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
13:39 - Perdiguero Abandons... The last thing that Miguel Martin Perdiguero (PHO) did in the 2006 Tour was set the tempo in the lead-up to the spectacular attack by Landis that we are currently witnessing. Perdiguero has just stepped off and has abandoned the Tour.
He is now 1 minute and 13 seconds ahead of the other favouries.
This must be one of the gutsiest efforts I have ever seen.
Gutsy or crazy. Lol.
I think the Phonak team helped Landis blow the Peloton appart at the beginning of the mountain. They didn't last long. Though, neither did anyone else :-)
Probably both. It's good American spirit to make sure he at least goes out in a blaze of glory.
Gotta love it :-)
Landis has taken 2 minutes of the leaders now.
I am loving this :-)
Good Morning.
I just saw the interview with Landis, he said he didn't bonk.
Landis is closing in on the breakaway group and has now opened a 2-minute gap to Pereiro Sio's peloton. All of the leaders are in that group, but for tactical notes, only Sastre (2nd, CSC) and Kloden (3rd, TMO) have a teammate in the breakaway group...
It reminds me of a little speech from the movie Casino where Nicky tells the banker what he will do if he doesn't get his money back. In short, Nicky promises extreme, unrelenting violence until somebody is dead! (Nicky would have made a great TdF competitor.)
His team doesn't seem prepared to help him. Today, he really needs a big win over the leaders to make it an intersting finish -- his team helped him start the break, but they cazn't keep up with him (then again, no one else seems to be able to do so, either).
Today, I think he set such a tempo that no one was able to follow, his own team mates included. The Phonak team did help him blow the field apart today though. I think they took everyone by surprise and the other leaders were left shell shocked :-)
2 minutes and 30 seconds now.
If Landis is able to ressurect his GC chances today, it will rank as one of the biggest comebacks in history, just behind that of Lazarus :-)
3 minutes now.
And also just about 3 minutes behind the breakaway... every time check sees him eat into that number while expanding his own lead.
I was truly shocked at my emotional reaction to yesterday's stage. I have watched my favorite teams lose Super bowls, lose World Series, Lose Stanley Cups, get knocked out of the playoffs early when they were supposed to win it all, etc etc -- and yes each time I was disappointed, but it was never a true kicked in the gut feeling that lasted longer than the game itself. And yet here I was last night in a funk over of all things a Bicycle Race. I watch exactly one Cycling event a year - the Tour de France. MY cycling life is a whole 6 hours a week on a stationary bike in my home office. Yet here I was utterly devestated as I watched the pain and disappointment etched on the face of Floyd Landis yesterday.
So, the question formed in my mind. Why? Why this race? Why this man? and then it hit me - I miss Lance. I wanted Levi to be Lance. I wanted Big George to be Lance. And I just knew Floyd Landis WAS Lance.
The first week I was shocked at the poor riding of Levi Leipheimer, I thought he would soar through the TT and stay perched at the top of the GC. But it was ok, because Big George was there. I ignored the fact that George did not look good in the TT. I ignored the fact that Discovery was not looking very strong as a team. I waited for the Pyrenees, because I knew that Bog George would fly up those mountains and establish himself as Lance's heir, and all would be right.
Then it happened, George was not Lance, he was not even George for some reason, I watched in horror as he fell farther and farther behind on the stages he was supposed to dominate. BUT WAIT! What's this, another hope, another beacon. Yes yes Floyd Landis! Look at him Fly. The man who rode at Lance's side through the mountains and shepherded him to all those victories. He is a great climber,he is a great TTer -- yes yes, I was just mistaken. Big George was not the Heir, it was Floyd.
And what a glorious story it was. A hip in tatters, soon to be replaced, an upbringing that was the anethema to all that is sport and racing. Yes, it was an awesome story, a fairy tale, and I drank it in.
Floyd had shown his strength in the Pyrenees, and I spent the weekend waiting in anticipation for the Climb up L'alpe D'huez. That would be the moment, that would be the stage. Floyd would ride out of the Peleton on that mountain, and it would be just like Lance. He would put Le Tour away just as Lance had so many times on that mountainside.
As the stage unfolded I watched and I realized Floyd wasn't going to ride away. He was just marking his opponents. Ahhh I said to myself - Strategy. He is waiting for La Touseirre to make his move. Smart man that Floyd. yes yes, toy with them another day. Pull away on Wednesday and then stick the dagger in thier hearts on Saturday. Just like Lance.
So, yesterday was the day, the day of greatness, the day Floyd would become Lance. I waited to see if he would attack on Galibeir, but he didn't, and that was fine, he was just waiting, setting his opponents up. I ignored the fact that he had no teammates around him, I ignored the fact that Phonak is just not very strong -- it was strategy, yes that's it strategy. Save the team for the final climb to glory.
Then they hit Croix de Fer, and again no teammates came to help. but it was OK, Floyd was right there at the front, lurking, ready to pounce. I ignored the pained expression on his face, he was just stalking his prey, waiting for the climb into La Touseirre, the climb into legend, the climb onto the podium.
Then they were on the climb, and it happened. The realization that there is only one Lance. There is only one man to fly up those mountainsides leaving his opponents in his wake. Instead of admiring Floyd Landis for his courage to ride through pain and injury, I yelled at him, I cursed him, I screamed "How could you do this to me!!!"
So, today I say "thank you" Floyd Landis. Thank you for being such a great teammate to Lance Armstrong. Thank you for being one of the best Cyclysts in the world. I am still a fan, I am still in awe. And I apologize for trying to make you someone who you are not. There will only ever be one Lance, and it is unfair to you to expect you to be Lance for us.
Here's a toast to you Floyd, and to your days in Yellow. May you ride good and strong the rest of the week. And please may you recover from your surgery quickly.
LOL.. I just posted this long dissertation about yesterday, and then tune in to the race and see Floyd doing exactly what I lamented him not doing in my previous post.
With his ability to time trial, he needs, what -- about a 5-6 minute win over the leaders today to make things interesting on Saturday?
Great post!
And what a gutsy start today by Floyd.
He is now 3 minutes and 25 seconds ahead.
2 minutes and 50 seconds up to the lead.
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.