Posted on 07/12/2006 9:40:51 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 11: Tarbes to Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret - 206.5km
Course: Any Pyrenean stage that goes over the mighty mountain passes of Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde and Portillon merits the greatest attention from the race favorites - even though this one then continues into Spain for another 40km to finish on the long, but gently graded climb to the Pla-de-Beret summit. If this Tour is going to be a free-for-all, then climbers who want to shoot for the polkadot jersey or a high GC placing must attack on this challenging day. So look for likely KOM candidates to infiltrate the breaks that are bound to form on the narrow, winding roads that precede the Tourmalet. If GC contenders wait until the final climb (13.5km at 5.4 percent) before making a move, they will end up gaining (or losing) very little time.
History: This is the first time that a Tour stage will finish at Pla-de-Beret, but stage 8 of the 2003 Vuelta a España completed a similar course (except for the Tourmalet). At the Tour, the Tourmalet stage in this more difficult west-to-east direction (18.4km at 7.7 percent) has almost always caused major upsets.
Favorites: A stage finishing in Spain has to motivate the Spanish riders. Should a breakaway succeed, look for the Euskaltel team's Iban Mayo, Gerolsteiner's Georg Totschnig or Rabobank's Rasmussen, whereas a larger group arriving at the foot of the Pla-de-Beret will favor Valverde.
Dessel at 4:45... Landis will have 8 Sec lead. WOW!
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS
2 041 LEIPHEIMER Levi GST USA 00' 00"
3 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 00' 00"
4 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 00' 17"
5 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 00' 17"
6 052 BOOGERD Michael RAB NED 01' 04"
7 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 01' 31"
8 015 SCHLECK Frank CSC LUX 01' 31"
9 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 01' 31"
10 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 02' 29"
11 046 TOTSCHNIG Georg GST AUT 03' 06"
12 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 03' 06"
13 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 03' 06"
14 137 PARRA Ivan Ramiro COF COL 03' 06"
15 001 AZEVEDO José DSC POR 04' 10"
16 141 SIMONI Gilberto SDV ITA 04' 10"
17 092 ARROYO David CEI ESP 04' 10"
18 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 04' 45"
I wonder where this puts Leipheimer overall - has he crawled into the top 15?
We just have to hope he doesn't headbutt Landis on the podium :-)
OVERALL LEAD
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA
2 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 00' 08"
3 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 01' 01"
4 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 01' 17"
5 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 01' 52"
6 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 02' 29"
ROTFL!
17:23 - Landis Will Take The Yellow Jersey...!
Dessel finished 4’46" behind the stage winner. The time bonus for third will ensure that Landis will claim the yellow jersey after stage 11.
The sprinters teams will do a lot of the work over the next couple of stages. Especially Boonen's team, he hasn't won a stage yet.
The peloton will let a couple of French guys way down on GC escape tomorrow.
Dessel did way better than I thought he could after yesterday.
Evans still looking strong - no one said much about him today.
5:18 PM Into the final kilometer
5:19 PM Leipheimer
is setting up for a win...Menchov goes, he wins.... Leipheimer second... and Landis third.
5:20 PM Tick, tick, tick
With time bonuses awarded to third-placed Landis (8 seconds) Dessel has to come in within 4:37
5:21 PM Dessel is driving hard
He wants to preserve the jersey. He wants to be in the jersey on Bastille day. Speaking of French guys on Ag2r, Moreau comes in at 2:29.... a lot of time.
5:22 PM Dessel
Reaches the one km mark at 3:40
5:23 PM Dessel finishes
4:45... Floyd Landis is in yellow
5:24 PM Floyd Landis
is now the sixth man to wear a yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
"Landis Will Take The Yellow Jersey...!"
Phil - "what an exciting race today ... Americans came into their own"
WHat a Tour -- any one of those names on the leader board minus Dessel has a legitimate shot at winning this race. And with L'Alpe Du Huez looming next Tuesday, any top rider within 10 minutes cannot be counted out yet.
I was just looking for you to say that, leilani! Both Dessel & Mercado held up pretty well.
Absolutely, not taking anything away from his effort today.
You can count out George... 7:22 back on the standings and no Hincapie yet.
Landis is now the sixth man to wear a yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
13th place - 5:39 back.
5:39 is not insurmountable if Levi rides good in the Alps. From what I saw today though, I think Landis has come to win this year.
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