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
16:57 CEST 188.5km/12km to go
Time bonus for the win: 20, 12, 8 seconds. If Landis beats Sastre by 6'00, and Pereiro by 7'38, he'll take yellow.
Landis is at the summit of the Joux Plane with over five minutes on Sastre.
Current race situation
Floyd Landis (Phonak - 11th on GC at 8'08)
Carlos Sastre (CSC) at 5'15
Damiano Cuengo (Lampre) at 5'50
Christophe Moreau (AG2R) at 6'09
Cadel Evans (Davitamon), Frank Schleck (CSC) at ?
Michael Boogerd, Denis Menchov (Rabobank)
Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne)maillot jaune , Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel), Andreas Kloden, Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) at 7'02
Cyril Dessel (AG2R)
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), George Hincapie (Discovery), various others
Make that 550... ;>)
OLN commenting on how Floyd was dismissed in press as having no style in his wins - but that would change with his win today.
I am hoping he could steam back a minute on the way to the finish line.
Go Floyd!!!
Yeah, Baby! Go Floyd Go!!
GO FLOYD GO!!!!
16:59 CEST
Sastre is now 1km from the top of the mighty Joux-Plane, 5'12 behind flyin' Floyd. Moreau is at 5'58, ahead of Cunego now, and the yellow jersey is at 7'21.
Floyd is starting the descent.
Current race situation
Floyd Landis (Phonak - 11th on GC at 8'08)
Carlos Sastre (CSC) at 5'12
Damiano Cuengo (Lampre) at ?
Christophe Moreau (AG2R) at 5'58
Cadel Evans (Davitamon), Frank Schleck (CSC) at ?
Michael Boogerd, Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne) maillot jaune, Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel), Andreas Kloden, Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) at 7'21
Denis Menchov, Michael Rasmusssen (Rabobank)
Cyril Dessel (AG2R)
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), George Hincapie (Discovery), various others
WOw, Perreiro has some fight left in him. He looked totally cooked on the last climb. I am officially impressed.
Landis has reached the top of the final climb of stage 17. He is going to follow in the footsteps of: Greg LeMond, Davis Phinney, Jeff Pierce, Andy Hampsten, Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie and Dave Zabriskie... the other Americans to win a stage at the Tour.
16:56 - Situation With 15km To Go
Landis is going to win the stage unless disaster happens on the descent. His advantage with 15km to go (ie. three kilometers to climb) was: 5’30" to Sastre 6’04" to Cunego 6’55" to Evans and Schleck 7’05" to Pereiro, Rasmussen et al
Now it's a countdown.
1 097 PEREIRO SIO, Oscar ESP CEI 74:38:05.000 00:00:00.000
2 014 SASTRE, Carlos ESP CSC 74:39:55.000 00:01:50.000
3 021 KLÖDEN, Andréas GER TMO 74:40:34.000 00:02:29.000
4 035 DESSEL, Cyril FRA A2R 74:40:48.000 00:02:43.000
5 061 EVANS, Cadel AUS DVL 74:41:01.000 00:02:56.000
6 051 MENCHOV, Denis RUS RAB 74:42:03.000 00:03:58.000
7 026 ROGERS, Michael AUS TMO 74:44:52.000 00:06:47.000
8 031 MOREAU, Christophe FRA A2R 74:45:08.000 00:07:03.000
9 041 LEIPHEIMER, Levi USA GST 74:45:51.000 00:07:46.000
10 129 ZUBELDIA, Haimar ESP EUS 74:46:11.000 00:08:06.000
11 071 LANDIS, Floyd USA PHO 74:46:13.000 00:08:08.000
That'd be delicious.
Anybody's who's watching, has Bob Rolls killed anybody by accident with his hands yet while he's talking? I'd imagine he's pretty excited, and the more excited he gets, the more his arms get going :)
Sastre crests at 5:08. Landis should put time into that on the descent though.
17:01 CEST 192.5km/8km to go
The descent will be critical. Landis is the best descender in the world, but he'll be also very tired. Just hold it up lad!
Sastre puffs his way to the summit, doing a great ride today, and he could also take yellow.
Current race situation
Floyd Landis (Phonak - 11th on GC at 8'08)
Carlos Sastre (CSC) at 5'14
Damiano Cuengo (Lampre) at ?
Christophe Moreau (AG2R) at 5'58
Frank Schleck (CSC) at ?
Michael Boogerd, Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne) maillot jaune, Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel), Andreas Kloden, Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile), Cadel Evans (Davitamon) at 7'04
Denis Menchov, Michael Rasmusssen (Rabobank)
Cyril Dessel (AG2R)
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), George Hincapie (Discovery), various others
It's almost as ballsy a performance as Landis' today.
Even letour.fr only lists 8 American winners prior to Landis...
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