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
Phonak loosing some riders?
A lot of big mountain points available today -- including double for the finish, right?
yea, I'm not much into bike racing and since it has France in the title that makes me even more uninterested... :)
I just call it the "Tour de Nation of Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"
14:07 - Garzelli At Summit...
Garzelli has earned the 20 points for first place at the top of the Col dIzoard.
14:11 - Result Of Col dIzoard
The points at the top of the first climb in stage 15 were won by:
1. Garzelli 20pts
2. De la Fuente 18pts
3. Cunego 16pts
4. Vila 14pts
5. Martinez 12pts
6. Schleck 10pts
7. Charteau 8pts
8. Arrieta 7pts
9. Voigt 6pts
10. Arroyo 5pts
Looks like De la Fuente is planning to keep the pois rouge. In addition, it looks like Rasmussen is foregoing his dream of retaining the jersey in order to help his team leader Menchov reach the podium.
Discovery rider Egoi Martinez crashed on the descent.
Yes, the same Discovery rider who crashed on one of the flat stages in the first week.
Martinez With Race Doctor...
Martinez is not back on his bike and is currently being treated by race doctors after crashing early on the descent of the Col dIzoard.
Euro - the stage is ~180km, '3+' hrs would be 50-60kph! LOL
In addition, it looks like Rasmussen is foregoing his dream of retaining the jersey in order to help his team leader Menchov reach the podium.
Currently, the riders on the course are:
Leader:
#166 Garzelli (Liquigas)
Chase Group (0:55 back):
#003 Hincapie (Discovery)
#015 Schleck (CSC)
#017 Voight (CSC)
#018 Zabriskie (CSC)
#025 Mazzoleni (T-Mobile)
#032 Arrieta (AG2R)
#076 Merckx (Phonak)
#081 Cunego (Lampre)
#089 Errandonea (Lampre)
#092 Arroyo (Caisse D'Epargne)
#113 Charteau (Credit Agricole)
#126 Landaluze (Euskatel)
#134 Chavanel (Cofidis)
#143 De la Fuente (Saunier Duval)
#145 Lobato (Saunier Duval)
Chase Group (unknown time gap)
#047 Wegmann (Gerolsteiner)
#055 Flecha (Rabobank)
#186 Knees (Milram)
Chase Group (unknown time gap)
#106 Rujano (Quick Step)
#159 Vaugrenard (Francaise de Jeux)
#177 Pineau (Bouygues Telecom)
Chase Group (4:13 behind leader)
#034 Calzati (AG2R)
#084 Bruseghin (Lampre)
#144 Marchante (Saunier Duval)
#162 Albasini (Liquigas)
#191 Mercado (Agruitbel)
Peloton (5:51 behind)
Yellow Jersey
White Jersey
Landis
Leipheimer
Menchov
Evans
etc.
Interesting that both Landis and the Yellow jersey both have riders in the break.
14:31 - Landis Swaps Bikes...
Landis has recently pulled to the side of the road. A team-mate also stopped and it appears as though the two changed bikes; we cannot confirm the reason... but it could be a flat tire for the Phonak team leader.
The best man on GC in the break is Schleck, who is in 20th place and is 10:06 behind.
4:33 CEST 108km/79km to go
Garzelli rides past some scantily clad spectators, and even takes the time for a look.
I hope they were girls. And if they were... I want pictures!
GC means?
General Classification, the cycling world's term for the Overall.
Thanks
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