Posted on 07/17/2006 7:53:12 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 15: Gap to L'Alpe d'Huez - 187km
Course: There's no more spectacular finish than the 21-turn, 14km climb to L'Alpe d'Huez. This year it comes at the end of an already demanding 187km stage that climbs the hors-cat Col d'Izoard (14km at 7 percent) at 86km and Cat. 2 Col du Lautaret (12km at 4.4 percent) at 134km.
Then comes more than 30km of mainly descending roads, which will likely see the race come back together before the assault on the Alpe (14km at almost 8 percent).
History: This is the 25th time a Tour stage has finished at L'Alpe d'Huez since it was inaugurated - while still a dirt road - by Fausto Coppi winning a 266km stage from Lausanne in 1952. Coppi propagated the yellow-on-the-Alpe, yellow-in-Paris myth, which held true for Van Impe (1976), Thévenet (1977), Hinault (1979, 1981, 1982), Fignon (1983, 1984), LeMond (1986), Delgado (1988), Induráin (1991, 1992, 1994, 1995), Ullrich (1997) and Armstrong (1999, 2003, 2004). In fact, there were only five times it wasn't so: 1978, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 2001.
Favorites: L'Alpe d'Huez is a mountain with a spectacular quality that has created (and broken) reputations. With twice Alpe stage winner Lance Armstrong retired, who will be the star to emerge? Almost certainly, the fight for this prestigious victory will be between the five riders who dominated the Pla-de-Beret summit finish in the Pyrénées: Cadel Evans, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre. That climb did not particularly suit Evans or Leipheimer, so expect these two to fight it out on the Alpe, probably with Landis just behind.
Graphics by CyclingNews.com
The leaders have reached Bourg-d'Oisans. IT BEGINS!
I think Voigt has been in a crash, but he seems to have caught up with the lead group again.
L'Alpe D'Huez will blow the peloton up. The question is, who will be with the GC contenders' group at the line? Who will be unable to stay in that group?
The GC will not stay the same. It may not change much between the main contenders, but something will happen. It always does.
Vila just took off at the base of l'Alpe D'Huez. Chavanel is in pursuit. Zabriskie (who did well to stay with them all day today) just dropped out of the group.
The moves are going to come to quick and too frantically for me to be able to keep up. This is fricken awesome.
And there's no chance Pereiro will stay in yellow...
Hincapie disappeared. Where did he go?
Ayeeee! Chou-chou's chain, c'est tout, totallement termine. C'est bien fini, mon petit jouet.
And has Landis raced ahead of Menchov?
The peloton has just reached the base of the climb. We will see what happens there.
I think he's in-between w/ Zabriskie et al...
16:09 CEST
Perdiguero hammers the peloton, leaving Landis, Kessler, Kloden and Evans. The yellow jersey is dropped.
16:10 CEST 175km/12km to go
Now Schleck and Cunego lead the race, with Lobato and Mazzoleni chasing at 5 seconds, then Arroyo and De la Fuente.
In the favourites' group, Menchov has caught Landis, Kloden, and Kessler. Boogerd is coming up with Leipheimer, but Sastre is further back.
Looks like there is a group of Landis, Kloden and Evans with Menchov!! and Rasmussen in trouble.
2 guys in the lead group now: Schleck and Cunego.
2 guys chasing: Mazzoleni and Lobato.
Then Arroyo..
10 guys chasing behind them: Hincapie, Voigt, Zabriskie, Arrieta, Merckx, Vila, Landaluze, Chavanel, De la Fuente, Garzelli.
Kloden Kessler, Menchov, Evans, and Landis just broke free of the peloton.
Groupe Landis is now down to three....Kloden, Evans, and Landis!
Kessler, Kloden, Menchov, Landis and Evans are leading the pursuit of the stage leaders. The yellow jersey has been dropped...
Also Menchov and Rasmussen dropped now.
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