Tour de France: Stage 16 Live Thread (Wed, July 19, 2006) Galibier, Croix de Fer, La Toussuire

VeloNews.com ^ | July 19, 2006 | VeloNews.com

[BaBaStooey]

Axel Merckx is my hero. All that work yesterday and he's busting chops again today.

[Eurotwit]

I want to see some action in the peloton...

[green iguana]

Levi drops Valjavec...

[leilani]

OMG! That might be too scary for Halloween. I'd scare "le mollard" out of the trick-or-treaters.

[commish]

WOW, Merckx has suddenly appeared at the front of the Peleton. Is Landis using him up early, or does Axel have something left in the tank that he hasn't shown on any of the other climbs today?

[green iguana]

16:46 - Bike Inspection After Stage...

The race jury has asked for the top three in the stage to present their bikes for inspection at the end of the stage.

[Eurotwit]

Looks like something is starting to happen now.

[leilani]

The race jury has asked for the top three in the stage to present their bikes for inspection at the end of the stage.

If we see guys drop back today.....

[green iguana]

16:47 CEST
Schleck, yesterday's stage winner, is now working as domestique for Sastre.

Iker Camano goes out the back, and Merckx and Fothen are also in trouble. Evans is sitting next to Kloden, Landis and Caucchioli.

[commish]

And one of the T-mobiles has blown. Kessler looked over at his teammates, shook his head, dropped off very very quick.

Meanwhile Levi is cutting into LePoulet's lead. Inside 4:00 now.

[Eurotwit]

I was wondering about Rasmussen upfront :-)

[leilani]

Oops. Green Iguana you are too fast for me!

[luv2ski]

I am becoming a CSC fan. They have ridden one heck of a Tour when you consider that they lost Basso the day before it started and Julich in the ITT. I read that Voigt is one of the popular guys on the Tour. Apparently he once fell back and didn't take a state win b/c he didn't think he had taken enough turns at the front to deserve it. Schleck seemed like a good guy, too. Maybe they have just given the CSC team PR lessons (something Phonak could use IMO).

[Eurotwit]

Menchov attacking.

Was it Kloden following?

[commish]

BYe Bye Axel. He did his part at the front and is now gone off the back. Landis is alone for the final 15KM. The only good news is it looks like some of the others may have shelled themselves attacking so hard on Croix de Fer.

[Eurotwit]

Landis nowhere to be seen.

[commish]

And Sastre loses Schleck. T-mobile loses 2 more riders --- they are down to Kloden and Rogers. Landis is looking a little better, but not out of the woods yet.

[BaBaStooey]

Kessler is amazing. Just a few days ago the guy could have been dead on the road into Gap. I'm still amazed at those camera shots of Kessler, back on the bike, with rocks stuck in his helmet.

If I were him I would have saved those rocks. A truly horrifying crash. Imagine no helmet. Those rocks would have been stuck in his melon.

Just one rest day, and Kessler was pacing Kloden up some of the craziest mountain climbs in the world for two straight days. Wow. One of the reasons why I love to watch this race.

[green iguana]

Too early. Pereiro really wants those 10 seconds back tho'...

[commish]

OH OH ... Menchov attacks, Rogers, Evans and Perriero chase him. Landis has not made a move. Maybe he thinks they will fade? Or it may be that he is not worried about them. He will shred Perreiro in the time trail, and his biggest TT threat Kloden is still with him.