Lets trust that he wins and then gets out of France before the vacations and heatwaves hit again in August! 7 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
Posted on 07/22/2004 12:32:10 AM PDT by John Lenin
Armstrong poised to ride into history
The Western Mail
LANCE ARMSTRONG took what looks like an unshakeable grip on the yellow jersey in yesterday's time-trial with a performance worthy of a man about to enter history by becoming the first cyclist to win a sixth Tour de France.
The American levelled the infamous slopes of the Alpe d'Huez, finishing over a minute ahead of his nearest rival to win his second stage of the 91st Tour.
The young Italian, Ivan Basso, was the only rider who could have harboured serious ambitions of overtaking Armstrong before Paris as he trailed him by one minute, 25 seconds yesterday morning.
But Armstrong carved his superiority all over the race by surging past Basso, who had started two minutes ahead of him, before finishing a further 22 seconds ahead of the CSC rider.
With just one more mountain stage to come, today's route over the formidable Col de la Madeleine, Armstrong, if he stays on his bike, will go beyond the sport's immortals - Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain - in winning a sixth consecutive Tour.
The French call the time-trial the race of truth - stripped of everything but cold numbers.
This year the Tour committee gave the phrase new emphasis by choosing the 'Alpe' - where reputations have been made and spirits broken over the years - to stage the time-trial.
And the numbers here can be terrifying: average gradient 7.9 per cent, the road rising 1,130 metres in 15.5 kilometres through 21 hairpins numbered in reverse order.
Armstrong had to add weight to his carbon-fibre bike as it fell below the UCI's minimum of 6.8kg by 20 grams.
But that was the only occasion numbers worked against him all day.
At the first time check, 1.5km in, the Texan had been three seconds down on Jan Ullrich - who has finished second to Armstrong on three occasions.
The German was making good time, however, at the second check after 9.5km, he had been superseded with Armstrong surging ahead by 40 seconds. And at the finishing line, Ullrich was only the best of the rest, over a minute behind Armstrong.
The authorities estimated around a million people had crowded on to the mountain, some of them arriving a fortnight ago. As always, with the narrow roads thick with flags and people, the race teetered a few times on the edge of disaster.
And Armstrong criticised the decision to hold the time-trial on the mountain.
He said, "Quite frankly, I think that its a really bad idea to do a time-trial on this mountain, there's too much at stake. You've got people on the side of this mountain for over a week and they've been drinking all day."
But the American can put that behind him as a record-breaking sixth Tour victory in a row beckons.
Lets trust that he wins and then gets out of France before the vacations and heatwaves hit again in August! 7 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
Lance better watch his back the rest of the way.
Good luck, Lance. You've got a continent cheering for you.
Judging by his numerous admirers here, I'd say TWO continents !
That's how you know professionals are at play .....when 20 grams makes a difference.
As an aside: Something similar happens in F-1 racing. For example the McLaren team just spent millions designing a car that should have a better coefficient of friction (by a hair's breadth) that might allow them to defeat the dominance of Ferrari. It's insane the level of perfection some of these guys (Formula 1 and cycling) go to. After all, the exponents are basically at more or less the same level of peak skill, dexterity and endurance, and that is when small things like 20 grams and micro coefficients of friction come into play.
Insane I tell you.
Yes, he just has to ask Monica Seles about backs and German fans.
Photos by: Jon Devich
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