Posted on 07/18/2006 10:11:39 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 16: Bourg d'Oisans to La Toussuire -182km
Course: If L'Alpe d'Huez does not decide the Tour's likely outcome, then this even tougher day in the Alps should do the job. The survivors first ride the 34km back to the top of the Lautaret, where a left turn takes them another 8.6km at 6.7 percent to the top of the Galibier - the Tour's highest point at 8681 feet above sea level.
After the 35km descent of the Galibier and intermediate Col du Télégraphe, the next 23km is down the Maurienne Valley. Of the remaining 79km, some 47km are uphill, in three separate climbs: the 23km Col de la Croix de Fer, the 6km Col du Mollard and the 18km grind to the finish at La Toussuire. ...) At 4km longer than L'Alpe d'Huez, and at the end of a grueling menu of 17,000 feet of climbing, La Toussuire could well be the "new" Alpe.
History: A stage has never finished at La Toussuire.
Favorites: Given its length, intensity and critical positioning, this stage is almost certain to designate the final podium, so Landis, Evans and Leipheimer will again be vying for ascendancy with Menchov, Sastre, Andreas Klöden and Michael Rogers. It should be spectacular!
Graphics by CyclingNews.com
Levi now 1:30 up on the Peleton. Will T-mobile start attacking to protect Rogers and Kloden in the GC?
Perhaps that drunken lout who I thought was a swede disguising himself as a Norwegian actually was Danish.
Rasmussen's brother :-)
These are a bit old, but...
15:24 CEST
Rasmussen continues to focus on getting to the summit, which is still 6 km away. Look out for falling cows!
15:31 CEST 123km/59km to go
Leipheimer now has two minutes on the maillot jaune group, which is lagging 7'38 behind the lone leader Rasmussen. Calzati is leading it, setting tempo for Dessel. Boogerd sits second wheel as a 'policeman' for Rasmussen, then Rogers, Schleck, Fothen, Dessel... Zabriskie is on the back too, as they pass some brown cows.
What is the fascination w/ cows???
Impressive showing by the boy from Montana!
Looks like the peleton has decided to stop the attacks for the moment. The pace has dropped drastically. Rasmussen is now over 8 minutes ahead and Levi has picked up 2:30 and is still flying.
Occasionally the cows get spooked or somebody leaves a gate open and they get on the course. I don't know if that's it, but I've seen it happen in person and on TV, and it becomes interesting, because seeing these guys on bicycles trying to decide what to do about a bull on the road is amusing.
LEvi has caught Cesar.
Trying to remember, but I seem to recall a stage leader hitting a cow in the past. That may be what they are referring to.
The Pride of Butte!
Floyd has the advantage of being the best time trialist amongst the GC contenders. He knows that the only way he can be beaten is for others to come out of the Alps with more than a minute or two lead on him unless something goes horribly wrong.
Because of this, he can let Levi go and he doesn't need to mark every single GC contender. Just watch Kloden because he is the 2nd best time trialist of the GC men.
You would think - he's put about 2:30 into them so far... Looks like Rass is going for the win too, with this kind of a lead. Sorry Denis.
And Floyd is on his own again. Merckx has dropped off the back of the peleton again.
From Cyclingnews: Jens Voigt (who is not anywhere near the front now), spoke to Cyclingnews at the start today. "I'll try to be with the boys as long as possible, but my hip hurts where I received some stitches [after a crash yesterday]. My shoulder just has some skin off but it's not so good that the fans hit me on the shoulder, yelling 'how's it going Jens?'.
Yep. Levi said before the stage that his plan was to be in position to attack halfway up this climb. He said he attacked during this stage in the Dauphine, and it worked for him, so he was going to try it again.
The chickens (20 of 'em!) just hatched!
Le Poulet just ganked another 20 points from the Iron Cross and is now kickin' it on the downside. He now leads the KOTM as le meilleur grimpeur!
Updated standings for the maillot à pois rouge:
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Points
1 058 RASMUSSEN Mickael RAB DEN 113
2 143 DE LA FUENTE David SDV ESP 108
3 015 SCHLECK Frank CSC LUX 74
4 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 63
Must have been drunken Swedes...
Rasmussen has crested. Valjevic is about 4 minutes back, but has only 1:30 on LEVI , and Levi is coming fast.
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