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
4:28 PM On the climb
The peloton is on the climb... Voigt pops! This thing is going to blow apart.
I'm certainly betting Pereiro cracks.
Sastre pulling ahead of the peloton.
VOight has Blown!!! The Peleton is already stated to Blow apart, and they are at the bottom of the climb still.
Sastre wants the "maillot jaune" today
This is the point where the contenders decide it's time to go, and screw the peloton!
Perrero may be blown already. He is fading to the back of the group quickly.
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...
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...
Now Sastre is by himself.
He would be the 8th to wear it this Tour, tying a record that's been seen only twice.
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.
Landis leads Sastre by 6'00"
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
Floyd's lead on Sastre is 6:00, which is enough for Floyd right now, but barely.
Looks like Landis is holding his own against Sastre and even gaining a few seconds again.
Sastre attacks.. and NO ONE, not a single person has anything left to go with him!!!
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