Tour de France: Stage 17 Live Thread (Thursday, July 20, 2006) Col de Joux-Plane

VeloNews.com ^ | July 20, 2006 | VeloNews.com

[nutmeg]

Stage 17: St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine-Avoriaz -200.5km

Course: This is almost identical to the stage in 2000 when Marco Pantani attacked on the first climb (the 15km, 6.4-percent Saisies) and forced Armstrong's U.S. Postal squad to chase for 100km over the Aravis, Colombière and Châtillon climbs to the foot of the day's main obstacle: the mighty Col de Joux-Plane (11.7km at 8.7 percent). It was partway up the Joux-Plane that Armstrong bonked and could only watch as Ullrich and others rode away from him, and he conceded almost two minutes by the finish in Morzine.

History: Morzine has seen 13 finishes of the Tour, including that one six years ago, which was the last time the ultra-steep Joux-Plane was climbed in the Tour. The only Tour winner to win a stage into Morzine was Pantani, who scored a solo victory here in 1997, the year before he won the Tour. Morzine's mountaintop neighbor, Avoriaz, has seen stage wins by two other Tour champions, Lucien Van Impe and Bernard Hinault.

Favorites: If riders are still battling for podium spots, then the Joux-Plane climb and descent suits Leipheimer and Landis. But it's more likely that a long-distance break will succeed, giving a rider like Michael Rasmussen a chance to win the stage and the King of the Mountains competition.

Graphics by CyclingNews.com

[commish]

Landis :57 back of Halgand. now almost 5 Min on Yellow Jersey.

[green iguana]

Anyone who is watching this live: How does Floyd look? Cyclingnews says he's sweating a lot, but I think that's a given...

[BaBaStooey]

Maybe this is paybacks for that 30:00 Landis gave Pereiro. Sastre and Kloden don't have to sit there and take it, though.

[Ready4Freddy]

That may help on the NASCAR circuit....

Hey - he's got one good hip!

[Eurotwit]

;-)

[leilani]

he's got one good hip LOL! I wonder if pedaling with only one hip is anything like paddling a kayak with one arm?

[commish]

Surely they can't be just sitting there expecting Floyd to crack again? I know he obviously caught them flatfooted on the first climb, you could see that, but there is a point where they have to say enough is enough.

[green iguana]

Wasn't me, but you read my mind - I wanna see that bar chart on the Col de Joux-Plane!

[Vision]

http://www.bertevers.nl/

[BaBaStooey]

http://www.climbbybike.com/tour_de_france_2006.asp

This is a pretty handy resource for all of the weekend warriors out there who feel like climbing in the "wheelsteps" of their heroes in Le Tour de France.

[commish]

:37 back of Halgand, 5:00 on Yellow Jersey group.

[Eurotwit]

Hey.

Flandis looking good, and just snatched 4 bonus seconds :-)

[kevkrom]

Hagland leads Landis' group by 0'37" -- Landis leads Yellow Jersey group by 4'56"

[commish]

:19 to Halgand. 5:15 on yellow now.

[Eurotwit]

Flandis :-)

Floyd Landis.

[Ready4Freddy]

Thank you! :)

[BaBaStooey]

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile/Col_de_Joux_Plane_Samoens_profile.gif

[Eurotwit]

Halgand being left in the dust :-)

Landis in the lead.

[Vision]

Landis only 24 seconds behind leader Halgand

[kevkrom]

O'Grady dropped.