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
Taken all together, we have a new superlative - landisian! ;>)
Even more encouraging for tomorrow, I think, is the performance of Phonak as as a team today - they set up the entire saga today by staying together and setting a grueling pace to get Landis up to the front where he could launch against the original break of 11... their efforts helped to ensure that no one from the peloton was going to follow Landis.
He definitely looked more like Bernard Hinault today than Lance Armstrong.
Not to be too cynical, but did anyone over at Velonews predict Landis was going to go "banzai" today?
Ditto!
Yes. He also looked more like Lazarus than Lazarus did!
That would be wild, huh?! 3 or 4 guys sprinting for the time bonuses + McEwen et al! Hold on to your shoelaces!
Red means - in the Top 10 GC now, but didn't make the Top 15 in Stage 7 (only their mothers & lovers think they still have a chance! :)
Green means - in the Top 10 GC now, and also in the Top 15 in Stage 7 (but look at the overall times of Moreau & Rogers - not even their mothers think they have a chance! :)
Overall GC after Stage 17 - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Morzine-Avoriaz - 200.5km
1 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP
2 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 00' 12"
3 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 00' 30"
4 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 02' 29"
5 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 03' 08"
6 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 04' 14"
7 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 04' 24"
8 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 05' 45"
9 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 08' 16"
10 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 12' 13"
Stage 7 - Saint-Grégoire > Rennes - 52km ITT
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"
23 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP 02' 41"
18 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 02' 11"
38 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 03' 42"
36 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 03' 32"
It was another of your girls: moi. ;-D Funny, I thought of that list this morning- how they dissed everyone except for Floyd and then he bonked. It's clear there is just no predicting this race!
CLASSIC!
It was another of your girls: moi. ;-D
Then came today. I am so proud of Landis for what he did today. He could have quit easily and said his hip was bothering him but he didn't. He took his frustration from yesterday and turned it into power and determination. It's the American way! Go Floyd Go!
Yes. He also looked more like Lazarus than Lazarus did!
CLASSIC!
We are nearly at 600 for today! Woo Hoo! Wait until Nutmeg hears this!
Meant to send #594 to you, too, leilani! fookin' hilarious!
Stage 17 Report
By Paul Sherwen
The end of the Landis dream.!!!! Did I actually write that yesterday! How good it feels to be wrong. I have just witnessed one of the greatest racing days that I have ever seen. Yes, there was Claudio Chiappucci in 1992 on his way to Sestrieres but that wasn't the day after he had cracked and lost ten minutes.
I was so confident this morning that Landis wouldn't come back into this race- yesterday his team sucked, he blew up, race over, yeah! - WRONG. Today the team rose to the occasion and set a pace from hell to set up this attack from Floyd on the first climb of the day, the Col de Saisies.
He knew that everyone was afraid of this final stage, but he wasn't, he had nothing to loose. His first attack blew away the yellow jersey and when he saw the damage he was doing, he took off on his own chasing an 11 man group which made up the early breakaway. Once he caught them he blew them away one by one.
I have seen a similar move on this same route before, it was in 2000 and the attacker was Marco Pantani. He was upset with his battle of words with Lance Armstrong, but after leading over a couple of cols Pantani blew up and abandoned. Pantani's attack did however set up for an incredibly bad ascent of the Joux-Plane for Armstrong who like Landis yesterday had forgotten to eat because of the pressure of the chase and blew up.
I was wondering if that would happen to Floyd. His coach Robbie Ventura gave us some insight. He said Floyd had done rides like this in training and could survive. However until the final climb of the day I never believed it- what a great day- now if nothing else goes wrong he should win the Tour and twenty four hours ago I wouldn't have put much money on that.
I disagree. Lazarus always bonked in the mountains. Did most of his best work on a cold flat surface...wrapped in a shroud.
...and the attacker was Marco Pantani
Heheheh... you're cracking me up, dude!! :)
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