of them have been achieved by the 31-year-old from Petropawlowsk in Kasakhstan. He was the most aggressive rider in the stage; the winner of the ‘Souvenir Henri Desgrange’ – a special ‘prime’ awarded to the rider over the highest summit of the Tour de France – the stage winner and a rider who has put himself back in contention for a top 10 finish.

Despite all this, the mood in the T-Mobile team is still likely to be somber. And the reason? They have no solution to overcome the winning formula applied by Armstrong’s Discovery Channel squad; nor does any other team.

Lance didn’t need to go for the stage win. He’s said that he doesn’t mind if he wins his seventh yellow jersey without claiming a single stage on his own. It’s a contradiction to the “no gifts” policy that he applied at last year’s race. Perhaps he’s a little embarrassed by the fact that the slogan has been emblazoned on Nike t-shirts since he first uttered those two words. Maybe he recognizes that there are riders who deserve the daily credit in a race that he controls for three weeks. Whatever the reason, Armstrong has allowed some riders the opportunity to perform on his stage this year.


Armstrong receives his 73rd yellow jersey.

Mickael Rasmussen remains the nearest rival in the general classification. The King of the Mountains added another 50 points to his tally of climbing points today. He was allowed to establish the biggest lead of any escape in this year’s Tour. That won’t be the case anymore. The Dane is just 38 seconds behind Armstrong.

Alejandro Valverde responded to the last-minute surge by Lance atop the climb to Courchevel in stage 10 and the American followed him over the line to claim the runner-up position for the second time this year. Now that the Spaniard is in fifth place in the general classification, don’t expect to see any gifts given to him in the climbs of the Pyrenees when he’s next expected to excel.

Alexandre Vinokourov is too strong for any rider to ignore but because he was over six minutes behind Armstrong’s leading time, the Kazakh attack was given some freedom. Not much though.

The Discovery Squad let their leader down on the day Kloden almost claimed the win but since Gerardmer Lance’s colleagues have been sublime. The Recovery Mob ruled the peloton today. They sat the front of the peloton and churned out a rapid tempo to eliminate any attacks over the Madeleine, Telegraphe and Galibier climbs. And they still had the energy to try and set up a lead-out train for Armstrong in the race for third place.


Armstrong rides down the Madeleine pass during Wednesday's 11th stage.

Again he was beaten for the time bonus position but he need not worry. He appears to be in complete control even if others are yielding rewards from their attacking tactics.

What remains to be seen, however, is if ’Vino’ will get to drink some ’vin’ again on the Bastille Day stage. Should that happen, then Armstrong may just have to resort to the two-word policy which appears on his sponsor’s t-shirts.

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

[Eric in Long Beach]

Inspiration at the Tour de France comes in many forms. For French riders there’s extra motivation on the 14th of July and for the second successive year a local has won the Bastille Day stage.


Moncoutie drinks during the last kilometers of his one-man breakaway in the 12th stage.

Today the hero was David Moncoutie. The 30-year-old gave the host nation its first victory in the 2005 race. He began his attack at the 70 kilometer mark of the stage from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains, but it was in the final 37 kilometers that his determination was really put on display.


Moncoutie reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the Tour de France's 12th stage on Bastille Day.

Moncoutie was part of a 13-man escape group that surged ahead of the peloton on the first category-two climb on the first truly hot stage this year. But it was on the Col du Corobin that the Cofidis rider shifted into high gear and instigated his superb winning move. Over the penultimate summit Moncoutie was 30 seconds ahead of the other fugitives. The Spanish champion Juan Manuel Garate joined forces with compatriots Angel Vicioso and Jose Luis Arrieta, Italian Franco Pellizotti, Belgian Axel Merckx and two more French hopes, Sandy Casar and Patrice Halgand. This is when their futile pursuit began.

Each seemed capable of claiming the win. None of the escapees were a threat the yellow jersey and the Discovery Channel squad opted to allow the opportunists a chance to battle it out for stage honors. The chase group may have been let off the leash by Lance Armstrong’s crew on the day the squad lost the services of Manuel Beltran (who crashed on the Col Saint-Jean and was one of the four riders to abandon the Tour today), but they could not make a dent on the lead established rapidly by Moncoutie.


Doctors tend to Manuel Beltran of Spain after he fell during the 12th stage of the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong's Discovery teammate later abandoned the race.

Essentially, this was a day with two prizes: the stage win and the green jersey. The leader of the points classification since stage two, Tom Boonen, was forced to forfeit his place in the race. He crashed early yesterday and pushed his body over the Madeleine, Telegraphe and Galibier climbs but the swelling on his knee never subsided. His absence prompted both Thor Hushovd and Stuart O’Grady to chase down the 11 riders who attacked on the Saint-Jean climb.


Tom Boonen of Belgium greets a teammate of his Quick Step team as he leaves the Tour de France cycling race, prior to the start of Stage 12. Lance Armstrong's girlfriend, Sheryl Crow, is the woman in sunglasses behind the photographer.

The Norwegian and Australian were second and third in points classification after 11 days of racing. One of them would wear the green jersey at the end of day 12. But neither would have the legs to follow Moncoutie on the terrain on which he excels so well. Their presence in the lead group did, however, animate the peloton at the half way mark. Four Davitamon-Lotto riders came to the front of the bunch and began to chase the escapists. Their intention was to set up a sprint for last year’s points champion Robbie McEwen. This was not a day for the sprinters. And with Merckx up the road, there was little point in persisting with pursuit.


Thor Hushovd of Norway (right) battles to cross the finish ahead of Cofidis' Stuart O'Grady (left) of Australia during the 12th stage.

Thirty-six years ago, in his debut Tour, Eddy Merckx won the third stage of his career on a day the race followed a similar course as today. Axel looked a likely candidate to repeat his father’s efforts. The man who became a father for the second time only two days before this year’s Tour never gave up hope of winning the stage.

After Moncoutie’s attack Merckx did huge turns of pace at the front of the chase group. Garate, Vicioso, Arrieta, Pellizotti, Casar and Halgand swapped off with the hopes of reeling in Moncoutie, but Axel was even more motivated. In the end the pursuing riders simply didn’t have the power to get close to the stage winner.

The chasers’ deficit to Moncoutie hovered around 30 seconds from the moment the Frenchman bolted ahead. Together the seven should have come closer to the chance of contesting the stage than what they did.

Moncoutie reached the final kilometer with enough of an advantage to savor his second stage victory in the Tour. Last year he won the 11th stage a day after Richard Virenque’s coup on Bastille Day. In 2005, Moncoutie bolstered his reputation in France with an inspired victory on a national holiday, becoming the 15th Frenchman since World War II to win on France's national holiday.


Moncoutie reacts on the podium after winning the 12th Stage.

Virenque was on hand today for the awards ceremony, and assisted in the presentation for the polka dot jersey to Denmark's Mickael Rasmussen.


Former best climber Virenque points to current best climber Rasmussen.

Lance Armstrong remains the overall leader and today received his 74th yellow jersey. But his hope of obtaining an unheard of seventh Tour victory took a major hit in the 12th stage.



The American retained his overall lead on the last of three days in the Alps. The loss of Manuel Beltran, however, could be critical in the upcoming Pyrenees.

Beltran, one of several riders Armstrong relies on to lead him up the Tour's brutal climbs, touched wheels with another racer and crashed on the day's first ascent, hitting his head. He was so dazed he didn't know where he was.

"He was asking, 'Where is the peloton? Where is the peloton?"' said team manager Johan Bruyneel, adding the Spaniard gingerly picked himself up off the sun-baked tarmac.

Beltran, who goes by the nickname "Triki" and has been part of Armstrong's Tour-winning team since 2003, remounted his bike with difficulty and pedaled on for about 6 miles until a race doctor said he should stop, Bruyneel said.

"We could see that he really didn't know where he was. There was no power at all and after a while he didn't even realize that he had crashed," Bruyneel said. "So we forced him to stop."

Beltran, 34, was taken to a hospital where a brain scan found no initial sign of serious injury, although he was being kept overnight for observation.

Not since 2001 has Armstrong finished in Paris without all of his teammates. Beltran's role has been to lead the American on mountain ascents, using his uphill speed to shake off rivals.

His loss "could be very critical with the days that we have coming up," Armstrong said. "Three tough days in the Pyrenees. We don't want to lose any climbers and Triki is one of our pure climbers."

The mountains that separate France and Spain come Saturday after a mostly flat stage Friday from Miramas to Montpellier in southern France.

Armstrong still has several strong climbers among his remaining seven support riders. They include Yaroslav Popovych, who helped Armstrong leave rivals behind with brutal acceleration on the first Alpine stage, and Jose Luis Rubiera, known as "Chechu."

"I feel very confident that with those seven guys we can manage," Armstrong said.

Bruyneel was less emphatic.

"There is no one really who can pick up what he was doing," Bruyneel said. "We need all the guys and everybody knows his role and he and Chechu were working in the early mountains. It's going to be tougher on the team of course, because it's one guy less and his job will have to be shared with a few guys.

"It's tough to lose a rider but the good news is that he doesn't have anything serious and that is the most important," he added.

Armstrong cruised in with his main rivals in a group more than 10 minutes back. Armstrong was 41st.

His lead over second-place Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark stayed at 38 seconds, with French rider Christophe Moreau still third, 2:34 behind the six-time champion.

Italian Ivan Basso remains 2:40 back, fourth overall, with Jan Ullrich of Germany 4:02 behind in ninth.

Moncoutie is way down in the overall standings, so Armstrong did not lay chase when he and a group of other racers far from him time-wise rode off ahead.

French television hailed Moncoutie as a "clean" winner, echoing suspicions that other Tour riders may be doping. The furious racing speeds so far this year and the arrest Wednesday of Italian rider Dario Frigo have renewed such doubts. Frigo's wife was caught with suspected doping products in her car.


Frigo, seen here in the opening ceremony of the 92nd Tour de France. He was arrested Wednesday in Courchevel, after doping products were found in his wife's car at the toll station in Albertville.

Moncoutie said there is no proof of widespread doping but noted that French cyclists - who are mostly way off the pace again this year - are discouraged.

Moncoutie placed sixth at the Dauphine Libere before the Tour. Even with the time made up with his win Thursday, he is 40th overall at the Tour, 32:06 behind Armstrong.

"At the Dauphine Libere, I managed to stay with the best. At the Tour, I no longer can," Moncoutie said. "It is like that every year. I know that the Tour goes faster. That is the way it is. So be it. You draw the conclusions you want."

Cycling's governing body said Thursday that all blood and urine doping tests from the first week of the three-week race were negative. Armstrong has been repeatedly tested.

Customs officers checked at least two vehicles from two separate Tour teams Thursday but found nothing suspicious.

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

[Eric in Long Beach]

Escapes are mandatory in the intermediate stages between the mountain ranges of the Tour de France. Since the beginning of the Armstrong Era, the winners in the days between the Alps and the Pyrenees have been riders that have been involved in an ‘echapee’. That was almost the case again today. But because the battle for the green jersey is on again, thanks to the retirement of the former points classification leader Tom Boonen, the winner was determined in a bunch sprint. Robbie McEwen rewarded his Davitamon-Lotto team-mates by crossing the line first. Before the Australian champion threw his salute, however, there was one big question that needed to be answered: will they or won’t they stay away?

‘They’ were Chris Horner and Sylvain Chavanel. The former was part of a five-man break that escaped the peloton after 17 kilometers of the stage from Miramas to Montpellier, the latter a man riding on the motivation provided by the whiff of a win and the performance of his colleague David Moncoutie on Bastille Day.

Together with the instigator of the today’s long escape Carlos Da Cruz, the Spanish opportunist Juan Antonio Flecha, and two local ‘roulers’ Thomas Voeckler and Ludovic Turpin, the American who rides for Saunier Duval-Prodir worked hard in the obligatory attack.


A man on horseback rides along the pack near Maussane-les-Alpilles during the 13th stage.

After a rapid hour of racing, Horner’s quintet had a lead on the peloton in excess of nine minutes. Normally this would have signaled the theme of what was yet to come. In ordinary circumstances the escapees would have pushed their leading margin even higher and the peloton would have been content to roll into town to contest the sprint for sixth place. Boonen’s absence, however, changed the format of this transitional stage.

Davitamon-Lotto riders came forward after the rapid first hour – in which the leading five covered 51km! – and began their pursuit. Their sprinter, Robbie McEwen, began the hot stage ranked third in the points classification and the flat course was ideally suited for a bunch finish. This is why guys like Wim Vansevenant, Johan van Summeren and Christophe Brandt put the peloton into overdrive en route to Montpellier. Two of these Davitamon-Lotto riders who swapped off at the front of the bunch for hour after hour are ranked last and second-last in the stage, but McEwen insisted on reminding everyone at the finish that his victory was largely thanks to their toil.


McEwen (right) celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of teammate "Fast" Freddy Rodriguez of the U.S. (left) to win the 13th stage.

With the 35 points he collected for the stage win, McEwen is now only 22 points behind Thor Hushovd in the race for the green jersey. Wedged between the Norwegian who leads the points classification and the winner of stages five, seven and 13 is today’s runner-up, Stuart O’Grady.


McEwen reacts on the podium after winning Stage 13.

The green jersey was the catalyst for today’s pursuit. Had the contest not been so close, it’s almost certain that Horner would have become the seventh American to win a stage of the Tour. The 33-year-old has made a late debut at the Tour but he has proven his worth in the first fortnight. He was ninth in the stage to Gerardmer and 10th today. But you cannot read today’s results to get a true impression of what unfolded in the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Nothing can be taken away from McEwen’s victory. He was strong and patient in the sprint to the line. He followed the wheel of his team-mate Fred Rodriguez around the final turn and burst into the lead in the dying meters to claim stage win number three for this year alone. But it was Horner who clung on to 10th place who deserves a special mention today.

Chris had been ahead of the peloton for over 150km. He worked in unison with his four escape companions to try and stay clear of the committed pursuit. When this group was caught by Chavanel 10km from the finish, it seemed only a matter of time until they were swallowed up. But the Frenchman wanted to give Cofidis their second win in as many days. He attacked hard and only Horner could follow.

As the kilometres counted down their advantage over the peloton slowly trickled down: 18 seconds with five kilometres to go; 15 seconds with four kilometres to go; eight seconds at the start of the last kilometre… will they or won’t they stay away? No is the answer.


A cycling fan with the Texas flag attached to his bicycle urges riders near Quissac during the 13th stage.

Rodriguez caught his compatriot and claimed third behind his team-mate but Horner clung on for 10th place. Congratulations Chris! Being beaten by McEwen is something all riders in the pro peloton are growing accustomed to. Not conceding defeat, however, is the hallmark of a true champion.

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong celebrated his 75th day overall in the yellow jersey. If he is leading after Stage 16, when the Tour finishes its stretch through the Pyrenees, he will almost certainly win his seventh consecutive Tour de France.


Armstrong retains his yellow jersey after Stage 13.

Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who won the first Alpine stage and was fifth in the overall standings, dropped out of the Tour de France Friday.


Valverde checks his knee bandage prior to the 13th stage.

The Illes-Balears rider has an inflamed left knee and was struggling to stay with the main pack of riders on stage 13 from Miramas to Montpellier. He abandoned about 50 miles into the 107.8-mile stage, climbing into a team car in tears.


Valverde, sitting inside an Illes Balears team car after pulling out of the race, has his race number removed.

"It's finished. It's the same problem as yesterday, with the pain," team manager Eusebio Unzue said. "We cannot take chances with his future. If Paris was closer, perhaps he would continue, but it is still far away."

The 25-year-old Valverde won the 10th stage to the ski station of Courchevel on Tuesday, just besting Armstrong. His performance then suggested he would be a rival to watch in this, his first time in the Tour. While that will not be true this time, it would not be surprising to see Valverde win the Tour in the future.

With Valverde dropping out, the white jersey, which is given to the top under-26 rider in the Tour, was passed on to Discovery Team's Yaroslav Popovych of the Ukraine. Just as Valverde provided a glimpse into the Tour's future, "Popo", as he is known, may also ride to glory in Tours yet to come. Some Discovery Team members have already said that when they finish riding this Tour for Lance, they will gladly ride for Popo.


Popovych, as seen at the opening ceremony, and upon return to the white jersey after Stage 13.

The Ukrainian had worn the white jersey in this edition of the Tour from Stage 4 to Stage 7 before he temporarily loaned it to Valverde until today.

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

[Eric in Long Beach]

There were two races in the 14th stage of the 2005 Tour de France; the quest for the stage win which was executed to perfection by Georg Totschnig and the battle for the yellow jersey which, as we’ve come to expect, was controlled by the same American who has dominated the Tour for the past six years.

Lance Armstrong was beaten to the finish line by the Austrian but no one else was capable of eclipsing the defending champion as he proved yet again that he is the strongest man in the race.

Totschnig had won just 10 races during his 11 years as a professional before today but the Gerolsteiner rider is now the man. He was seventh overall in the Tour de France last year and fifth in the Giro d’Italia in 2003. It was in today’s stage, however, that he became a hero. Since 1931 no rider from Austria has won a stage of the Tour but Georg changed that by finishing 56 seconds ahead of the man in the Maillot Jaune.


A crying Georg Totschnig on the podium after winning the 14th stage.

To achieve this coup Totschnig had to take a gamble. On a day that featured four small climbs in the first 175 kilometers and two monster mountains at the end, he set off as part of a 15 riders after just seven kilometers. This was soon reduced to a pack of 10. Amongst the selection were three designated team leaders including Totschnig, the 2000 Giro champion Stefano Garzelli and the recently-crowned Spanish champion Juan Manuel Garate. In an eclectic mix of opportunists these three had bold ambitions on a day that concluded with the 15 kilometer long ascent to the ‘Hors Category’ summit of Port de Pailheres and the category-one rise to Ax-3-Domaines.

Early on the first major mountain that Totschnig eliminated eight of his fellow escapees who helped him put almost 10 minutes into the peloton where Armstrong remained sheltered from the wind by his Discovery Channel team-mates. Garzelli tried to be gallant on his 32nd birthday but he too failed to match the pace of Gerolsteiner’s Georg. At the summit the eventual stage winner was in control. He had a lead of almost four minutes on an elite selection that included the yellow jersey.


Totschnig can almost taste the finish line of Stage 14.

On the final ascent Totschnig must have ignored the time checks. If he knew the rapid progression of his chasers it would have been difficult to maintain the momentum that carried him to the top ahead of those vying for the yellow jersey. Once he had thrown his victory salute the reality of what had been achieved sunk in and Georg collapsed on the ground unable to hide his emotions. Tears of joy flowed as he realized that he’d not only won a stage of the Tour but he did so in front of an inspired Armstrong.


Totschnig was literally too exhausted to stand after he won Stage 14.

The day’s runner-up will have mixed emotions tonight. There’s no doubt that Armstrong has an answer for every assault thrown at him but he must be wondering what happened to the team of champions his team employed for one purpose; to help him win a record seventh title in his final race as professional.


Totschnig ascends the Pailheres pass during his one-man breakaway in the 14th stage.

When the peloton arrived at the base of the Pailheres climb, the nature of the race changed dramatically. It was attrition for those with ambitions of a high place in the 92nd Tour’s general classification. And T-Mobile should have been the dominant force. Instead, the German squad proved yet again that they don’t understand the tactics required to win a race of this nature.


From right to left, Basso, Armstrong, Ullrich and Floyd Landis of the U.S. trail Totschnig on the Pailheres pass

It began well for Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloden and the 1997 champion Jan Ullrich. This trio was tucked in behind a line of team-mates when the road turned towards the heavens and aimed at the 2,001 meter high Pailheres summit. ‘Vino’ then took his cue and went on the attack. This move is what eliminated all of Armstrong’s colleagues. In several hundred meters Yaroslav Popovych, Jose Luis Rubiera, Jose Azevedo and Paolo Savoldelli vanished. But Armstrong held his ground. He cast his eyes down and ignored the antics that went on around him.

Not even an attack from ‘Ulle’ prompted a reaction from the man who has already worn the yellow jersey for nine days this year. T-Mobile must have thought their one-two punch had dealt a knock-out blow, but Lance simply waited for another rider to respond to the taunting. Francisco Mancebo stepped forward and began pursuing Ullrich. This was time for Lance to high overdrive. The hesitation lasted less than a minute before he shattered T-Mobile’s illusions.

Once Lance decided it was time to race, Ullrich didn’t stand a chance.

"T-Mobile was basically sprinting," Armstrong said. "The downside was that I was left alone."

But he was up to the challenge.

"You either fight back or you run away," he said. "It was a very tactical day, with the attack from the T-Mobile," Armstrong said. "The heat, the distance, it was hard, it was a very hard day."



There’s no doubt that the German is strong. He was one of just four riders who could stay with Lance on the way up the Pailheres climb. Also in the mix were Ivan Basso and two more Americans, Floyd Landis and Levi Leipheimer. This quintet eliminated Kloden, Vinokourov, Mancebo, Mickael Rasmussen and Cadel Evans from the program today. Although these stars would return for the final climb they would vanish again after a bizarre scene which illustrated T-Mobile’s stupidity.


Vinokourov is followed by teammate Ullrich and Basso, rear left, in the ascent towards Ax-3 Domaines.

Vinokourov proved his fighting spirit by wrestling his way into the lead group before the final mountain. He then bolted ahead to repeat his role from the previous climb – namely to hit the turbo and force his team’s rivals to do the work to reel him in. Perhaps the consistent and aggressive Basso would take the bait. Maybe even Evans could have a go and chase his former team-mates down. Why not Mancebo once again? It was a tactic dreamed up to taunt Armstrong but the American didn’t need to do anything. Why? Because Ullrich and Kloden teamed up and set off in pursuit of their colleague.


Armstrong rides with Basso, rear center, and Ullrich, right, towards Ax-3 Domaines.

For the rest of the final mountain Armstrong, Ullrich and Basso rode a tempo that was high enough to drop the other favorites and almost sufficient to capture Totschnig. The two races became one in the closing kilometers. Georg was still committed to claiming the stage but he had to hold off a bold trio who got a whiff of the win.

"An extraordinary day," Totschnig said. "I didn't think it was possible to win a stage like that."

Bravo Totschnig, you achieved a coup. And touché Armstrong, you are indeed a unique champion. But Ullrich… he has to be the most frustrated man in the whole world. At least he won the Tour once before Armstrong's domination, and no one can take that away from him


You would think that after having done this 75 times before, Armstrong would know how to put on the Maillot Jaune.

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

[Eric in Long Beach]

“I’m in a state of shock right now.” George Hincapie admitted that he had just won the biggest race of his life and it was natural that he didn’t quite know how to handle the attention that was lavished upon him at the finish of the hardest mountain stage of the 2005 Tour de France. It was an inspiring display with so many consequences that George found it difficult to come to terms with the reaction.

He is the first team-mate of Armstrong’s to win a stage of the Tour since 1999 and immediately it was suggested that he could be an heir to the rider who is due to retire in exactly one week.

Even the Discovery Channel team’s director Johan Bruyneel started hinting that it was an option to make Hincapie – a rider who made his reputation in the one-day Classics of Spring but also the only man who has ridden with Armstrong for every one of his six Tour victories – the team captain at next year’s Tour.

“I’m trying to deal with one thing at the moment,” said Hincapie. “I’ve just won the biggest race of my life. Let me think about that first. I’ve been working hard for Lance, and for Johan to start saying stuff like that is pretty amazing. If he wants to give me a shot, I’ll do what I can.”

At last there’s a story about the Discovery Channel team that doesn’t directly relate to Armstrong. Another rider from the Texan’s squad has worn the ‘maillot jaune’ since 1999. But Victor Hugo Pena spent his one day in the lead of the Tour putting carrying water bottles in the prized jersey after the team time trial of 2003 to ensure that Lance was catered for. And even after his success at the ‘hors category’ mountain at Pla-d’Adet, Hincapie explained that he never considered winning the stage until he was given the go ahead from Bruyneel.

“There were a lot of attacks and I thought, ‘If I go with one of these breaks maybe we’ll be able to get a good gap and I’ll definitely be there for Lance on the last few climbs.’ I decided on my own that I was gonna go and I’d wait for Lance but we ended up getting 18 minutes. Once that happened Johan said, ‘Listen George, it’s probably not going to come back so you can do your own race.’

“From then on I started thinking about the win and thinking it was possible and for it to work out is a dream come true.”


Hincapie can't believe he's just won Stage 15.

On a day that included the climb up the Portet d’Aspet – where Hincapie’s former team-mate Fabio Casartelli lost his life 10 years ago – as well as five category-one mountains before the brutal finishing ascent from Saint-Lary-Soulon, Hincapie should never have been the winner. He has made vast improvements to his climbing form since 1999 but he is such a loyal worker for the six-time champion that he never expected to have an opportunity like the one he was presented with today. But it was no gift. Armstrong admits that he doesn’t like giving them… although that confession 12 months ago probably had a special clause for his good friend George.


Can't stop to smell the flowers: Armstrong rides past sunflower fields near Le Fossat, of southwestern France.

“In this team, if you can’t climb well you don’t go to the Tour,” said Hincapie. Clearly he can climb.

He’s now only the eighth American to win a non-team time trial stage and he did so on an epic day in the Pyrenees.


Hincapie is all verklempt on the podium.

The winning move was instigated 178 kilometers before Pla-d’Adet by Michael Boogerd. The Dutchman had two team-mates to help him over the early mountains and he was there at the finish just like in 2002 when he won in La Plagne. But he, nor anyone else, could distract Hincapie from the goal he set himself once he was given the nod of approval to contest the victory.

“I knew that (Oscar) Pereiro was very strong and also Boogerd,” said Hincapie about the riders who were with him most of the way up to the 1,680 meter high final summit. “They’re both very good climbers. But I also knew that there were a couple of moments when I was pulling on the Galibier (in stage 11) and they weren’t there so I knew that I was around as good as them on the climbs. Once we got away, I couldn’t go past him because there were so many people and there was no room to go. In that situation I just stayed behind him and I knew that if I got to the last kilometer with him, then I could win the sprint for sure.” That’s exactly what happened.

Armstrong, who finished seventh, called it a "perfect day."

"He is my biggest guy, my biggest friend on the team," the Texan said of Hincapie, the only teammate to be with Armstrong for all of his Tour victories. They have known each other since they were teenagers.

"We've been riding together since we were 17," Armstrong said. "The guy is one of the best riders in cycling. Period. I'm so proud of him.

"To win a stage in the Tour de France is special, but to win a stage like this, which is arguably the hardest stage of the Tour is a big, big accomplishment. He deserves it," Armstrong said.


Hincapie celebrates his victory while on the podium.

The two friends beamed as they hugged each other after Armstrong finished more than five minutes behind his teammate. The six-time champion gave a thumbs-up in reaction to the first stage win by one of his teammates since 1999.

It’s an interesting twist to the story that began to develop in the first fortnight of the 2005 Tour. On the stages to Gerardmer and Ax-3-Domaines, Armstrong had been stranded without any team support. There were chinks in the armory, which had carried the Texan to six successive overall victories. Today, Lance ended up riding the final two mountains on his own, but he only had to mark one man. Ivan Basso worked his way up to second in the general classification and the Italian is likely to end this year’s Tour in the same position.


Armstrong (right, as if you didn't know that already) and Basso ride towards Saint-Lary-Soulan.

Jan Ullrich was able to match Lance and Ivan on the penultimate climb but once Basso hit out on the final col the German’s lights went out. He limped home with the help of one of the remnants of Hincapie’s escape group, Oscar Sevilla.


Ullrich rides down a short turning slope during the ascent towards Saint-Lary-Soulan.

Armstrong is in good position to collect his seventh consecutive victory when the Tour ends and he retires on July 24. Armstrong remained cautions, however. He said his lead is "more secure" but that hard racing lies ahead in the last week of the three-week race.


The guy we saw the other day in the University of Texas uniform with the longhorns on his football helmet obviously had more than one outfit.

"You never know, you go to a village and take a turn too fast and break your collarbone - Tour de France over. So you have to be realistic," he said. "We have a week to go and a lot of things can get in the way."


Spectators shout as Armstrong rides towards Saint-Lary-Soulan.

Crowds are among the potential risks. Some fans ran dangerously alongside the riders during Sunday's climbs. One fan was knocked down by a motorbike carrying a television cameraman who was filming the race. There was no immediate word on whether the fan was injured.




Dude, you truly suck.

Hincapie's victory capped an emotional day for Armstrong. The race passed a monument marking the spot where his former teammate, Fabio Casartelli, fell and died a decade ago. Before the stage start, Armstrong met Casartelli's parents, widow and 10-year-old son at his Discovery Channel team bus.


Fabio Casartelli's mother, wife and son look to the sky while remembering Fabio.

On July 18, 1995, Casartelli, the 1992 Olympic road race champion, suffered head injuries when he crashed in a downhill sprint after completing the difficult Col du Portet d'Aspet climb. He was traveling at about 53 mph.


The Casartelli Memorial.

"The feeling hasn't changed over the years," Armstrong said. "I still get a tear in my eye and still get goose bumps when I pass that incredibly beautiful monument."


The front side of the Casartelli memorial features a sundial which hilights special moments in Fabio Casartelli's life from start to end.

Ullrich is still fourth overall and the final time trial may help him avoid the fourth place he claimed last year. But his chance to put over five minutes into Armstrong’s lead is now gone. There are hard days yet to come but it’s become clear that Lance has an answer for every challenge that’s presented to him. For now, however, it’s time for the rider in the yellow to join George and figure out the right way to celebrate an unexpected yet momentous victory.


Only extremely bad luck can stop him now.

(Info and photos collected from letour.com, cyclingnews.com, foxsports.com, and latimes.com.)

[Eric in Long Beach]

A day of rest allowed Oscar Pereiro Sio to regain his composure after an epic escape which netted him second place at the final mountain top finish of the 2005 Tour de France. The man who was voted the ‘most aggressive rider’ on the day to Pla-d’Adet earned the same prize again in stage 16 but the Spanish Phonak rider also achieved the coup of a stage win in his second attempt at the French race. It was, however, the rider who finished the stage from Mourenx to Pau in fourth place who really animated the stage.


Riders speed through the viilage of Monein during the 16th stage.

Cadel Evans claimed first-place points at the top of the final ‘hors category’ col this year and demonstrated that there’s plenty of depth in Australian cycling. The former mountain bike star’s team-mate Robbie McEwen may have won three sprint stages already this year, but today it was Evans who ignited the action in the mountains. He was part of the first real escape of the stage that tackled the feared Col de Marie-Blanque and the Col d’Aubisque and Evans confessed that it was his last real chance to gain any real advantage in the race for overall honors. No, he can’t wrestle the yellow jersey off the shoulders of Lance Armstrong. Not even Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich or anyone else with far more Tour experience is capable of doing that. Cadel’s ambition was to elevate himself from 11th overall to the top 10.


Pereiro punches the air as he crosses the finish line ahead of compatriot Xabier Zandio to win the 16th stage.

“I just wanted to get as much time as the course allowed,” said Evans afterwards. “It’s not every day that you can steal more than three minutes from Armstrong.”

By the end of the stage the Davitamon-Lotto rider earned more than that. Evans gained three minutes and 24 seconds on the real protagonists and worked his way up to seventh in the general classification. “All I wanted was time,” said the rider who was caught on the descent of the monstrous Aubisque mountain by Pereiro Sio and later by Xabier Zandio and Eddy Mazzoleni. “I might have missed out on the stage win but I wanted to do something today to show my respect...”

Cadel didn’t have the words to finish the sentence. Like the rest of the Australian cycling community, he was in mourning today. Only 24 hours before he crested the Aubisque with an advantage of over four minutes on the yellow jersey, a car ploughed into six female cyclists from the Australian national team while they were on a training ride in Germany. Amy Gillett died at the scene of the tragic accident and all five other women are in hospital with devastating injuries after a head-on crash caused by a young driver.

“I simply haven’t got any words to compensate for the loss,” said an emotional Evans after the stage.


Several American riders accompany Lance Armstrong on the ascent of the Aubisque pass during Stage 16.

Pereiro Sio who helped pace George Hincapie up the climb to Pla-d’Adet two days ago caught up with the stage leader today on the Aubisque descent. And in an ironic twist, it was on this stretch of road that Evans almost ended his chance to make his Tour debut only six weeks earlier. The 28-year-old crashed while doing a reconnaissance ride of today’s stage at the end of May and broke his collarbone. “On the final big descent of the final stage in the Pyrenees I hit a patch of gravel and lost control of my bike,” he said of the incident that hindered his preparation for the Tour. “I broke the same bone that snapped three times in 2003 but thankfully it’s not too bad this time. I’ll be back in time for the Tour.”

It’s understandable, however, that the Australian was a little cautious on the descent. “I just wanted to get down the hill safely. I’m actually pleased that Pereiro Sio caught me because I think he knew the roads well. It’s good to have someone to follow when you’re going as fast as we were.

“Once we were at the bottom, I did a 75km time trial to the finish. The other guys were interested in the stage win, but I wanted time. It’s unfortunate that I had to do so much work only for someone else to get the win, but I’m satisfied with my day. Seventh overall sounds much better than 11th.”

Australian cycling fans needed something positive after what happened in Germany although nothing can compensate for the loss of life.

Racing can conjure many emotions and today we got a taste of inspiration from a rider with plenty of promise and a team which willing to support him. Cadel might not have won the stage but he has elevated his status in the hearts of many fans in his home country.

Lance Armstrong protected his comfortable lead on the Tour de France's last day in the high mountains, finishing Tuesday in a pack with his main rivals behind stage winner Pereiro.

Now, the only things standing between Armstrong and a seventh consecutive Tour title are a time trial, two medium mountain stages and two mostly flat stages, including the last ride into Paris on Sunday.

Armstrong called it a "no chain" day - meaning he felt so strong it seemed as if his bicycle had no chain.

"I felt amazing on the bike," Armstrong said. "It's always nice to get through the mountains, especially the second set of mountains. ... The big difficulties are done."


Overall leader Armstrong pulls on the yellow jersey on the podium after the 16th stage. He's led at this point in each of his six Tour de France victories.

Tuesday's stage was marked by another crowd-related incident when a roadside spectator hit rider Andrey Kashechkin in the face, bloodying his nose. The angry Kazakh said after completing the stage that race organizers should improve security.

He was struck, apparently accidentally, by a spectator who was cheering the riders on an ascent.

Kashechkin pulled up and then headed a short way back down the climb to hook up with a race doctor following behind in a car. The doctor treated him for a nose bleed.

[Eric in Long Beach]

“The line it is drawn. The curse it is cast. The slow one now will later be fast… for the times they are a changin’”. (Bob Dylan – 1963.)

As the finish line beckoned at the end of the longest stage of the 2005 Tour de France, the slow did become fast. A period of apathy in the peloton was ignited by a long sprint over the final climb and back down to the finish in Revel. Over 20 minutes after the Paolo Savoldelli claimed his first Tour stage win, the peloton was split to pieces because of an attack by Alexandre Vinokourov.

Yesterday, the champion of Kazakhstan officially announced that he would be leaving the T-Mobile team at the end of the season. And today he did what he could to prove his worth to prospective employers. He elevated himself from ninth place overall to seventh with a ferocious turn of speed that only nine other riders could match. Amongst this elite posse was the man who appears destined to claim a seventh Tour title as well as Ivan Basso, Mickael Rasmussen, Jan Ullrich, Francisco Mancebo and Levi Leipheimer – the riders ranked second to sixth in the general classification before the 17th stage – along with two more riders from the Discovery Channel team.

The line that is drawn awaits in Paris.

For Armstrong the curse is his commitment to retire even though he’s clearly in peak condition.


Riders pedal down a curve near Gabaston during the 17th stage.

There are “slow” ones now who will later become stars… but they will do so without the presence of the most successful Tour rider in history.

And the fact that riders from the Discovery Channel team are now given the freedom to chase stage wins confirms the final line of Dylan’s famous song. The times, they certainly are a changin’!

Savoldelli became the second rider from Armstrong’s team to have won a stage of this year’s Tour. His team leader may have the yellow jersey with an apparently unbeatable advantage over his challengers, but Lance has not yet had the pleasure of celebrating a solo stage victory in his final race.


Savoldelli celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of Kurt-Asle Arvesen of Norway to win Stage 17.

Perhaps that is the curse. Jan Ullrich still believes that the race has not yet been won. After yesterday’s stage the 1997 champion insisted that he still has ambitions for the yellow jersey in the 2005 Tour. He is almost six minutes behind Armstrong and the only real chance for him to get closer to his American nemesis is in the time trial on the penultimate day.

Although the mountains are a thing of the past, the challengers still hold some hope of a collapse by Lance. Eternal optimism is the driving force Ullrich and Vinokourov. Others are more realistic.

No matter what challenges are thrown at him, Armstrong has an answer. Even on a day that threatened to be dull because of a long escape by 17 riders – who became animated in the final 50km and contested the stage win – the yellow jersey had the energy to respond to an unexpected taunt from ‘Vino’ and ‘Ulle’ at the end. And, for the effort, the Discovery Channel crew netted the lead in the teams classification.


Salvodelli on the winners' podium.

T-Mobile had been in charge after 16 stages. They held an advantage of almost 20 minutes over Armstrong’s squad but several elements changed that reality. Firstly there was the retirement of last year’s runner-up Andreas Kloden, who realized that racing with a broken scaphoid bone sustained in a crash yesterday was not an option. Then came Savoldelli’s cunning victory ahead of the remnants of the escape group. Finally, the presence of Armstrong, Yaroslav Popovych and George Hincapie in the top 23 of the stage helped elevated Discovery Channel to first place in the team rankings. The lead is, however, a slender one of just 37 seconds.

Don’t be fooled into thinking the 17th stage was dull just because there was a long period of apathy in the bunch. The escapees may have pushed their advantage up to over 24 minutes but they raced with vigor at the end and ensured the tension was high. The champion of the Giro d’Italia is now a Tour stage winner. There top order of the general classification was shuffled about once again. And the team prize is now a close contest. And this was “just” a transitional stage. Yes, the times – they are a changin’!


No change here, though.

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