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
Hope Axel has enough left to help Landis...
Feh! Error! Landis isn't there yet...
The Maillot Jaune is on the move. There is a breakaway group now containing Periero, Rogers, Dessel, and Boogerd.
I'm not seeing Menchov anywhere
Geez, leilani, y'all need to get a room! LOL!! ;>)
Menchov was apparently right behind Landis.
He must have found a second wind.
Except he has lost it again :-)
Looks like Axel and Levi are being left behind by Landis, Kloden, and Sastre.
De la Fuente and Zabriskie just fell off the face of the Earth. No worries for the KOTM, though, he will keep his lead.
Landis and Kloden are flying up the hill - looks like they'll catch the leaders if they keep up this pace.
16:40 CEST 185km/2km to go
Mazzoleni does his last turn, bringing Landis and Kloden to 54 seconds.
Schleck attacks and Cunego is broken!! The Luxembourger has 5 seconds, 6, 7...
16:41 CEST 185.5km/1.5km to go
Lobato and Garzelli are caught by the Landis group.
I can't keep up with all the changes.
Looks like Schleck will take this.
A good day for CSC.
Landis is now 1:35 ahead of Pereira.
Mazzoleni has waited for the riders in fourth and fifth... he is now setting the tempo for Kloden and Landis. This trio is 54" behind Cunego who has just been attacked by Schleck.
16:42 CEST 186km/1km to go
Mazzoleni, Kloden, Landis, Chavanel, Garzelli and Lobato are together, but fighting it out for third. Landis will be in yellow, as he has two minutes on Pereiro.
Schleck gets to 1 km to go, with Cunego doing his best to close the gap, but failing. Schleck will win.
Frankie Schleck has just become fricken famous!
Hats off to Team CSC who will continue to lead the team classification despite their depleted roster.
I see ~1'38 lead for Landis over Pereiro Sio? Gona be close, no matter what!
A juicy 8 seconds on the finish line for whoever wins this bunch sprint.
Landis in yellow!
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