On The Eve of the Tour De France

[Hostile]

I am not a bike racing fan, but I have become a huge Lance Armstrong fan. I think his story is one of the most inspiring I have ever heard. For the last couple of years I have got up early so that I could watch the live coverage of the Tour on the OLN network. This year's Tour will be Lance's final ride. I can't even begin to tell you how much I will be rooting for him.

To that end I am starting this thread where I'm gonna post articles from the Tour.

Side note about Lance. I have a friend named David who is currently trying to beat the same type of cancer that Lance had. Another buddy, Jared, contacted the Livestrong foundation that is Lance's charity to help with cancer research. They sent David a care package and Lance himself has written him. I consider that to be the epitome of class. David has been through 3 surgeries to remove tumors in his brain since right after Thanskgiving last year as well as the removal of a testicle last April. In true Lance Armstrong fighting fashion he has not dropped out of grad school and recently applied to Med School where he intends to do his own fight against cancer. I consider David and his wife Carrie to be fighters.

Bring home #7 in a row Lance, and thank you for the great sports story as well as the human touch.

 

[Hostile]

Armstrong says he's never been in better shape

By Andrew Hood
Special to ESPN.com
Archive





Lance Armstrong is less than a month away from being a former pro, but the 33-year-old Texan plans to make the 92nd Tour de France a three-week rolling retirement party on two wheels.

It will be fun for him and his legion of rabid fans, but nothing short of anguish for his unfortunate rivals left gasping in his wake.

"When I roll down the start ramp on July 2 my intention will be to win that day and win overall," Armstrong said, firing a warning shot to those who thought he'd gone soft after winning a record sixth Tour de France last summer.

"I'm excited about the race. I feel very good on the bike," Armstrong added. "And I would even venture to say that I feel better than I've ever felt."

As if the cycling world expected anything else from the man who's rewritten the history books with his laser focus, his uncompromising will and insurmountable strength in cycling's hardest race.

For six Julys in a row, Armstrong has reigned supreme on the twisting French roads, plowing over the Alps like they were mere speed bumps on his headlong sprint to fame, fortune, celebrity and a unique place in sports history.

Armstrong, the Tour de France's most decorated rider, already has one foot out the door.

Without the commitment of training and racing 10 months of the year, he'll have more time for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, more time to work closely with his top-flight cadre of sponsors and more time to spend with his children.

First there's some unfinished business: Winning a seventh Tour de France since his triumphant return from cancer in 1999, and riding into the sunset, legacy untarnished.

"It's time to move on and he's excited about the next chapter of his life. He's focused on ending his career on a high note," said Bill Stapleton, Armstrong's longtime agent and lawyer. "For him, there's nothing to get nostalgic about until the job's done."

Armstrong said he won't pine for the long, hard days of training or the pressure cooker of being the eternal favorite. He certainly won't miss the hassles that come with being cycling's king and the sometimes murky accusations of performance-enhancing doping.

"When you're constantly on the top, you have a bull's-eye on your back," Armstrong said to The Associated Press. "The target just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. It's easier to shoot at, it's easier to throw things at. It might stick, it might not stick. You have to live with that. It comes with the territory."

For Armstrong, this race is more about him and the legacy he'll leave behind in the sport he's transformed in his six-year rule.

"The big difference in winning a seventh against a sixth or even a fifth is that there was a lot of buildup with five; 'Can he get the record, join the elite club?' Seven for me is more of a personal goal," he said. "I always wanted to win one final Tour and retire."

Armstrong back on track
After a busy winter filled with high-profile appearances with rocker girlfriend Sheryl Crow at the Oscars and Grammy Awards, Armstrong returned to Europe in early March not looking his sharpest.

"To not finish last," was all Armstrong said when asked how he expected to do in the opening prologue of his first race of the 2005 season at Paris-Nice. He didn't finish last – 140th of 160 starters – and the jet-lagged Texan pulled out with a cold three days later.


In April, he returned to the Tour de Georgia, where he was duly trounced by ex-teammate Floyd Landis in an 18.6-mile time trial, finishing nearly two minutes back and raising further doubts about Armstrong's motivation.

"There were a lot of questions of where Lance was," said Discovery Channel teammate George Hincapie, the only rider to be part of all six of Armstrong's victories. "At the Tour de Georgia, he wasn't where he wanted to be."

Instead of panicking, Armstrong rode patiently back into top form without any pressure at training camps in the Canary Islands and on the key climbs of the 2005 Tour course.

"Lance is so experienced now as far as how to time his form for the Tour. Now, no other race counts for him besides the Tour," said Jonathan Vaughters, one of Armstrong's ex-teammates. "Now he's got it so down. He's just knocking it like machine-work now."

Armstrong aced a key test at the eight-day Dauphiné Libéré race across the French Alps in mid-June.

Armstrong erased any doubts with a strong overall performance: fifth in the prologue, third in the long time trial (he beat Landis this time), fourth up Ventoux, seventh at Morzine, third in Sallanches and fourth overall.

"His basic conditioning is very good," Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruyneel said. "Coming into the Dauphiné Libéré he lacked rhythm, but he can only improve from here. Lance is where he needs to be."

Same rivals, same result?
While Armstrong was doing his homework for the July exam, his rivals were still trying to figure out what it would take to defeat him.

Jan Ullrich, the freckled-faced, red-haired German whom Armstrong continually singles out as his top rival, wants to make the most of his last chance to beat the unbeaten.

After winning the Tour de France in 1997 at the ripe age of 23, many predicted that Ullrich, not Armstrong, who was recovering from painful chemotherapy treatments for testicular cancer, would shatter the five-win record.

Ullrich looks tan, rested and – most important – fit as he's facing his last showdown with Armstrong with trademark gusto and optimism.

"I'd love to beat him," Ullrich, 31, said to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "That's my motivation – this is the last chance. Lance has dominated the tour for the last six years and whoever beats him is going to be the greatest. This year's duel will be the most exciting because this is his last tour."

Ullrich's powerful T-Mobile crew will also line up with Andreas Klöden, second overall last year, and Alexandre Vinokourov, third in 2003. The team left behind popular sprinter Erik Zabel in an effort to try to topple Armstrong.

"We are going there with the intention of turning the heat on Armstrong and hopefully force him to crack," said Vinokourov, who beat Armstrong at Mont Ventoux at the Dauphiné. "The key is to attack Armstrong, but that is easier said than done. Nevertheless, that is what we will try to do."

Other favorites include Ivan Basso, the 27-year-old Italian who finished third overall last year and was the only rider to beat Armstrong in a stage in the mountains last year.


Riding under the tutelage of 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis at Team CSC, Basso looked to have the Giro d' Italia in the bag when he was zapped with a stomach bug, but he bounced back to win two stages, including his first long-distance time trial.

The enigmatic Iban Mayo is the rider potentially the most dangerous to Armstrong's reign. The lean Basque climber dropped the struggling Armstrong en route to winning Alpe d'Huez in the 2003 Tour and then walloped Armstrong up Mont Ventoux in winning last year's Dauphiné Libéré.

Once the Tour de France started, however, the overcooked Mayo crashed on the cobbles in the first week and eventually pulled out in the Pyrénées.

"This year we've changed the preparation, we've sacrificed a lot of things, but I had to risk it and the important thing is to arrive in good form for the Tour," Mayo said. "Last year I was strong but when I began the Tour I wasn't able to hold the form."

For Armstrong, the Tour de France has become a race not against his rivals but rather an internal struggle to get to his ideal race weight (168 pounds) and to build his fitness so he can turn on the turbos during the critical climbing stages.

"Every year people ask for a list of 10 or 12 guys who can challenge," Armstrong told The Associated Press. "But do we really need a list? That's not the question. The question is how good I'm going to be. Am I going to be good enough to win? That's the question."

Armstrong promises to answer that question with a seventh Tour de France crown.

Andrew Hood is a freelance writer living in Spain. The author of "Armstrong Rewrites History: The 2004 Tour de France" for VeloPress, this is his 10th year covering the Tour de France.

 

[Yeagermeister]

The Discovery Channel commercial where Lance walks in on the Teutils customizing his bike is classic

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Best of luck to Lance, David and Carrie!

I need to remember that I get the OLN. I watched the race on there last year. was very cool.

 

[royhitshard]

I have a million channels, but I do not get OLN. I would love to watch it. Lance should be an inspiration to us all. I am too lazy to ride a bike, but love what Lance has done for the sport and cancer. Best wishes to Lance, David, and Carrie. I think this thread is a great idea. GO Discovery Team USA!!!!!!!

 

[Hostile]

Seventh yellow jersey's no sure thing
Andrew John Ignatius Vontz / Special to FOXSports.com

The 2005 Tour De France hasn't even started but many people think they already know who the winner will be: Discovery's Lance Armstrong.

After dropkicking testicular cancer's butt and storming to a record-setting six consecutive Tour De France wins, it would seem a foregone conclusion that the 33-year-old Armstrong will continue his reign for the seventh straight year.

If all goes well, Armstrong will stand atop the podium in Paris after 21 stages, 23 days and 2,236.4 miles, sharing a toast with girlfriend Sheryl Crow and good friend Robin Williams.

But, ah, not so fast.



Photo Galleries...
Best of 2004 Tour de France

Lance Armstrong
and Sheryl Crow



While Armstrong's track record makes him the race favorite, more obstacles stand between him and the Paris podium than Edwin Moses cleared in the 400-meter hurdles to win gold at the 1984 Olympics.

The jersey No. 1 Armstrong will wear on in the Tour may as well be a bull's eye, because the greatest cyclists in the world will be gunning to topple the king of pain. Even if Armstrong has the fitness to win the race, he will still have to dodge more than the machine gun bursts from his competitors if he hopes to win again. Many things can, and often do, go wrong in a three-week race where the uncontrollable vectors of fate tend to rip the legs off would-be champions.

His primary concern, though, will be his competitors. Chief among Armstrong's rivals is T-Mobile rider Jan Ullrich, a prodigiously talented product of the East German athletic system who won the Tour in 1997 at the age of 23, an unheard of achievement.

Since then, Ullrich has shown flashes of brilliance and at times has nearly catapulted himself over the daunting walls of Armstrong's castle. In the 2003 Tour, Ullrich defeated Armstrong in an individual time trial, a race against the clock that is one of Armstrong's strong suits. But eight years after winning the Tour Ullrich has five second-place finishes in the Tour and has yet to return to the top of the podium.

While Armstrong is renowned for his meticulous preparation and unbreakable focus, Ullrich has a reputation for letting himself go in the off-season and rolling into the season on the heavy side.

In 2002, Ullrich was banned from the sport for six months after testing positive for the club drug ecstasy, a substance best avoided by cyclists who want to win the Tour. Last year he finished fourth, his lowest placing ever, but he remains the strongest challenger to Armstrong's supremacy.

In addition to T-Mobile and Discovery, there are 19 other teams of nine riders in the Tour who would like to send Armstrong back to his ranch in Austin to clear brush without a seventh yellow jersey to hang over the fireplace. Armstrong's fellow Americans and former Postal teammates Levi Leipheimer, leader of Gerolsteiner, and Floyd Landis, leader of Phonak, would like nothing better than to take their former master's podium spot.

Armstrong seems to regard riders who flee serfdom under his leadership to seek out personal glory as traitors and savors destroying them in races. Even if Leipheimer and Landis show they have the legs to win, Armstrong may well regard them as just two more marshmallows to roast over his raging bonfire of motivation. Other riders with the legs and team backing to ride for the win are Joseba Beloki, Iban Mayo, and Ivan Basso.

Lance Armstrong will try to nab his seventh yellow jersey.
(Getty Images)

These riders aside, all of the stars in the heavens will have to align for Discovery to form an Armstrong-shaped constellation of victory. No matter how prepared Armstrong is he will also have to fend off illness, untimely flat tires and crashes if he is to win.

Cycling is a dangerous — and sometimes deadly — sport. One of Armstrong's most trusted lieutenants, Viatcheslav Ekimov, broke his sternum after hitting a pothole during a training ride with Armstrong and will not start the Tour. Just last week, Armstrong took a spill in training that left him with a black eye.

In 1995, Armstrong's Motorola teammate Fabio Casartelli died from injuries suffered during a crash in the Tour. A tiny error in judgment, a shoulder bump from another rider at the wrong moment, an imperfection in the road, or even a case of food poisoning is enough to send a rider home from the Tour.

The 2003 Tour was particularly unlucky for Armstrong. During stage 9, Armstrong flew off of a road while descending at almost 60 mph to avoid hitting Joseba Beloki, who fell after hitting a patch of melted asphalt and broke his hip, elbow and femur. During the stage 12 individual time trial, Armstrong became so severely dehydrated that he lost thirteen pounds. During stage 15, Armstrong's handlebars clipped a spectator's bag, sending him tumbling to the ground at a critical moment during a mountain stage. Still, he remounted his bike, won the stage, and went on to win the Tour.

Armstrong's Discovery teammates have the job of protecting him from the wind so that he can conserve as much energy as possible, chasing down attacks, and setting the pace. But they also help protect him from the danger of crashing. While other teams at the Tour have individual riders who will try to nab stage wins, Discovery's sole reason for being is to help Armstrong win. Whether the King of Pain will have the legs to put the cat-o-nine tails to his adversaries remains to be seen. The only thing that is certain about this Tour is that the depth of the field will make Armstrong's grab for number seven one of the most exciting races in cycling history. Andrew John Ignatius Vontz writes about cycling for Bicycling, Outside, and Road magazines. He is currently developing a cycling TV sports show.

 

[Hostile]

Armstrong eyes mountains in upcoming Tour

Associated Press
Posted: 2 days ago

PARIS (AP) - Lance Armstrong is cutting no corners as he prepares for the last race of his career.


With his usual dedication, the American has reconnoitered all the crucial mountain climbs for the upcoming Tour de France - and now feels ready to make a prediction.

"This year, the Tour will be won in the mountains," he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Armstrong is aiming for his seventh straight crown in the grueling three-week trek around France. As in previous years when he left rivals behind on mountain climbs, Armstrong is looking to victory in the Alps, which this year come in week two, and in the Pyrenees a few days later.

The 33-year-old Texan spoke to the AP by telephone on Monday night after what he called the last long training ride of his career - six hours on roads around Nice in the south of France. He was joined by Axel Merckx, the son of Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx.

The elder Merckx and three other riders won five Tours — a record Armstrong matched in 2003 and then surpassed with his sixth victory last year.

"I feel strong on the bike," said Armstrong, adding that he has shed 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) since he placed fourth in the Dauphine Libere race in France two weeks ago.

"I feel a lot better than I did in the Dauphine," he said. "I'm recovering well."

Armstrong said he traveled to the Alps after the Dauphine to ride the climbs there and found them to be "much harder than I expected" — as difficult as the Pyrenean stages that will follow.

The last of the three Alpine stages, from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains, could be particularly tricky, he said.

"There are no big climbs but it's going to be a hard day. There will be some surprises for a lot of people, especially if it is very hot," he said.

A heat wave has baked France in recent days. Armstrong said he is already taking care not to dehydrate.

"You've got to think about one word: water, water, water," he said.

He also downplayed slight injuries suffered when he crashed at low speed during a training ride last week. He expects his black eye will have gone before his scheduled pre-Tour press conference on Thursday.

"Everything is OK," he said.

The race starts Saturday, with a time trial in the west of France where riders go out individually against the clock for 19 kilometers (11.8 miles). There is a second individual time trial, over 55.5 kilometers (34.5 miles), the day before the Tour finishes on July 24 with a traditional ride into Paris.

Armstrong, a time-trial expert, was checking out the longer course, in Saint-Etienne in central France, on Tuesday.

He said it was "very tough and technical" but doesn't expect the final time trial to determine the Tour outcome because the eventual winner should, by then, have left rivals trailing in the mountains.

Spanish rider Joseba Beloki, a former runner-up to Armstrong who is making his Tour comeback after a horrifying crash in the 2003 race, says that only if the Texan shows uncharacteristic weakness will rivals get a chance to finally unseat the defending champion.

"To have any possibility of winning against Armstrong, Armstrong himself has to have a bad day," he told the AP in a phone interview from Spain. "If Armstrong weakens one day with a minimal loss of time, I don't think it'll be enough," added Beloki, who was second in 2002 and third in 2000 and '01. "Armstrong would have to have real difficulties on at least one day, and would have to lose lots of time."

Associated Press writer Jenny Barchfield contributed to this report.

 

[Hostile]

Armstrong team full of Tour de France veterans

Associated Press
Posted: 2 days ago
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Lance Armstrong will have most of last year's team back when he goes for his seventh straight Tour de France victory.


Armstrong's Discovery Channel team features six returning cyclists, including American George Hincapie, and two new ones, Italy's Paolo Savoldelli and Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych, it was announced Wednesday.

Armstrong, 33, said he will retire after this year's Tour, which starts July 2.

"I think we have fielded our strongest team ever with this formation," said Armstrong, who is in Spain training for the race. "I'm more motivated than ever."

Armstrong's other teammates from last year are Spain's Jose Luis Rubiera, Manuel Beltran and Benjamin Noval, Czech Republic's Pavel Padrnos and Portugal's Jose Azevedo. Savoldelli has won the Tour of Italy twice and Popovych finished third in the 2003 edition.

Armstrong called Rubiera, Beltran and Noval the "Spanish armada" to help him in the mountains.

Hincapie has raced with Armstrong in all six of his Tour victories, and several others have been on board for two or more.

"I wanted an experienced team for Lance's last Tour and that was the determining factor," said Discovery Channel manager Johan Bruyneel. "I want him to be surrounded by guys who have always been around him. "I think we have guys for everywhere - the flats, those that will work in the hard stages and guys for the mountains." The team is missing Viatcheslav Ekimov, who rode with Armstrong to five Tour victories but injured his back in a training accident in April.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Cycling: Surprise dope test for Tour de France star Armstrong







CHALLANS, France : Reigning champion Lance Armstrong of the United States was given a surprise anti-doping test on the eve of the Tour de France, race sources revealed.

The test was carried out in the afternoon by doctors from the French sports ministry.

Cycling's world governing body UCI decides which riders will undergo spot tests from both blood and urine samples during the three week race.

All 189 riders on the Tour de France were Thursday declared fit to race after blood tests showed no doping.

Armstrong opens his bid for a seventh consecutive crown Saturday in the opening stage, a 19km time trial through western France.

 

[Hostile]

Armstrong opens Tour in dominant fashion

Associated Press
Posted: 2 minutes ago


NOIRMOUTIER-EN-L'ILE, France (AP) - Lance Armstrong hammered his rivals in the opening stage of his last Tour de France, finishing second Saturday behind a new hope for American cycling, David Zabriskie.

Zabriskie finished two seconds ahead of Armstrong on the 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) course in western France. Armstrong overtook one of his main rivals, Jan Ullrich, even though the German had set out on the course one minute ahead of the Texan.

 

[Hostile]

Team director says Armstrong has 3 key rivals

Associated Press
Posted: 1 day ago



PARIS (AP) - Lance Armstrong's team director says only three riders could threaten the Texan's bid for a seventh straight Tour de France title when cycling's showcase race begins Saturday.
Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's tactical adviser in each of his six Tour wins, picked 1997 winner Jan Ullrich , Alexandre Vinokourov and Ivan Basso as the main competition. More Lance and Tour de France ...

"I think those three are the real challengers," Bruyneel said this week in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Vinokourov is not as quick as his T-Mobile teammate Ullrich on time trials, but he's better in the mountains. At the Dauphine Libere tuneup earlier this month, Vinokourov won the climb up Mont Ventoux - beating a tired-looking Armstrong by 37 seconds.

Although Team CSC rider Basso lacks speed, he is a tenacious climber — as he showed on last year's Tour.

"He was the only one to stay with Lance in the mountains," Bruyneel said. "Will he be able to maintain his condition for three weeks on the Tour? That's the question mark. But it's possible."

Vinokourov's attacking style caused Armstrong problems in the mountains in 2003, when the Texan beat Ullrich by just over a minute - his smallest overall margin of victory.

Bruyneel admires Kazakhstan rider Vinokourov but believes his attacking range will be less this year.

"He takes advantage of every opportunity. I think he's become more resistant over the years, and stronger in the mountains," Bruyneel said. "In 2003, he wasn't one of the favorites, so he got some freedom to attack. I don't think it will be the case this time."

Ullrich, a five-time Tour runner-up, has long been considered Armstrong's main rival. But a poor showing last year - 8 minutes, 50 seconds behind Armstrong in fourth spot - has raised doubts about his commitment and ability to handle pressure.

However, Bruyneel does not rule him out.

"He is one of the best time trialists and always gets better in the second half of the Tour," Bruyneel said. "He is definitely weaker in the mountains. But he is a tough guy who never cracks."

Bruyneel also mentioned Spain's Joseba Beloki - runner-up in 2002 - and former Armstrong teammate Roberto Heras as possible threats.

Beloki, though, wasn't upbeat about his chances.

"To have any possibilities of winning against Armstrong, Armstrong himself has to have a bad day," Beloki said. "If Armstrong weakens one day with a minimal loss of time, I don't think it'll be enough. Armstrong would have to have real difficulties and have to lose lots of time."

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 2, 2005, 3:36 PM ET
American has stage wins in three biggest races


ESPN.com news services



NOIRMOUTIER, France -- David Zabriskie added his name to the long list of Lance Armstrong's potential successors when he beat his former boss to win the 19-km first stage of the Tour de France on Saturday.

Time trial specialist Zabriskie, 26, has now taken part in each of the three big cycling Tours and won a stage in each.

Last year, after leaving Armstrong's U.S. Postal team, he made his first impression by winning a stage in the Spanish Vuelta after a 100 km breakaway.

Last month, he won the major time trial in the Giro d'Italia in Firenze.

Now, in his first Tour de France, the rider from Salt Lake City is wearing the most sought after trophy in the sport, the leader's yellow jersey that made Armstrong a cycling great.

"It's an amazing accomplishment for me. I never ever thought this would happen. The feeling is amazing, unbelievable," he said.

Given the profile of the stages in the week ahead, Zabriskie, who joined Danish team CSC last year on the recommendation of compatriot Bobby Julich, could easily hold on to the yellow jersey for a long time.

Already a talented time trial specialist, he is convinced he can broaden his range and do well in other cycling specialties.

"I think I have other possibilities. Obviously, I'm doing very well in time trials. But it's possible to win different styles of races for me," he said.

As for the prospect of seizing the baton from Armstrong, Zabriskie remains very cautious.

"No, I don't feel expectations at all. I'm just Dave Zabriskie, I do what I do and that's all I can do," he said.

The fairly shy American, who said he spent four "developmental years" in Armstrong's U.S. Postal team, watched in nail-biting anticipation as his former leader took off for another impressive performance.

"It was very possible he could have beaten me. It was very stressful for me to watch that on TV. I'm happy it worked out."

Discovered and trained, like most American riders, by Chris Carmichael, Zabriskie joined the American national team at 17 before turning professional in 2000, winning the under-21 Grand Prix des Nations on the day Armstrong claimed the pro event.

Zabriskie still has screws in one of his knees from a crash in 2003 when he was hit by a sport utility vehicle in his hometown of Salt Lake City, breaking his leg and wrist.

''We just witnessed the birth of a real champion for the time trial event,'' said his teammate and fellow American Bobby Julich, who placed 11th. ''He just creamed everybody.''

For Zabriskie, who lives with best friend Floyd Landis in Gerona, Spain, the learning phase has now ended.

 

[Avery]

I've actually met Zabriskie as he's a Salt Lake native. I hope he can continue the American legacy of winning the tour after Lance goes out on top again.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 3, 2005, 5:23 PM ET
Boonen wins second stage in just under four hours


Associated Press



LES ESSARTS, France -- A master of strategy after all these rides, Lance Armstrong did what he had to: He stayed out of trouble.

Armstrong negotiated the second stage of his farewell Tour de France on Sunday, finishing safely in the pack and in 63rd place. Crucially, he avoided danger by steering clear of sprinters jostling for position on a day when several fell, and Belgium's Tom Boonen was the winner.

Armstrong, bidding for a seventh straight Tour de France title, had no intention of trying to win the 112.5-mile run from Challans to Les Essarts, raced in the sunshine in the Vendee region of western France -- once a stronghold of royalist supporters during the French Revolution more than two centuries ago.

Two years ago, Armstrong was part of a 35-man pileup on a similarly flat stage early in the Tour, and was lucky to get away with scratches and bruises.

"These finishes still scare me. I won't miss them," said Armstrong, who is set to retire after the race. "Everybody's a bit nervous, everybody's cracking a little bit."

Boonen won in just under four hours, beating Norway's Thor Hushovd and Australia's Robbie McEwen in a hair-raising dash to the line.

Armstrong took a major step Saturday, eclipsing Jan Ullrich and other main rivals with an outstanding ride on the opening day's time trial. The Texan is in second place overall and two seconds behind fellow U.S. rider David Zabriskie of Team CSC, who had the yellow jersey for a second day.

With a key team time trial Tuesday and Alpine mountain stages looming, Armstrong refrained from needless risks. He has most of the 2,242 miles, Alps and Pyrenees ahead.

In those mountains, fans line the climbs and stand perilously close to riders. A sudden loss of concentration can lead to a nasty fall -- like the one Armstrong had in the Pyrenees in 2003 when he caught a spectator's bag and fell.

Flanked by his protective Discovery Channel teammates, Armstrong managed to take in some scenery Sunday. Riders rolled side by side past wide-open fields while cows grazed lazily and the occasional American flag waved.

Before the start of the stage, hundreds of fans mingled outside his team bus. As they waited, his girlfriend, rock star Sheryl Crow, chatted and signed autographs.

Armstrong is much in demand on his final Tour. Even five-time Tour champion Bernard Hinault had to wait 15 minutes before climbing aboard the bus to see him.

Armstrong thanked his teammates for keeping him out of danger on a day when 10 riders fell.

"My legs were terrible," Armstrong joked. "Actually, I feel pretty good. I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire."

Boonen was delighted with his victory.

"It was a sprint for the strong riders, so it was an advantage for me," he said. "It was not a problem."

He won the stage in 3 hours, 51 minutes, 31 seconds while Hushovd finished in the same time. So did McEwen and Stuart O'Grady, Australians who finished third and fourth.

"I'm pleased to win here and have the green jersey on my shoulders tomorrow [Monday]," Boonen said. The green jersey is awarded to the best overall sprinter.


McEwen, who won the green jersey in 2002 and 2004, was annoyed at himself. "I made a tactical error and attacked too early," he said.

With under less than 1.9 miles remaining, French rider Samuel Dumoulin fell. Caught in the middle of a group of riders, Dumoulin lost control of his bike and it wobbled beneath him, pushing him out of the saddle and forcing others to swerve around him. His left knee was deeply gashed but he is expected to keep riding.

According to Tour race rules, if a rider falls with less than three kilometers (1.9 miles) remaining, those in the main pack are awarded the same time as the winner. In Armstrong's case, this meant he was accorded the same time as Boonen.

Ullrich failed to gain any ground on Armstrong but his 19th-place finish was an improvement on Saturday's time trial.

Although the German is still feeling the effects of crashing through the rear window of his team car during training Friday, Armstrong believes Ullrich remains a serious threat.

"I talked to him today," Armstrong said. "If you go into the back of the car and shatter the window with no helmet on that's got to affect you. So you can't take anything away from him after the way he rode yesterday. He'll be better in a few days time."

Ullrich said he woke up Sunday feeling much better.

"I felt pretty good," he said. "I felt fine and was able to stay with the leaders toward the end of the stage."

Monday's third stage is a flat, 131.8-mile course from La Chataigneraie to Tours and again favors sprinters, meaning Armstrong again will try to avoid trouble.

 

[Hostile]

BTW, Dantheman and Royhitshard, at church today I told David and Carrie that you sent your well wishes. Carrie actually teared up. David just grinned. Thought you'd like to know they appreciated it.

Avery, been very impressed with Zbriskie (sp?) so far. Seems like a pretty humble kid.

 

[Hostile]

Armstrong relieved to stay clear of trouble

Associated Press
Posted: 9 hours ago



LES ESSARTS, France (AP) - A master of strategy after all these rides, Lance Armstrong did what he had to: He stayed out of trouble.

Armstrong negotiated the second stage of his farewell Tour de France on Sunday, finishing safely in the pack and in 63rd place. Crucially, he avoided danger by steering clear of sprinters jostling for position on a day when several fell, and Belgium's Tom Boonen was the winner.

Armstrong, bidding for a seventh straight Tour de France title, had no intention of trying to win the 112.5-mile run from Challans to Les Essarts, raced in the sunshine in the Vendee region of western France - once a stronghold of royalist supporters during the French Revolution more than two centuries ago.

Two years ago, Armstrong was part of a 35-man pileup on a similarly flat stage early in the Tour, and was lucky to get away with scratches and bruises.

"These finishes still scare me. I won't miss them," said Armstrong, who is set to retire after the race. "Everybody's a bit nervous, everybody's cracking a little bit."

Boonen won in just under four hours, beating Norway's Thor Hushovd and Australia's Robbie McEwen in a hair-raising dash to the line.

Armstrong took a major step Saturday, eclipsing Jan Ullrich and other main rivals with an outstanding ride on the opening day's time trial. The Texan is in second place overall and two seconds behind fellow U.S. rider David Zabriskie of Team CSC, who had the yellow jersey for a second day.

With a key team time trial Tuesday and Alpine mountain stages looming, Armstrong refrained from needless risks. He has most of the 2,242 miles, Alps and Pyrenees ahead.

In those mountains, fans line the climbs and stand perilously close to riders. A sudden loss of concentration can lead to a nasty fall - like the one Armstrong had in the Pyrenees in 2003 when he caught a spectator's bag and fell.

Flanked by his protective Discovery Channel teammates, Armstrong managed to take in some scenery Sunday. Riders rolled side by side past wide-open fields while cows grazed lazily and the occasional American flag waved.

Before the start of the stage, hundreds of fans mingled outside his team bus. As they waited, his girlfriend, rock star Sheryl Crow, chatted and signed autographs.

Armstrong is much in demand on his final Tour. Even five-time Tour champion Bernard Hinault had to wait 15 minutes before climbing aboard the bus to see him.

Armstrong thanked his teammates for keeping him out of danger on a day when 10 riders fell.

"My legs were terrible," Armstrong joked. "Actually, I feel pretty good. I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire."

Boonen was delighted with his victory.

"It was a sprint for the strong riders, so it was an advantage for me," he said. "It was not a problem."

He won the stage in 3 hours, 51 minutes, 31 seconds while Hushovd finished in the same time. So did McEwen and Stuart O'Grady, Australians who finished third and fourth.

"I'm pleased to win here and have the green jersey on my shoulders tomorrow (Monday)," Boonen said. The green jersey is awarded to the best overall sprinter.

McEwen, who won the green jersey in 2002 and 2004, was annoyed at himself.

"I made a tactical error and attacked too early," he said.

With under less than 1.9 miles remaining, French rider Samuel Dumoulin fell. Caught in the middle of a group of riders, Dumoulin lost control of his bike and it wobbled beneath him, pushing him out of the saddle and forcing others to swerve around him. His left knee was deeply gashed but he is expected to keep riding.

According to Tour race rules, if a rider falls with less than three kilometers (1.9 miles) remaining, those in the main pack are awarded the same time as the winner. In Armstrong's case, this meant he was accorded the same time as Boonen.

Ullrich failed to gain any ground on Armstrong but his 19th-place finish was an improvement on Saturday's time trial.

Although the German is still feeling the effects of crashing through the rear window of his team car during training Friday, Armstrong believes Ullrich remains a serious threat.

"I talked to him today," Armstrong said. "If you go into the back of the car and shatter the window with no helmet on that's got to affect you. So you can't take anything away from him after the way he rode yesterday. He'll be better in a few days time."

Ullrich said he woke up Sunday feeling much better.

"I felt pretty good," he said. "I felt fine and was able to stay with the leaders toward the end of the stage."

Monday's third stage is a flat, 131.8-mile course from La Chataigneraie to Tours and again favors sprinters, meaning Armstrong again will try to avoid trouble.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 4, 2005, 11:41 AM ET
Armstrong looks to avoid trouble with much race left


Associated Press



LA CHATAIGNERAIE, France -- Lance Armstrong's team is concerned that its great start has been too good too early in the Tour de France.

George Hincapie, a vital cog in all of Armstrong's Tour wins, thinks the race won't stay as easy as it was the first two days.

"The race is three weeks long, there's a long way to go," Hincapie said Sunday. "We're not that confident."

Armstrong began the third stage of his farewell race Monday, setting out on a long, flat route with the Texan looking to stay out of trouble.

The 133-mile trek from La Chataigneraie to Tours generally favors sprinters, meaning Armstrong will try to stay in the main pack and away from potential crashes as riders near the front jostle for position.

That strategy worked during the second stage when Armstrong saw 10 riders fall during the 113-mile trek from Challans to Les Essarts. The six-time defending champion finished 63rd, safely in the main pack to stay second overall.

He led Jan Ullrich of Germany and Ivan Basso of Italy by more than a minute, with Kazakhstan rider Alexandre Vinokourov 51 seconds behind.

Hincapie thinks Ullrich's T-Mobile team, which included Vinokourov and Andreas Kloeden, last year's runner-up, was poised for a rebound.

"They're fighters and they'll keep on fighting," he said. "There's no rest until Paris."

Ullrich's hopes for a second Tour victory were dealt a severe blow on Friday when he crashed into the back of his team car during a training run, cutting his neck close to the jugular vein.

He looked demoralized during Saturday's time trial -- conceding 66 seconds to Armstrong -- but appeared determined again Sunday while placing 19th just behind the front-runners in a dangerous sprint stage won by Belgian Tom Boonen.

Boonen won in 3 hours, 51 minutes, 31 seconds, edging Norway's Thor Hushovd and Australian Robbie McEwen in a dash to the line.

Armstrong didn't think Ullrich's accident would keep the 1997 Tour winner down for long.

"I don't put a lot of stock into what happened," Armstrong said. "I crashed 10 days ago, and it took me four or five days to recover. He'll be better in a few days' time. The race goes to Germany, so he has to get better."

With a team time trial Tuesday and the torturous Alps and Pyrenees looming, Armstrong's rivals still have time to catch up.

American David Zabriskie of Team CSC wore the overall race leader's yellow jersey Monday.

Armstrong is 2 seconds back in second place, but will likely wait until Tuesday's time trial before attempting to overtake his former U.S. Postal Service teammate.

Zabriskie is coached by 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis, who has told him he needs to make some more sacrifices if he wants to win the Tour one day.

"Bjarne told me I need to lose more weight," Zabriskie said. "But when I look in the mirror, I think I'm already really skinny and I can't see how I can lose any more. I have to be careful otherwise I'll start losing muscle."

While Armstrong's Discovery Channel teammates protected him from any harm, French rider Samuel Dumoulin fell with less than 1.9 miles remaining. Caught in the middle of a group of riders, Dumoulin lost control of his bike and received a deep gash to his left knee but is expected to continue.

According to Tour race rules, if a rider falls with under 1.9 miles remaining, those in the main pack are awarded the same time as the race winner. In Armstrong's case, this meant he was accorded the same time as Boonen.

 

[royhitshard]

Armstrong takes over yellow jersey
Discovery Channel team wins time trial in fourth stage; Zabriskie crashes

BREAKING NEWS
NBCSports.com news services
Updated: 11:30 a.m. ET July 5, 2005


TOURS, France - Lance Armstrong’s Discovery Channel squad won the team time trial of the Tour de France on Tuesday, handing the six-time champion the yellow jersey as overall race leader.

The 33-year-old Texan led his squad to victory for the third straight year in the time trial, clocking 1 hour, 10 minutes, 40 seconds for the 41.85-mile trek from Tours to Blois. Team CSC was second.

Former leader David Zabriskie, also of the United States, crashed in the final portion of the race and had to limp across the line late behind the rest of his CSC team.

More details to come from NBCSports.com.

© 2005 NBC Sports.com
© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8472117/

 

[royhitshard]

BTW, Dantheman and Royhitshard, at church today I told David and Carrie that you sent your well wishes. Carrie actually teared up. David just grinned. Thought you'd like to know they appreciated it.QUOTE]


I think we all know of somebody who is fighting cancer or some other disease and they need to know they have people who are thinking about them and pray for their quick recoveries. Thanks for passing on the kind words Hos.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 6, 2005, 4:58 PM ET
Sprint finish goes to Australian


Associated Press



MONTARGIS, France -- No yellow jersey Wednesday. No race Thursday.

It didn't take Lance Armstrong long to make up his mind.

The six-time defending Tour de France champion tried to start the day without the leader's yellow jersey on his back, a gesture of sportsmanship to honor the former bearer, who lost it when he crashed a day earlier.

Race officials, though, wouldn't hear of it.

So the 33-year-old Texan relented and then cruised to another day in the overall lead.

"It's nice to have the yellow jersey, but it's not critical. The one that matters the most is July 24th," he said, referring to the last day of the grueling race.

Armstrong captured the race lead Tuesday from compatriot David Zabriskie, a Team CSC rider and former Armstrong teammate, who crashed into a barricade in the final moments of the team time trial.

Out of "respect" for Zabriskie, Armstrong set off in the pre-race ride wearing his blue and white Discovery Channel uniform -- but race officials stopped everybody before the starting line and asked Armstrong to put on le maillot jaune.

"There was no problem, just a little confusion in the beginning, having not started in the jersey," Armstrong said. "I didn't feel that it was right to start in the jersey."

Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc then got strict about the rule book, which states that the overall race leader "must wear" the yellow jersey.

"There was no negotiation," Armstrong told France-2 television. "Jean-Marie said: 'You don't start in the jersey, and you don't start tomorrow.' So I said 'OK.'

"It didn't feel right to take the jersey on somebody else's misfortune, but Jean-Marie had other ideas," he said. "I wanted to try and do the right thing and make some sort of a sporting gesture."

Zabriskie expressed appreciation for it, and said Armstrong had spoken to him after the race: "He was nice."

Declining to wear the yellow jersey after its bearer crashes is nothing new. In 1971, the great Eddy Merckx took the race lead after a spill by Luis Ocana, but opted not to wear the jersey the next day. In 1998, Britain's Chris Boardman crashed in stage two and Germany's Erik Zabel decided not to don the yellow shirt for the third stage.

Spared the crashes and strokes of bad luck that have befuddled others, Armstrong enjoys some breathing space between his main rivals in his quest for a seventh straight Tour victory.

He leads T-Mobile rider Alexandre Vinokourov by 1:21, CSC's Ivan Basso by 1:26 and Jan Ullrich -- the 1997 Tour winner -- by 1:36. Ullrich was banged up in a training session a day before the Tour start and has not been in top form.

Armstrong's game plan is to ride safe and easy through the early stages of the three-week race, waiting for the mountain stages, where he excels, to try to chisel out bigger gaps. He won't go all-out now to hold the lead: His main goal is to wear yellow on the last race day.

On Wednesday, the nervous pack battled wind, intermittent rain and slick roads, and there were several crashes. Basso got caught up in one and suffered road rash on one leg.