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
Tomorrow's stage is going to be a killer.
Beautiful pics Cecily (fellow scenery junkie here), thanks. When I grow up I wanna be a professional cycling photographer. With the built-in graphic power of all those confetti-colored jerseys, the inherently graceful dynamic of the peloton & spectacular scenic backdrops like today's, it'd probably be impossible to ever shoot a bad frame. Just set up on a tripod, turn on the time-lapse, sit back & hang out on FR all day. Easiest job in the world.
Don't forget all the colorful characters in costumes along the way.
I've been saying all along that state 16 would be the one that determines the race. Landis said it is between him and Kloden. I would have to agree. It now appears that Discovery cannot win it short of a total team effort and a breakaway that succeeds. But I can't see it happening. It is now Landis's to lose.
Was just talking about your comment w/ a friend,he looked it up & said that Col de Lauteret, while a Cat 2 in this direction, was a Cat 1 the opposite way - see Stage 9, 2003 Tour.
Standings after Stage 15 - Gap > L’Alpe d’Huez
CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL INDIVIDUEL AU TEMPS (maillot jeune)
Pos. N° Nom Prénom Équipe Nat. Écart
1 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA
2 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP 00' 10"
3 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 02' 02"
4 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 02' 12"
5 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 02' 17"
6 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 02' 29"
7 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 02' 56"
8 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 05' 01"
9 041 LEIPHEIMER Levi GST USA 06' 18"
10 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 06' 20"
11 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 06' 22"
12 015 SCHLECK Frank CSC LUX 07' 07"
13 007 POPOVYCH Yaroslav DSC UKR 07' 36"
14 191 MERCADO Juan Miguel AGR ESP 07' 39"
15 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 08' 23"
16 052 BOOGERD Michael RAB NED 09' 15"
17 134 CHAVANEL Sylvain COF FRA 09' 56"
18 076 MERCKX Axel PHO BEL 10' 25"
19 137 PARRA Ivan Ramiro COF COL 10' 43"
20 046 TOTSCHNIG Georg GST AUT 10' 53"
CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL INDIVIDUEL PAR POINTS (maillot vert)
Pos. N° Nom Prénom Équipe Nat. Points
1 065 MC EWEN Robbie DVL AUS 252
2 056 FREIRE Oscar RAB ESP 207
3 083 BENNATI Daniele LAM ITA 192
4 181 ZABEL Erik MRM GER 172
5 118 HUSHOVD Thor C.A NOR 159
6 153 EISEL Bernhard FDJ AUT 152
7 168 PAOLINI Luca LIQ ITA 148
8 149 VENTOSO Francisco SDV ESP 120
9 043 KOPP David GST GER 111
10 125 ISASI Inaki EUS ESP 99
11 133 CASPER Jimmy COF FRA 98
12 136 MORENI Cristian COF ITA 84
13 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 68
14 003 HINCAPIE George DSC USA 62
15 017 VOIGT Jens CSC GER 57
16 067 STEEGMANS Gert DVL BEL 56
17 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 53
18 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP 52
19 166 GARZELLI Stefano LIQ ITA 50
20 135 COYOT Arnaud COF FRA 49
CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL DU MEILLEUR GRIMPEUR (maillot à pois rouge)
Pos. N° Nom Prénom Équipe Nat. Points
1 143 DE LA FUENTE David SDV ESP 108
2 015 SCHLECK Frank CSC LUX 74
3 058 RASMUSSEN Mickael RAB DEN 73
4 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 63
5 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 62
6 047 WEGMANN Fabian GST GER 61
7 052 BOOGERD Michael RAB NED 61
8 166 GARZELLI Stefano LIQ ITA 60
9 081 CUNEGO Damiano LAM ITA 52
10 191 MERCADO Juan Miguel AGR ESP 45
11 126 LANDALUZE Inigo EUS ESP 38
12 041 LEIPHEIMER Levi GST USA 38
13 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 37
14 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 36
15 055 FLECHA Juan Antonio RAB ESP 36
16 148 RINERO Christophe SDV FRA 35
17 085 COMMESSO Salvatore LAM ITA 31
18 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 30
19 174 FEDRIGO Pierrick BTL FRA 30
20 017 VOIGT Jens CSC GER 29
CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL DES JEUNES (maillot blanc)
Pos. N° Nom Prénom Équipe Nat. Écart
1 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER
2 081 CUNEGO Damiano LAM ITA 06' 58"
3 194 DUENAS NEVADO Moises AGR ESP 33' 21"
4 157 LÖVKVIST Thomas FDJ SWE 40' 13"
5 143 DE LA FUENTE David SDV ESP 51' 46"
6 179 SPRICK Matthieu BTL FRA 54' 05"
7 149 VENTOSO Francisco SDV ESP 58' 42"
8 185 IGLINSKIY Maxim MRM KAZ 1h 04' 24"
9 059 WEENING Pieter RAB NED 1h 13' 25"
10 057 POSTHUMA Joost RAB NED 1h 14' 16"
11 147 RICCO Riccardo SDV ITA 1h 17' 50"
12 106 RUJANO José QSI VEN 1h 22' 59"
13 186 KNEES Christian MRM GER 1h 24' 42"
14 159 VAUGRENARD Benoît FDJ FRA 1h 25' 59"
15 153 EISEL Bernhard FDJ AUT 1h 26' 47"
16 127 LOPEZ GARCIA David EUS ESP 1h 29' 20"
17 069 VANSUMMEREN Johan DVL BEL 1h 37' 07"
18 195 GONZALO RAMIREZ Eduardo AGR ESP 1h 39' 42"
19 167 MUGERLI Matej LIQ SLO 1h 40' 39"
20 154 GILBERT Philippe FDJ BEL 1h 51' 20"
CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL PAR ÉQUIPES (nombres jeune)
Pos. Équipe Écart
1 TEAM CSC
2 CAISSE D’EPARGNE-ILLES BALEARS 20' 29"
3 T-MOBILE TEAM 20' 45"
4 GEROLSTEINER 28' 25"
5 AG2R PREVOYANCE 30' 51"
6 RABOBANK 33' 34"
7 SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR 42' 06"
8 LAMPRE-FONDITAL 45' 24"
9 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 48' 17"
10 PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS 51' 35"
11 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 54' 15"
12 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 59' 52"
13 AGRITUBEL 1h 15' 20"
14 CREDIT AGRICOLE 1h 33' 27"
15 DAVITAMON - LOTTO 1h 33' 28"
16 BOUYGUES TELECOM 1h 47' 39"
17 TEAM MILRAM 2h 22' 18"
18 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 2h 39' 05"
19 LIQUIGAS 2h 57' 30"
20 QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC 3h 42' 19"
CLASSEMENT DE L'ÉTAPE DE LA COMBATIVITÉ (nombres rouge)
Pos. N° Nom Prénom Équipe Nat.
1 166 GARZELLI Stefano LIQ ITA
I apologize
jeune = young person
jaune = yellow
feel free to strike and replace where necessary.
Apparently, the thing that kills Floyd's hip are the sprints, which was why he wanted no part of Menchov for the stage win up in the Pyrenees and why he didn't grab 3rd at the line today.
OK, the first few articles/reviews/interviews posted on velonews.com. All links open in a new window:
Schleck wins L'Alpe d'Huez; Landis back in yellow
Jul 18: From unemployment line to winning on L'Alpe d'Huez
Ah, but he just makes it look easy!
Seriously, this thing started as a joke, but I'll be darned if somewhere along the way (Stockholm Syndrome?) I've started to think something really sinister's going on here. Did you notice at the end-of-stage wrapup when the OLN guys were assessing the field's prospects? They had the graphic up of the top five GC. They discussed Floyd, then Pereiro, then Sestre then Menchov. They didn't even acknowledge Chou-chou's presence on the list with the usual "notgonnabeafactor", as though his name up there on the screen was only just a ketchup smudge from Bob's lunch or something. Even during the stage, when Dessel's chain became disabled by what was obviously an act (Bob Roll?) of sabotage, Paul was compelled to mention it, but I'll be darned if he didn't pronounce his name Cereal Diesel. CEREAL!!!! Like he was a frickin' bowl of COCOA-PUFFS! I'm telling ya, something's going on here & I'm determined to get to the bottom of it.
They didn't even acknowledge Chou-chou's presence on the list with the usual "notgonnabeafactor", as though his name up there on the screen was only just a ketchup smudge from Bob's lunch or something.
Oh, I see so you're just saying it was perfectly innocent condimentary? I think not, sir.
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