American Landis wins Tour de France

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/23/06 | AP - Paris

[NormsRevenge]

PARIS - Floyd Landis won the Tour de France on Sunday, keeping cycling's most prestigious title in American hands for the eighth straight year.

The 30-year-old Landis cruised to victory on the Champs-Elysees, a day after regaining the leader's yellow jersey and building an insurmountable lead in the final time trial.

Landis picked up where another American left off last year, when Lance Armstrong completed his seventh and final Tour triumph.

With the victory, Landis becomes the third American — joining Armstrong and three-time winner Greg LeMond — to win the Tour.

Sunday's champagne and Landis' fifth yellow jersey of the Tour were possible thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime ride Thursday in the Alps that put the Phonak team leader back in contention, one day after a disastrous ride dropped him from first to 11th, more than eight minutes back.

Oscar Pereiro of Spain finished second overall at 57 seconds back, and Germany's Andreas Kloeden was third, 1:29 behind Landis.

Sprinter Thor Hushovd won the final stage Sunday in the three-week race.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Le Monde will be trotting out "doping" rumors by Tuesday.

[Smedley]

FYI, one can't import champagne from California. It would be sprakling wine. One can only can call champagne champagne if it's made in Champagne, France. Everyting else is sparkling wine.

Actually, that's half true. Sparkling wine that used the descriptor "champagne" before the Frnch had a hissy still have the right to use the term. New sparkling wines do not.

[shagbark]

Sacre bleu! If you are a Frenchman this has really got to smart.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Oh and California makes better Champagne. :)

[MAD-AS-HELL]

More FYI: We send the sparkling wine that's been pissed in to France. It's what the frogs deserve!

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Thanks for the correction.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Expect the drug charges against Landis to fly from the French at any moment. They constantly tried that with Lance.

[Babu]

Why even enter, Frogs? Just raise the white flag at the start and go back to whine and cheese ...

[Cyclopean Squid]

Not to mention that he collapsed in the Alps, then came back strong after everyone had written him off.

[Mr. Blonde]

Since Landis is from PA I was thinking Rolling Rock.

[fish hawk]

The article doesn't say but I believe France came in 7 and 8. Wine problems, soccer problems, cycle problems, Islam problems, politician problems, but I hear the food is good.LOL

[Eagles Talon IV]

No, but the French will begin investigations tomorrow over allegations that Landis did not in fact have a hip problem but only claimed he did in order to cause other riders to not take him seriously, thereby giving him a psychological edge.

[MineralMan]

The French are deeply saddened.

[rbmillerjr]

"One can only can call champagne champagne if it's made in Champagne, France. Everyting else is sparkling wine."

The only Champagne I drink is pronounced "sham-pag-nee"

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Once again, the american national anthem played at the end of the tour de france.

Love it!

[Melas]

Awesome. 8 straight years. We rock.

[dfwgator]

FYI, one can't import champagne from California.

Unless it's Korbel, that is.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I bet the French are really going to be sick when the next American shows up in a wheel chair.

LOL!!!!

GO FLOYD LANDIS!

Floyd Landis, foreground, breaks away from a star-studded group comprised of Andreas Kloeden, Michael Rogers, Denis Menchov and Cadel Evans during the 17th stage.

Floyd Landis the talk of the town - and the Tour de France

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Once again, the american national anthem played at the end of the tour de france.

Yes!!! Wasn't that great?!!

[deport]

2272 miles @ 25.39 mph..... good race and a fantastic stage 17 by Landis