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
Today just might be the day that Kloden loses the Tour. The T-Mobile guy always finds a way to lose.
It looks impossible to catch Landis up the hill -- with the 40 climbing points, he will be second to Rasmussen in the KOM standings after today.
16:33 CEST 181.5km/19km to go
Behind Moreau and Evans, Cunego and Schleck ride. Then the yellow jersey group with Dessel and Kloden and most of the other GC riders.
Sastre is 5'58 behind Landis.
Current race situation
Floyd Landis (Phonak - 11th on GC at 8'08)
Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) at 1'43"
Carlos Sastre (CSC) at 6'08
Christophe Moreau (AG2R), Cadel Evans (Davitamon) at ?
Damiano Cuengo (Lampre), Frank Schleck (CSC) at ?
Group maillot jaune at ?
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), George Hincapie (Discovery), various others
Floyd "should" destroy Sastre on the descent, but god knows anything could happen.
C'mon Floyd, hold it together!!!
The whole peloton is completely blowing apart. Schleck and Sastre are leaving the rest of the peloton... yellow jersey, polka dot, white... all being left behind.
REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini (FRANCE)According to the gaps... Landis leads:
Sastre +5'53"
Evans, Menchov, Moreau +6'10"
Pereiro Sio, et. al. +6'36"
16:35 CEST
Sastre looks OK as he keeps his gap up. Sinkewitz sits up when the team car pulls along side.
Evans can't quite hold Moreau's wheel, but he's there. Menchov and Boogerd are just behind those two. The yellow jersey group is already 40 seconds behind Sastre.
16:36 CEST 182.5km/18km to go
Everything is happening on this climb, but still Floyd Landis is out the front. He has 5'53 on Sastre and is motoring up the climb.
Moreau, Evans are being chased by Menchov, Boogerd, Schleck and Cunego. Evans can't follow Moreau.
Current race situation
Floyd Landis (Phonak - 11th on GC at 8'08)
Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) at 3'00"
Carlos Sastre (CSC) at 5'54
Christophe Moreau (AG2R), Cadel Evans (Davitamon) at 6'12
Damiano Cuengo (Lampre), Frank Schleck (CSC) at ?
Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne)maillot jaune at 6'36
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), George Hincapie (Discovery), various other
Does he have the polka-dot bike?
Still 6 km to go for Landis to the top...
Perreiro is impressing simply with the fact he is still there. he looked completely blown at the bottom of the climb. I can't imagine the agony he is in at the moment.
I don't know.
4:37 PM Landis is 7km from the top
He is 3:00 ahead of Sinkewitz, 5:58 ahead of Sastre, 6:15 ahead of Moreau/Evans?Menchov and 6:30 ahead of the yellow jersey.
4:38 PM Moreau
has left Evans. Menchov, too, has been dropped by the Frenchman
4:38 PM Sastre
is at the 20km to go mark. Landis is at 18km to go, 5:55 ahead of the Spaniard.
Sastre, Moreau, & Menchov are the only Top 10 putting up a fight (attacking)
If the numbers on the screen are correct, Landis is holding up amazingly well!!
Sastre goes under 20 km to go, in pursuit of Sinkewitz. He's still 5'55 behind Floyd! If Pereiro cracks, Floyd needs about 6'18 on Sastre to take yellow. But there are bonuses (he has 10 seconds so far). Anyway, we'll see...
Evans is caught by the Boogerd group. The yellow jersey group has Guerini, Kloden, Mazzoleni, Rasmussen, Caucchioli, Fothen.
This race has it all today. Great shots and announcers and Hurricane Floyd in the lead.
Moreau drops Evans... trails Sastre by 32" (and Sastre has closed to 5'37" of Landis)
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