I read on ESPN.com that Armstrong actually fell today and, like Trevor said, still increased his overall lead while winning a stage for the first time in this race! He started the day with a :15 lead and it's now up to :67! Amazing!

All of us have taken Armstrong for granted maybe. We forget that his fighting spirit and superior ability are what got him to win four TDF's in the first place. It's his "trump card" against all the impressions of his vulnerability in this year's race. After today's drama and stage win, I think he'll be juiced up for the rest of the Tour. I can't wait to watch the OLN coverage tonight!

[ July 21, 2003, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: Rickpw ]

"Chapeau!"

Lance knew he had to give everything today -- and no misfortune or rival could be allowed to deny him. Despite a breath-stopping crash, he got back on the bike -- and what an explosion erupted from those legs! He took the stage, and extended his lead over Ullrich to 1 minute seven seconds. The yellow jersey is more secure, but the final victory won't be decided until the time trial on Saturday. Jan won the previous time trial by 1 minute 36 seconds, so Lance's current lead is no guarantee he will ride victorious into Paris on Sunday.

In his post-race interview, Lance made some cryptic remarks. "I just wish the problems would stop. Many of the problems I haven't discussed, but there have been a lot of strange things that happened this Tour de France that I need to stop having. Some of them were evident like the stage to Gap; other things were not talked about. It's been a very odd, crisis-filled Tour."

Another "Chapeau!" to Ullrich and Hamilton for waiting while Lance got back on the bike after crashing. Ullrich returned the sportsmanship Armstrong extended to him when Jan crashed in the 2001 Tour.

As the racers pause for a rest day tomorrow, there is one other issue still in doubt: the winner of the green (or sprinter's) jersey. Baden Cooke leads with 156 points, McEwen has 148, Hoshovd's at 134, Erik Zabel is at 126 and O'Grady sits at 122. They have four sprint stages left to duke it out.

What a day!

And what a time trial yet to come on Saturday: a one-on-one showdown for the yellow jersey. The cycling gods must be in some kind of rapture.

[ July 21, 2003, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: dasher ]

When I'm watching those drunk fans on the road on those mountains, allowing about 3 feet for the riders, waving their flags around, touching the racers... I stand up and yell at the TV: GET THE F**K OUT OF THE WAY!

Know what I mean?

oh yes, fans can be annoying. I saw the lead motorcycle make some space for the riders but the second after it was away the space filled again with fans.

When Armstrong fell it was not because of lack of space. The road was wide enough but he was riding near the side of the road and got tangled in a bag a spectator was holding.

Armstrong and Mayo who also fell because of him are lucky to not have been injured. It's ironic that the lead group waited for those two and as soon as they rejoined the group, Mayo attacked and Armstrong took off.

In the Tourmalet Ullrich had distanced Armstrong by a few feet. I was not expecting Lance to have such energy left. He said his fall gave him an adrenaline rush and more determined to make his move there.

The fans and the entire Tour entourage are incredibly unruly. Every year, riders are injured by careless onlookers, and sometimes the fans themselves are killed in mishaps with motor vehicles on the course.

In one of the stages last week, a man ran just inches from Armstrong while holding a video camera over Lance's head. The race is dangerous enough without this selfishness.

I've been following Tyler Hamilton's diary, and it's astonishing how much inconsiderate behavior he's had to tolerate. A camerman banged his lens into Tyler's collarbone the morning after his Stage 1 crash. Fans slap him on the back for encouragement, never thinking how it might hurt their hero.

Did you see the picture of Tyler after Luz-Ardiden? The combination of the weight loss and the injury must surely be stressing him to the limit. If he makes it to Stage 20, he ought to be given the honor of leading the procession into Paris.

And then he deserves a gallon of the best Ben and Jerry's.

I'm still not over Stage 15. I actually dreamed about it last night. In my dream Ullrich pulled ahead of Mayo at the finish. Should have happened that way.

The sportsmanship of some of the riders is inspiring, isn't it? Hamilton and Ullrich deserve the credit for slowing down that group after the Armstrong and Mayo crash. I think the other guys would have just gone ahead without them. I have to admire Ullrich the most for it, as obviously, he had the most to gain by continuing to attack. However, as the next minutes proved, he really had no advantage. Lance was already attacking when he went down, of course. It was high drama, and potentially disastrous, but ultimately just an interruption.

Lance, because he has shown struggle and broken through it this Tour, has become humanized and more admirable to lots of sports fans, I'm sure. Although, I'm not sure why overcoming cancer wasn't enough to humanize him forever. Such short memories out there! It was a nice touch when he patted Chavanel on the back when he caught him, wasn't it?

Simeoni, that jerk, is suing Armstrong. Did you guys read that on cyclingnews? The incident he's suing him over, comments about a cycling-related court testimony, happened in April. No doubt Simeoni wanted to lambast Armstrong (probably unjustly, from what I can tell) while he's on the front pages of all the world's newspapers. I hope Simeoni gets clobbered for the rest of the Tour.

Dasher, I've been reading Hamilton's diary too. Heck, I read everything... I'm Tour-Obsessed. He's really a thinking man's cyclist! Pretty articulate, a total class act.

Saturday... the Time Trial. OOOH. I can't wait! Wouldn't it be exciting if, unlike most Tours, that last stage in Paris on Sunday was actually a race?

One last "guy" thought... Frankie Andreu, you can put your shoes under my bed anytime.

[ July 23, 2003, 04:46 AM: Message edited by: Rickpw ]

Well, Lance retains the lead again today, but how about winning the stage with a broken collar bone? Man, I'm starting to think we have another great person here.. though still, it's not like kicking cancer.

I wonder how many americans will even know the Tour is going on when Lance isn't riding?

Trevor

I’ll be saving tomorrow morning’s sports page.

Tyler's win today is far beyond anything I had expected, considering how gaunt and exhausted he looked yesterday. This man is the embodiment of determination while still being a gentleman.

Rickpw, you got it right. That fractured collarbone, which seemed such a curse at first, turned out to be the wings to a soaring reputation.

Lance Armstrong already has that reputation as a fighter. It’s a paradox: he’s a household name in America, where few know or care anything about his sport. It’s not what he does, but what he symbolizes. If he hasn’t been humanized for many observers, it’s because he’s been elevated to larger-than-life status. And that’s a role he has embraced, whether championing his cancer foundation or making Subaru commercials.

Great acomplishment by Tyler Hamilton today. He has so much endurance. When he received the trophy and flowers, he was using only one arm to lift it up (as seen in dasher's photo link) because of his injury. Now he can think of grabbing fifth place in the time trial.

Cycling must not have a great following in the US. The CNN news ticker at the bottom of the screen refered to Hamilton as Armstrong's teammate!

The next two days should be interesting for the green jersey. Zabel is back near the front of the standings.

I've been touched by the many nice gestures and sportmanship of the riders during the Tour. They must have respect for one another in this exhausting adventure. I haven't read Simoni's story though.

Hamilton was fantastic in the stage win today! I'm too tired right now to say anything more, but it was another great day on this TDF. Most of them have been eventful.

As far as American coverage of cycling, it's mostly about the "Lance watch" on mainstream TV sports, with a short update. You can tell that the newswriters and sports broadcasters know virtually nothing about cycling. However, the newspaper coverage has improved here, and there is a little more depth.

I rode my bike on a 2-day 150 mile ride last weekend. Going up one hill I tried to do a fast pedal cadence like Lance does. All I can say is that it's easier than it looks! I've got another similar trip coming up next weekend, so I'll give it another try, but I don't expect a call from U.S. Postal anytime soon.

So Lance maintains his lead today in a flat stretch of the Tour. It seems that he and Ulrich kept pace the whole ride today. It sounds like they both plan to really cut loose on Saturday at the time trial.

I hope Lance has a better time trial.

Trevor

Lance has won the final time trial every year since 1999. (Not coincidentally the same time span over which he has won every single Tour.) The question will be -- does the Lance who owns the time trial show up, or do we see the version who got pummelled in the time trial last week? I am guessing the former. His mental state and physical energy seem to have rebounded nicely this week.

It would be nice to see him open it up just a bit more. I read an article this week about Greg LeMond's amazing 1989 win. He was over a minute behind the leader going into the final day. Usually, the placings at the top change very little and the final stage is a bit of a victory lap for the leader. LeMond not only closed the gap, but won by about 8 seconds I think. The victory came after his horrific hunting accident, so it was an amazingly heart-warming year for the Tour.

Today was memorable for Dutch fans, with Servais Knaven taking Stage 17. Otherwise, we finally had an uneventful day: no frightening crashes, no heroic deeds. The three main jersies (yellow, green and polka-dot) have stayed on the same shoulders for ten days.

Today's press coverage -- online and in the papers -- offered some very insightful articles about Tyler Hamilton's victory yesterday. There was a wonderfully sweet picture online and in the NY Times of Lance embracing his friend and former teammate. And, one delightful picture proving that a man of character can convince the critics.

There was one odd thing in the cycling press today. The TDF director was asked if the Tour would go to Quebec in 2008 to honor the 400th anniversary of the founding of French Canada. Now, come on! It's one thing to take a little detour up into Luxembourg or Belgium, or a swoop into Spain, but QUEBEC? I mean, it IS called the Tour de FRANCE after all! This is the nuttiest thing to come out this year so far hands down. It's got about as much chance as Steven Segal winning an Oscar. What was that picture he was fictionally nominated for in IN & OUT? Snowball in Hell?

[ July 24, 2003, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: Rickpw ]

The Tour in Quebec City would be great. It will be the 400th anniversary of the city (founded in 1608). It could be interesting for cycling fans in North America. The Tour is studying proposition from the Netherlands and London for other years. Quebec is a long shot considering the distance, having to move all the people and equipment. There could be a jet lag problem if they have to race the next day. It would cause a lot of trouble.

I agree with charliecstl. Armstrong has shown more energy this week. The weather is cooler. The classic Lance Armstrong will show up for the second time trial. I'm looking for Tyler Hamilton to move up one spot and take the 5th position in the overall standings.

The wait is almost over. The time trial we have been anticipating all week begins tomorrow morning at 4:45 AM Eastern Time. Lance and Jan should be starting around 9:55 AM Eastern Time.

Today was mostly uneventful. Ullrich took two seconds from Armstrong on a sprint bonus. Anthony Geslin (Brioches La Boulangère) took a leak in front of the public and was fined 50 Swiss Francs for "incorrect comportment."

Lance has number five.

Armstrong goes into Paris 1 minute 16 seconds ahead of Ullrich. Hamilton moves up to fourth overall, after coming in a close second today.

The green jersey is still to be decided. But Lance has the maillot jaune and a special place in sports history.

There was one detail today that explains Lance's victory overall. It stood out as I heard it reported, and again when several commentators reflected on the outcome of the time trial. Even though he had already been over the course several times in training, Armstrong went out this morning in the team car for one last look. Ullrich meanwhile was in bed looking at a videotape of the course.

Ullrich was the stronger of the two this year, but Lance had discipline and maturity to carry him to the line first. Ullrich's discipline has lapsed at times over the years, and that's held him back. We saw it in his hit-and-run auto accident, his use of club drugs and his difficulties at times keeping his weight down.

Lance earned this one. He was challenged mercilessly and came out on top. He somehow managed to get past illness, dehydration and crashes. Luckily for him, he had the tireless support of Johann and the entire Postal team. He said this victory was sweetest; it was surely the most exciting for fans.

[ July 26, 2003, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: dasher ]

Well, there was drama in today's time trial. The rains set in earlier today and the race course was very slick. Ullrich was slowly gaining some ground on Lance, and the general consensus was that if he could shave 10-15 seconds, tomorrow would truly be a race rather than just a ride into Paris.

Jan then fell about midway through the course. The rain just made it very dangerous to be riding really fast, and he slid clear across the roadway. Kind of a nasty spill. He immediately got up and going again, but the race was decided in the split second it took him to fall.

Lance ended up gaining 11 seconds on Ullrich, and the commentators have already pronounced him a 5 time winner tomorrow. (Save any wacky disasters.)

Tyler Hamilton rode a great leg today and pushed himself up into 4th place overall. He probably can't close the gap with 3rd to get on the podium, but 4th is a great finish. (Didn't he injure himself in the first few days and wonder whether he could continue?)

Lance will only be the second rider to win 5 in a row. Amazing.

The rain for the time trial practically ended the race for the yellow jersey. It would have been difficult for Ullrich to take 1 minute, with the rain it was almost impossible.

The arrival in Paris... historic day for Armstrong. The battle to watch is for the green jersey. Robbie McEwen has 178 points, Baden Cooke 176. Australian duel! Erik Zabel is a little behind with 165.

Richard Virenque brings back the red polka dot for the best climber a sixth time.

CSC will finish first in the team standings and get the automatic entry for next year's Tour.

Congrats goes out to Lance for winning his 5th consecutive Tour!

I was amazed the past two years with his ability to return from his cancer treatments and be such a force at the top of cycling. Now I don't even know what to say. The man has accomplished something bigger than almost anything else in sport. If he were to come back next year and win his sixth in a row, that would be perhaps the sporting story of all-time. Biking literally thousands of miles in less than a month, and being the fastest at doing so. Amazing.

The Tour is over for another year. The videotape highlights are put away, to be brought out again and watched with pleasure some cold, dark winter day. Before I let this year go, however, I have a few questions and comments.

After Stage 19, Lance again made his cryptic remark about problems he experienced -- some which were discussed and some that were not. He mentioned hip tendonitis today. I noticed he was surrounded this year by extra security people from the French government, as well as his own personal body guards. As a high profile American, I wonder if he was threatened with harm?

There was another thing not talked about this year, and we can be glad for it: doping. Unless I missed it, no one was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour. One rider was cited on the final day for a positive EPO test, but he apparently had already left the Tour and was not a rider of significance.

Some of the more cynical fans have asked whether the dangerous corners in Stage 1 and Stage 19 were chosen deliberately to cause crashes. TV coverage invariably focuses on the spills more than the accomplishments. Think of the big crash in 2000 on the Passage au Gois, where the pavement is slippery from being submerged under the ocean most of the day. Is it possible the organizers would be so hungry for publicity that they would endanger the riders?

Aside from the drama of the race, the riders themselves are a treat to look at. Of the three top finishers, look at the quads on Vino! And my favorite, Tyler Hamilton, finally puts a smile on that boyish face as he takes fourth and goes home to a well-deserved rest.

[ July 27, 2003, 08:00 PM: Message edited by: dasher ]

I didn't get to watch all the coverage this weekend, because I was away from home and OLN. My laptop is on the fritz, and so I tore myself away from my companions Saturday afternoon and had to get to a computer to see the full report of the results. Luckily I found an Internet cafe. Like everyone, I'm sure, I was shocked to find out about Ullrich's crash. Because I'm a Lance fan, I was relieved that the challenge was over. However, I certainly didn't want Ullrich to crash, even though it wasn't serious.

I'm sure we're all wondering about the what ifs of this Tour. What if Hamilton hadn't gone down in the crash in Stage 1? What if Beloki hadn't crashed? What if Ullrich had had a stronger first week? What if Leipheimer hadn't been eliminated? But any event is always filled with what ifs. A champion has to play the hand he's dealt.

Ultimately, whatever the "what ifs," I still somehow think that Lance would have triumphed in the end, the way he seems to always rise to the occasion.

That battle for the green jersey gave the last day some exciting juice!

Maillot Jaune Number 6 in 2004 for Lance? Possible, but it won't be easy! There should be a few very strong challengers by then.

So it's over. At the moment, I can't really remember what my life was like before the Tour. Seems like forever ago now. Somehow tomorrow's going to seem a little flat, I think.

I don't feel organizers can be so cruel as to design the last km for the possibility of causing a crash. They must get so many complaints when it happens from the riders they probably try hard to make as safe as possible. This year I noticed a few times the last stretch to the finish line was a long straight road. When the finish is in a small town it is probably more difficult to end it on a long straight road. Crashes and falls were shown in the recap of the Tour. I guess it is spectacular. It made me think of car racing when they keep showing the crashes.

I haven't heard the name of the cyclist caught for EPO. Have they published his name?

Security threats on Armstrong? Anything is possible I guess, but he could be talking about so many things that bothered him, physical problems, problems with his teammates (one went too fast in one stage), not sleeping well...

The last stage... We saw Armstrong riding with the glass of champagne. I wonder if he can drive under the influence.

Baden Cooke edged out McEwen at the line, taking second place and as a result winning the green jersey. It looked like Cooke blocked his rival with his shoulder just before the line. I was afraid he could be disqualified for that. It seems to be legal.

Denis Menchov of ibanesto got the white jersey for best young of the Tour. He finished 11th.

Vinokourov got the Combativité (combativeness?) award. Tyler Hamilton should received the golden collarbone award.

Aussie Stewart O'Grady got the Centenaire prize given to the one with the best standing in the six stages that ended in the six cities visited that were in the first Tour de France.

Public Radio's "All Things Considered" had an interview this afternoon with Tyler Hamilton. The interviewer only wanted to know how Hamilton rode 2000 miles with a fractured collarbone. Tyler said his handlebars were adjusted upward a bit to reduce the strain of reaching, and he mentioned the three layers of gel tape on the bars that provided some cushion. He commented also that he used a lower tire pressure to get a softer ride.

When asked if he took any medication for the pain, he replied that all he could use within the rules was Extra Strength Tylenol and a sleeping pill to help him rest. The interviewer was very respectful, and Tyler was his usual matter-of-fact, understated self. He's back in his European home in Genoa, Spain.

Lance, meanwhile, is still racing. He won a criterium in Austria today. Doesn't this guy rest?

Armstrong and Ullrich will compete in Zurich on August 17.

If he wants to win a sixth straight tour next year, he won't.

Reference: "Fat" Alberto Tomba and his gut after he won a few olympic medals.


Bob Dog

Turns out the press was wrong: Lance will not be racing in Zurich. He has one more event in Germany this weekend, then takes a break until September. He told the press that he will take a rest completely away from cycling, and spend time with his kids instead.

For Lance fans, Sally Jenkins has produced another article about Armstrong.

Anyone watch the OLN recap with Lance tonight? The only thing noteworthy he said was that after the crash on stage 15, he thought Ullrich didn't really slow down to wait for him. Hmmm. Hard to tell, really.

I'm really surprised that Tyler Hamilton didn't get some medication to lessen his pain. I thought they gave him shots so that he could continue.

It's difficult to say how much Ullrich slowed down. He certainly lost speed when he had to suddenly change direction to avoid fallen cyclists. Then we saw Tyler Hamilton in front signaling to the others to slow down. If he got to the front, they were probably not going full speed.

Anyone has ever played fantasy cycling, like fantasy Tour de France, Tour of Spain etc.? I found a website that does this. You pick a certain number of cyclists each day. Fantasy football is popular, maybe fantasy cycling could be fun and get more people interested???

It was very difficult to discern how much the field slowed after Armstrong's crash. Ullrich kept looking back, and he certainly didn't speed away. Tyler plainly motioned for the group to wait. Even if Ullrich didn't wait as much as he could have, he wasn't able to answer Armstrong's incredible surge once Lance had rejoined the front group after the crash.

The most interesting comment I read on this subject was written by one of the wire service correspondents. He referred to the riders waiting as a "quaint" custom of cycle racing -- as if sportsmanship is out-of-date.

My favorite handsome cyclist from Marblehead got some applause today in New York.