Tour de France: Stage 20 ITT Live Thread (7-23-05)

The showdown! All things being equal (and even with a few inequalitites) the individual time trial should provide a great spectacle at the end of a gruelling three weeks - Armstrong thrives in this race against the clock, and his dominance is well documented. But if we have a situation like 2003, this could be the clincher for the leader going into the stage, or it could provide the challenger with a whisker of hope. Here's hoping the weather stays fine and we get Ullrich out firing and witness Basso's improvement in time trialling, which has also been well-documented. The distance suits Armstrong, but the undulating terrain suits Ullrich's ability to push the big gears and power along. A surprise may be in the works, but chances are it'll come down to these two, regardless of where they are on GC - but it's also likely they'll both be at the pointy end of the field.

Note- Possible spoilers for those not caught up.

Wow! What a stage! I was rooting for Lance to set a record and also, I was rooting for Jan, I was hoping he could ramp up to 2nd and share a race well run with Lance (not too close, mind you, but ahead of Basso). It looks like he'll get podium anyway. What a stage, Lance looked a bit pained at the end, but a great time.

Of course, as long time Tour fans here might agree, it is odd to see Sheryl with Lance's mom and the kids. And tomorrow, grimace, we'll get to see clips of other 'great Americans' like, ugh, Robin Williams. Anyone remember the old contest Espn/oln used to run? You could win a few days in Paris with special seats on the Champs Elysee to see the victors cross the line. I played every year, hoping I'd get to go in person to see Lance and the boys ride triumphant, so tomorrow will be bittersweet. Another excellent win for Lance, a true champion, but also bittersweet. But, who knows, next year perhaps another American? Either way, I'll be watching, and posting!

"I never race on solid rear disks on hilly courses."

Weight. My rear Zipp 404 is lighter. I am very small for an elite level triathlete so I am very attentive to the weight of my equipment. I simply can't put out the watts of the bigger athletes. I ride an Trek OCLV 5500 w/ mostly dura ace with a few special components like Thompson seatpost and Brew ti brakes. Under 16 lbs, 5 year old setup. In my size frame if I went with current state of the art I could get it under 15 lbs but it'd cost me more than $5K to do it.

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