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Course: Unlike the easy finish in 2003, up the Atlantic coast, this year’s Tour sees a series of difficult stages through the Massif Central. The last 60km of this stage includes a challenging Cat. 2 climb out of the Tarn Gorge, a Cat. 3 climb at 15km to go, a swift downhill into the Lot valley at Mende, and a severe 14-percent Cat. 2 climb in the final 1.5km. History: In the only Tour stage finish at Mende, in 1995, Laurent Jalabert used the closing Croix-Neuve climb to drop his longtime breakaway companions and score a memorable Bastille Day stage victory. Favorites: Depending on the

The third week of the Tour de France often becomes many races within one. Thursday's 189km stage 18 from Albi to Mende was one of those days. Riders desperate for a stage victory to "save" their Tours were off the front attacking over the hilly, five-climb course through France's Massif Central. And the overall contenders were cooling their jets until the day's final climb, anxious to either drop rivals ahead of them on the GC, make up time they've lost on previous days or, at least in the case of Ivan Basso, take one last swing for the fences. Marcos Serrano, a Spanish

We’ve had the Alps and the Pyrénées. Now comes the Massif Central, with three challenging stages that will decide the final outcome of the 2005 Tour de France. At 189km, Thursday’s stage 18 is the longest of the three. It’s also likely to be the hottest of the three, with a blazing sun and forecast temperatures in the upper-80s. The heat will make this stage particularly difficult as there’s not much shade on the limestone plateaus that the course traverses in the Aveyron and Lozère regions. The last 80 kilometers are particularly difficult starting with a Cat.3 climb just before the race

1. Marcos Serrano (Sp), Liberty Seguros, 189km in 4:37:36 (40.85kph)2. Cedric Vasseur (F), Cofidis, 00:273. Axel Merckx (B), Davitamon-Lotto, 00:274. Xabier Zandio (Sp), Illes Balears, 01:085. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 01:086. Thomas Voeckler (F), Bouygues Telecom, 01:287. Luke Roberts (Aus), CSC, 01:288. Matthias Kessler (G), T-Mobile, 01:449. Egoi Martinez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 02:0310. Carlos Da Cruz (F), Francaise des Jeux, 02:38 11. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 11:1812. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 11:1813. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 11:1814. Jan Ullrich

Lance Armstrong will kick start his retirement years with 600 of his best friends during a huge blowout Sunday night in Paris. Armstrong’s illustrious career will be feted in the private affair at the Paris Ritz hotel in the heart of Paris. The A-list guest ledger includes top Hollywood and political movers and shakers. “This year we’re doing more of a celebration of Lance and his accomplishments,” said Dan Osipow, Discovery Channel team spokesman. “Win or lose, we’re going to celebrate Lance’s career, but we’re hoping we’re going to win.” More than 600 invited guests along with riders,

Ten-speed chains and ConneX linksDear Lennard,I've broken two 10-speed chains, but since using ConneX links I have not had a problem. I use the ConneX chain and the Campy chain and the connecting link seems like one of the best bits of design ever. Are they being used in the peloton, and if not, why not?Peter Dear Lennard,Given the tight tolerances of 10-speed chains and the importance of correct reassembly, why don't teams use ConneX links? I understand that these work very well with either Campy or Shimano chains, as well as with Wippermann.Mark Dear Mark and Peter,Master links

Hey Bob,Last week some guy opened the door on his truck just as I was passing by him and I couldn't avoid running into the door. I have a large gash in my forehead and my Giant is totaled. The guy's insurance company originally was very nice, but yesterday I received a letter in which they blamed me for “riding too close to the parked cars” and “failing to keep a look out” and stated that they are “not accepting liability” in the matter. Am I out of luck?J.F.Seattle, Washington Dear J.F.,Don’t let a letter from the insurance company scare you away from a potential claim. We have all

Attention Retailers:Be sure to hold on to your 2005 Official Tour de France Guides! They will be in high demand for the remainder of the year. The Guide should be displayed until September 14th. Please do not send in returns until after this date. Call 1-800-494-1413 (option 2) with any related questions.

Stage 18 - Albi to Mende >189km

Stage 18 - Albi to Mende >189km

Serrano scores one for the Liberty squad

The KMC chain and master link used by Liberty Seguros

Cañada's prototype Rotor Q-Ring

A fiddly adjustment, that

Vasseur, Kessler and the others posed no threat on GC

The Massif Central is beautiful but a tough ride

Merckx and Vasseur try to bring Serrano back

Serrano still had enough to attack

Ullrich isn't giving up without a fight

Julich is heading to Paris with his best result since 1998

Course: At 239.5km, this is the longest stage of the 2005 Tour. There’s rolling terrain throughout, but the key to victory could be the closing 12km loop at Revel, which includes the Cat. 3 St-Ferréol climb 7km from the finish line. History: The last two times that a stage has finished in Revel, two-man breakaways have arrived to contest the finishing sprint. In 1995, it was Sergej Uchakov who outthought a youthful Lance Armstrong, while in 2000, on an almost identical course as this year’s, Erik Dekker got the better of Santiago Botero. Favorites: Long-distance specialists like Rabobank’s

With five stages to go and with 10 teams still without a stage win, competition is again going to be fierce on Wednesday’s 239.5km jaunt from Pau to Revel, which is the longest stage of the 2005 Tour de France. As on virtually every other road stage to date, expect attacks right from the start until the right combination of riders and teams is together. On Tuesday, the first substantial move by 13 men didn’t work because Discovery Channel’s Yaroslav Popovych was in the mix. The next, from 11 riders, also seemed a little suspect because then 12th-placed Cadel Evans slipped into the break. In

Two-time Giro d’Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli finally left his mark on the Tour de France in his fourth start in the race by winning Wednesday's stage 16 from Pau to Revel. Under a cloudless sky, the 32-year-old Italian and Discovery Channel teammate of race leader Lance Armstrong, won the 239.5km stage by coming from behind to outlast CSC’s Norwegian Kurt-Asle Arvesen. In third place, eight seconds back, was Australian Tour rookie Simon Gerrans (AG2R), followed at 11 seconds by Frenchman Sébastien Hinault (Crédit Agricole).He was the last member of a four-man splinter group that was

Stage Results1. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery Channel, 5:41:192. Arvesen Kurt-Asle (Nor), CSC, 00:003. Simons Gerrans (Aus), Ag2r Prevoyance, 00:084. Sebastien Hinault (F), Credit Agricole, 00:115. Andriy Grivko (Ukr), Domina Vacanze, 00:246. Oscar Sevilla (Sp), T-Mobile, 00:517. Bram Tankink (Nl), Quickstep, 00:518. Daniele Righi (I), Lampre, 00:539. Samuel Dumoulin (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 03:1410. Allan Davis (Aus), Liberty Seguros, 03:14 11. Pierrick Fedrigo (F), Bouygues Telecom, 03:1412. Dario Cioni (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 03:1413. Rubiera Jose Luis (Sp), Discovery Channel, 03:1414.

Alexandre Vinokourov has had his fill of T-Mobile. After five successful years with the German communications corporation, the “Kamikaze Kazakh” is looking for a new challenge. “He wants to ride somewhere as a captain, lead a team in the Tour,” says team manager Olaf Ludwig, soberly. Adds Vinokourov, who is ranked ninth in this Tour, almost 10 minutes behind Lance Armstrong: “I want to win the Tour de France in the coming years.” At the start of Wednesday’s stage in Pau, Vinokourov said he would make an official announcement in Paris, adding somewhat jokingly, “For me there is either

How many Pro Tour teams ride tubies?Dear Lennard,Approximately what percentage of Pro Tour teams rides tubular tires? A friend and I recently debated this topic. We agreed that team members rode whatever tire sponsors provided, but we couldn't agree on what percentage of Pro Tour teams rode tubular tires. A ballpark estimate would be appreciated and will determine who buys post-ride ales for the next few weeks.Bart Dear Lennard,I realize from your recent article that several teams are using tubeless tires at this year's Tour. That seems like the way of the future, but as for the ways

Two successive stages of the Tour de France this week put the same rider – Phonak’s Oscar Pereiro – on to both sides of the same question, namely when is a rider obligated to pull through in a breakaway? In stage 16 George Hincapie found himself in a breakaway group on what had to be the toughest stage of this Tour de France. As you know, Hincapie is a teammate and real workhorse for Lance Armstrong, the overall leader of the Tour. As a result, it’s well understood that Hincapie had absolutely no obligation to pull through as the break moved away from the peloton. Even though it was

Whither Vinokourov?The official announcement that Alexandre Vinokourov is leaving T-Mobile at the end of this season has set the tongues wagging at the Tour de France. Rumor had it that Vinokourov was headed to Discovery Channel even before Wednesday’s news, but team officials say the blond Kazakh isn’t necessarily on their wish list. “Vino’ is one o the top riders in the peloton, but I never thought of Vino’ as a candidate of winning the Tour,” said Discovery Channel boss Johan Bruyneel. “He’s an interesting rider, but he’s interesting for everybody.” Instead, Discovery Channel was hoping

Stage 17 - Pau to Revel >239.5km

Stage 17 - Pau to Revel >239.5km

Savoldelli notches another win for Discovery

Periero was out of gas at the end of stage 15...

... and had plenty left the next time around

And just in case you thought you'd get through a Tour without a sunflower shot. . . .

Sevilla leads the break

Savoldelli was irked by Hinault's refusal to work

Discovery was happy to see a break go

Savoldelli comes from behind for the win

And here's another. . . .

Hinault at the front

Armstrong has a snack as Landis, Evans and Moreau get their lunch eaten by T-Mobile's attacks

Fedrigo triggers a split

Course: Following the second rest day (at Pau), this final Pyrenean stage features two of the region’s toughest climbs, the Cat. 1 Marie-Blanque and hors-cat Aubisque. But after the final descent, there’s still 50km of mostly flat roads to negotiate before the finish. History: Pau has hosted 53 stage finishes since first being included on the Tour route in 1930. The last time a stage finished here after scaling the Aubisque was in 1993, when Italian Claudio Chiappucci saved his until-then-failed Tour with a stage win over a small breakaway group. Favorites: This stage is likely to be

Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said he wasn’t quite ready to decide on his post-cycling career path until after he finishes this year’s race and takes “a few years to just relax and really evaluate what I want to do with my life.” Armstrong held a pre-Tour press conference in Challans, France. Thursday, two days before the start of what he has promised will be his final professional race. Armstrong will saddle up on Saturday hoping that the "tough" 19km time trial from Fromentine to Noirmoutier will begin a successful final trek around the country which has been his home every July

Less than 48 hours after taking second to George Hincapie atop the hardest mountaintop finish of the 92nd Tour de France, Spanish rider Oscar Pereiro replaced the bitterness of that loss with the biggest victory of his career by winning a four-up sprint into Pau at the end of Tuesday's 180.5km stage 16. "It's a spine that I've taken out of my back," Pereiro said after edging Xabier Zandio (Illes Balears) to claim Phonak's first stage win of the Tour after two second places. "I'm happy with the big win today. It makes me forget the disappointment of Sunday." Tuesday's

With the second rest day behind them, the 158 riders still racing the 92nd Tour de France face Tuesday’s third Pyrenean stage with diverse ambitions: Michael Rasmussen is hoping he can keep his third place on GC all the way to Paris. Cadel Evans is still seeking a place in the top 10. And Americans Levi Leipheimer, Floyd Landis and Chris Horner would all dearly love to win a stage. Then there are this Tour’s “failed” climbers, Can men like Santiago Botero, Roberto Heras and Iban Mayo find redemption on this last day in the high mountains? Stage 16 is not an easy one. It features four

Stage Results1. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Phonak, 4:38:40 2. Xabier Zandio (Sp), Illes Balears, 00:003. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Lampre, 00:004. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 00:005. Philippe Gilbert (B), Francaise des Jeux, 02:256. Anthony Geslin (F), Bouygues Telecom, 02:257. Jorg Ludewig (G), Domina Vacanze, 02:258. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo, 02:259. Ludovic Turpin (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 02:2510. Cedric Vasseur (F), Cofidis, 02:25 11. Marcos Serrano (Sp), Liberty Seguros, 02:2812. Jerome Pineau (F), Bouygues Telecom, 02:3213. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 03:2414.

By now, if you’ve looked the results for today’s stage, you’ll know I didn’t make the start this morning in Mourenx. As I said yesterday, I was hoping for a minor miracle overnight and it just didn’t happen. Instead, this morning the doctor told me that I had full-on bronchitis and that if I did continue to ride, it would just get worse and affect my health and fitness for the rest of the season. I don’t like doing this, but I am catching a flight back home to Wales tomorrow and am spending the day today getting ready to head home… and watching the Tour on TV. My best to all of you and

Czech rider Ondrej Sosenka set a new world hour cycling record at Moscow's Krylatskoye Olympic indoor track on Tuesday, Russian cycling federation deputy president Yury Kucheryavy told AFP. Sosenka covered a distance of 49.700km, beating British cyclist Chris Boardman's mark of 49.441km, set in 2000 in Manchester, England. The Czech rider was under Boardman's record from the outset, recording a time of 1:15.01 (to 1:17.891) for the opening kilometer. He went through the 5km point over three seconds up, and by 25km had extended his advantage to just under seven seconds. This

Jan Ullrich's T-Mobile teammates Andréas Klöden and Matthias Kessler may not make it to the start line for the 17th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday, because of injuries the two sustained in crash on Tuesday. Klöden, runner-up in last year’s Tour, was involved with Kessler in a crash early in the stage held over 180.5km from Mourenx to Pau. It later emerged that Klöden has fractured a bone in his left wrist, and is unsure of starting Wednesday's 17th stage - at 239.5km the longest of the race and over undulating terrain. Klöden went on to finish the stage nonetheless, and

The 16th stage of the Tour de France and at the start of the day, our man Casey Gibson gets caught up in a small demonstration on the course. A group of locals were protesting the reintroduction of bears to the Pyrénées and since the riot troops were called out, Gibson opted to shoot from a distance.

For most of the 10 Australians in this year’s Tour de France, Tuesday's 180.5km 16th stage from Mourenx to Pau marked the second time in 48 hours they mourned the tragic loss of a fellow rider. On Sunday's 15th stage, many wore an armband to commemorate the 1994 death of Italian Olympic gold medallist Fabio Casartelli who was killed in a horrible crash descending the Pyrénées on July 18 of that year. On Tuesday, they did so again, this time to mark the passing of a compatriot, Amy Gillett, who was killed in Germany as she and her teammates were preparing for the Thuringen Rundfahrt.

Leipheimer says this Tour the hardest…Levi Leipheimer says this is the hardest Tour de France of the four in which he has competed. The American leader of the Gerolsteiner team says the aggressive racing has been great for spectators, but hard on the riders. “The speed has obviously been higher, the competition is thicker, and I think the transfers have made it really hard,” said Leipheimer at the start of Stage 15 in Mourenx. “We haven’t had all that many mountaintop finishes, but it seems like there’s been a lot of climbing, and the races have opened up farther from the finish than

Top Australian cyclist Amy Gillett was killed and five compatriots injured on Monday when a car plowed into them when they were training in eastern Germany. Gillett, 29, took up competitive cycling in 2000, having rowed for Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The rider from Ballarat, Victoria, was married to world champion oarsman Simon Gillett and was considered a medal favorite for next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Gillett won bronze in the 2005 Australian road time trial championship and had been racing at top level for five years. "Amy was a unique athlete who

For eight long years, Germans have hoped that Jan Ullrich would one again win the Tour de France. His 1997 Tour de France victory electrified the nation and made cycling enthusiasts of his countrymen. After last weekend, however, it is finally beginning to dawn on Germans that there may never be a second victory. The weekly newsmagazine Der Spiegel writes that Ullrich has spent his best years battling a better rider, a unique man: “For sure Ullrich will continue to hold on to his dream of winning the Tour again for another year. He has announced that he will continue to fight – as he has

Stage 16 - Mourenx to Pau >180.5km

Stage 16 - Mourenx to Pau >180.5km

Armstrong works his way through a crowd of reporters to attend a pre-Tour press conference in Challans on Thursday.

Armstrong and his Discovery Channel teammates reconnoiter Saturday's time trial course.

Pereiro would not be denied on Tuesday

Evans drives the break

In his 78th yellow jersey, Armstrong is now tied with Bernard Hinault for the number of days in the lead of the TdF

Evans goes on the attack

Horner was among the day's escapees, but was eventually reeled in by Armstrong and Co.

Do not fool with those people.

Leader of the demonstration is requested to move on.

Those great TV images come from moto bikes like this... once they get it fixed.

The OLN crew gets the same treatment at the barrier as the rest of the crowd.

Just happy to be there: A few of the junior riders honored Wednesday had a hard time keeping their focus. (Save this picture. One of these guys might win a Tour some day.)

The view from the top of the Col d' Aubisque.

Flecha attacks.

Pereiro pushes it on the descent.

Pereiro erases the memory of losing to Hincapie

Vino' (surprise, surprise) on the attack

Hincapie, back on the job

The Evans escape

Heras, with Vino', tried to salvage something from another disappointing Tour

Ullrich takes a licking, but keeps on ticking

Rasmussen is a lock for the polka-dot jersey, if he makes it to Paris