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
I going to put my head forward and say already that we can look forward to an amazing race this saturday.
Go LANDIS!!
4:43 PM Landis has 4.8km
of climbing left. The boys from T-Mobile seem to have disappeared. Kloden and Co. have been dumped by the Menchov/Boogerd/Evans group.
4:45 PM Sastre is now second on the road
he passes Sinkewitz who is waiting for Kloden and the boys. Pereiro is now about 7:00 behind Landis. Sastre looks poised to move into the yellow jersey, if Landis doesn't grab it today
Come on, Floyd!! Hold on!
Saturday is going to be amazing no matter what happends today!
And just as I say Sastre is looking rough he powers away from Sinkewitz (or is sinkewitz waiting for Kloden & co.?)
Look at Dessel fighting! Lol.
There are more herculean efforts here.
KLoden has Blown!!!
How in any stretch of imagination is Pereiro Sio still hanging in there?
1:10 faster. The second TT is 5km longer and decidedly hillier.
And Sastre cannot gain anymore time!!
20 seconds.
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps 1 023 HONCHAR Serhiy TMO UKR 2 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 01' 01" 3 044 LANG Sebastian GST GER 01' 04" 4 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 01' 24" 5 156 LARSSON Gustav FDJ SWE 01' 34" 6 027 SINKEWITZ Patrik TMO GER 01' 39" 7 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 01' 42" 8 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 01' 43" 9 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 01' 44" 10 057 POSTHUMA Joost RAB NED 01' 45" 11 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 01' 49" 12 096 KARPETS Vladimir CEI RUS 01' 52" 13 018 ZABRISKIE David CSC USA 01' 57" 14 024 KESSLER Matthias TMO GER 02' 03" 15 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 02' 04" 16 025 MAZZOLENI Eddy TMO ITA 02' 05" 17 079 PENA Victor Hugo PHO COL 02' 09" 18 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP
Yellow now 7:04 back. Sastre around 5:40 back.
16:47 - Floyd 3km From Summit...
Landis is 3km from the summit of the Col du Joux Plane. In pursuit of the American are: Sastre, then Cunego, then Moreau...
16:40 - Landis: The 10th American Stage Winner...?
Landis appears destined to win the stage but Sastre is looking like the candidate to take the yellow jersey.
If Landis wins he will be the 10th American to claim a stage of the Tour de France.
He would join a pretty select group. The amazing thing is, I knew 7 of them off the top of my head...Greg LeMond, Davis Phinney, Andrew Hampsten, Tyler Hamilton, Lance Armstrong, David Zabriskie, and George Hincapie.
I had to look up the rest. I found Jeff Pierce and then if there is another one, I don't know who it is.
16:47 CEST 185.5km/15km to go So it's Floyd Landis looking great for the stage win today. He's powering toward the summit, just 3 km to go. Sastre is still 5'47 behind. Floyd is under 15 km to go. Sastre looks a bit cooked. He hasn't close much of the gap.
Then Cunego gets rid of Moreau, and is en route to Sastre.
16:48 CEST 186km/14.5km to go The group maillot jaune has regrouped with Pereiro, all the T-Mobiles, Zubeldia, Dessel, Valjavec and Rasmussen. But they're at 7'03 behind the leader!!
hehe
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