Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tour de France: Stage 17 Live Thread (Thursday, July 20, 2006) Col de Joux-Plane
VeloNews.com ^ | July 20, 2006 | VeloNews.com

Posted on 07/19/2006 9:15:41 PM PDT by 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


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: cycling; greenmachine; miracle; tdf; tdfstagethread; tourdefrance
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 301-320321-340341-360 ... 621-629 next last
To: Republicain

4:28 PM On the climb
The peloton is on the climb... Voigt pops! This thing is going to blow apart.


321 posted on 07/20/2006 7:28:23 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 314 | View Replies]

To: kevkrom

I'm certainly betting Pereiro cracks.


322 posted on 07/20/2006 7:28:38 AM PDT by green iguana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 313 | View Replies]

To: Ready4Freddy

Sastre pulling ahead of the peloton.


323 posted on 07/20/2006 7:29:11 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 318 | View Replies]

To: af_vet_rr
Periero, is dropping back
324 posted on 07/20/2006 7:29:15 AM PDT by Vision ("...cause those liberal freaks go to farrrrrr")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 312 | View Replies]

To: commish

VOight has Blown!!! The Peleton is already stated to Blow apart, and they are at the bottom of the climb still.


325 posted on 07/20/2006 7:29:18 AM PDT by commish (Freedom tastes sweetest to those who have fought to protect it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 319 | View Replies]

To: Ready4Freddy

Sastre wants the "maillot jaune" today


326 posted on 07/20/2006 7:29:44 AM PDT by Republicain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 318 | View Replies]

To: Eurotwit

This is the point where the contenders decide it's time to go, and screw the peloton!


327 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:11 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Ever had Vuja de? That feeling that you've never ever been here before? :)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 323 | View Replies]

To: commish

Perrero may be blown already. He is fading to the back of the group quickly.


328 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:14 AM PDT by commish (Freedom tastes sweetest to those who have fought to protect it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 325 | View Replies]

To: commish
16:27 CEST Landis' PowerTap reads 20 km/h and 371 watts.

Levi Leipheimer is dropped! The maillot jaune group is really thinning down. A lot of T-Mobile riders: Guerini, Mazzoleni...

16:28 CEST Leipheimer is going backwards. He goes out with most of the Discovery team (Azevedo, Hincapie, Popovych). Schleck rides hard with Sastre on his wheel. They get a gap. Boogerd looks back for Menchov...

329 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:32 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 325 | View Replies]

To: commish
Look at how steep that road is, it's just an insane race.
330 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:38 AM PDT by Vision ("...cause those liberal freaks go to farrrrrr")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 325 | View Replies]

To: commish

For the first time since Landis caught the breakaway, I have the "Gaps" window up from LeTour.com -- this is going to be an interesting mess up the hill...


331 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:43 AM PDT by kevkrom (Posting snarky comments so you don't have to)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 325 | View Replies]

To: Eurotwit

Now Sastre is by himself.


332 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:49 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 323 | View Replies]

To: Republicain

He would be the 8th to wear it this Tour, tying a record that's been seen only twice.


333 posted on 07/20/2006 7:30:59 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Ever had Vuja de? That feeling that you've never ever been here before? :)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 326 | View Replies]

To: Eurotwit

16:29 CEST 179.5km/21km to go
So it's Sastre and Schleck riding away from the yellow jersey group, which has Dessel, Kloden, Cunego, Zubeldia, Arroyo, Mazzoleni in it.

Sastre is now alone.


334 posted on 07/20/2006 7:31:28 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 332 | View Replies]

To: gopwinsin04

Landis leads Sastre by 6'00"


335 posted on 07/20/2006 7:32:16 AM PDT by kevkrom (Posting snarky comments so you don't have to)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 334 | View Replies]

To: kevkrom

16:30 CEST 180.5km/20km to go
Rogers is dropped with Rasmussen. Sastre is third on the road, 6'03 behind Landis.

Current race situation

Floyd Landis (Phonak - 11th on GC at 8'08)
Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) at 1'43"
Carlos Sastre (CSC)
Frank Schleck (CSC) at ?
Group maillot jaune at 6'01
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), George Hincapie (Discovery), various other


336 posted on 07/20/2006 7:32:30 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 331 | View Replies]

To: commish
The climb is steepest at the bottom and then about half way up. I'll try again:
337 posted on 07/20/2006 7:32:30 AM PDT by green iguana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 325 | View Replies]

To: Ready4Freddy

Floyd's lead on Sastre is 6:00, which is enough for Floyd right now, but barely.


338 posted on 07/20/2006 7:32:30 AM PDT by BaBaStooey (I heart Emma Caulfield.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 333 | View Replies]

To: gopwinsin04

Looks like Landis is holding his own against Sastre and even gaining a few seconds again.


339 posted on 07/20/2006 7:32:47 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 334 | View Replies]

To: gopwinsin04

Sastre attacks.. and NO ONE, not a single person has anything left to go with him!!!


340 posted on 07/20/2006 7:33:00 AM PDT by commish (Freedom tastes sweetest to those who have fought to protect it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 329 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 301-320321-340341-360 ... 621-629 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson