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At last, the massive mountains of the Alps and Pyrénées are behind the riders of the Tour de France. After a brutal six-day stretch of racing, the riders will have one more rest day on Monday, followed by the final six stages which will take them to the finish in Paris. With 14 stages in the books, American Lance Armstrong leaves the mountains with an almost insurmountable lead in the overall race. Armstrong was the dominant force in the mountains, but on Sunday, the weekend in the Pyrénées concluded with a hugely popular win for Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Roberto Laiseka. Of the three Pyrénéan

After Lance Armstrong found on L’Alpe d’Huez that he wanted a 22 and did not have it, he did something about it for the beyond-category climbs of the Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden today. He once again used a 12-23, but it was not a standard cog distribution. He had an extra two-tooth gap lower down and used one-tooth gaps at the top. The smallest two cogs were titanium on his cassette, while the last seven of his nine cogs were blue aluminum Specialities T.A. on his Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL wheel. The top three cogs were 21-22-23 (so the entire set went 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-22-23). The front inner

The press gauntlet, the front-row presentation, and the winding road to the finish (and Jumbotron) at Luz-Ardiden.

SAINT-LARY-SOULAN: (Sorry about the delay with yesterday's journal folks, I couldn't get online!) I don't know that I've ridden a lot of stages more difficult than today. When we came to preview the course in May we realized this day was probably going to be one of the most critical of the Tour de France. There was no mercy - just up and down and back up again. Good bike karma has not been on my side much at this edition of the Tour de France. For the third time in this year's race my bike had mechanical issues. For the second time, the derailer on my climbing broke. There's nothing

Fabien Barel’s breakout season rolled on at NORBA National No. 4 at Mammoth Mountain in California. The 20-year-old Frenchman bombed his way down the loose dirt of the new 1.7-mile "Bullet" downhill, just nipping Global Racing’s Mick Hannah by .92 seconds. Barel (GT) was the only rider to post a sub four-minute time, stopping the clock in 3:59.24. Greg Minnaar (Global Racing), Mickael Pascal (Be One), and John Kirkaldie (Maxxis) completed the podium places. "I tried to go easy at the top because it’s flatter at the bottom and I knew I’d need maximum energy," said Barel, who is leading the

Green simply powered away from the field.

Dunlap got her second short track win of 2001.

Hesjedal took the front at the start, but soon crashed out.

Green gets his second win of the weekend.

Muxlo finally got her first win.

Carter took out all of the game's heavy hitters.

A Basque racing in the Pyrenees. That's cycling's equivalent to the home-court advantage for Laiseka.

Armstrong's aluminum T.A. cogset had a 21-22-23 on top. Even with a sparking clean chain and cogs in the morning, they still pick up this much grime during a seven-hour stage in perfect weather conditions.

Lance's climbing bike is tuned everywhere to eliminate excess weight. The large cylindrical-head titanium caliper pivot bolt replaced the standard domed-head pivot bolt. Bolts everywhere on the bike have been changed to minimize weight.

Roberto Heras was awesome today on this bike. Better yet, he, like his teammates, has eyelets on his dropouts and could have mounted a rack and packed a lunch!

Photogs stake out the start line, waiting for Lance to show up in his new yellow jersey.

On the start line today. From left: Oscar Sevilla, best under 25 rider; Jalabert in climber's jersey; Lance in Yellow; and O'Grady in the sprinter's green jersey.

The Coca Cola break dancers performing in front of the city fountain at the village. A little cultural juxtaposition.

The labarynth of switchbacks that make up the finish at Luz-Ardiden.

Hamilton in the big mountains.

A view of the climb to Luz-Ardiden, with the giant TV screen and fans on the point, framed by the Pyrenees.

Julich's group had 3:20 on the peloton as they started up Col d’Aspin.

Telekom led the chase, while Armstrong rode shotgun on Ullrich.

The epic 'dangerous stages' are done, Armstrong said after the day.

Barel on his was to the win.

Giove won her third straight NORBA downhill.

The women's podium: Streb, Repo, Giove, Donovan and Connolly

4:18 p.m. Simon has finished at 13:20 behind Armstrong. He has lost the yellow jersey to the American. 4:14 p.m. Simon is still on the road and the clock has just passed the nine-minute mark. Armstrong has the yellow jersey. 4:12 p.m. We have now passed the 7:00 mark and Simon has more than 2km to go. The yellow jersey will move from Simon to Armstrong today. 4:08 p.m. Beloki and Heras have finished at 1:46 for third and fourth. Garzelli has taken fifth. Jalabert has finished in seventh at 3:06. Cofidis's Kivilev has finished 4:02 behind Armstrong. Simon is stll way down on the

Lance Armstrong has beaten down all of his opponents at the Tour de France in the past five days, and when he finally took over the yellow jersey of race leader on Saturday, the signs were everywhere. He rode away from Jan Ullrich, the grit on the German’s face and the dirt streaking his jersey a fitting symbol of the psychological beating he has taken at Armstrong’s hands. Joseba Beloki rolled across the finish line in utter exhaustion, a string of drool hanging from his chin, after trying to stay with Armstrong on the most difficult day of the race. Santiago Botero bowed his head and buried

Stage Winner: Lance Armstrong - 5:44:22 ---------------------------------- Overall Lead: Lance Armstrong (USA) U.S. Postal Service Sprinter: Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole Climber: Laurent Jalabert (F) CSC Under 25: Oscar Sevilla (Sp), Kelme

It was a photographer's dream: A beautiful sunny day at the Tour and lots and lots of scenics. But for the guys in the peloton the theme wasn't quite sunshine and scenic vistas. It was pretty much climb, climb, climb and then climb some more.

CSC-Tiscali's Laurent Jalabert said after the stage finish in Ax les Thermes yesterday that he was going to get the polka-dot climber's jersey today on St. Lary Soulan. That seemed not to be such a slam dunk as he intimated, as he would start the day with 106 points to the 127 points of Laurent Roux (Jean Delatour). When Roux picked up 20 more points on the Col du Portet d'Aspet to Jalabert's goose egg, even devoted Jalabert fans might have begun to doubt. But then JaJa went on an impressive solo breakaway and got the first-place KOM points on the Col de Menté, Col du Portillon, Col de

Following its incredible opening week, the Crédit Agricole team came down from its high once the race hit the Alps. G.C. hopeful Bobby Julich struggled on the stage to Alpe d’Huez and the time trial to Chamrousse. Then, after two solid rides in the Alpes, Jonathan Vaughters had problems of his own in the Pyrénées. Following Friday’s stage to Ax-Les-Thermes, Julich said that the first week had definitely taken it’s toll. "I did use a lot of energy the first week, as did the rest of the team," he said, "but you know, we won the team time trial, we had seven days in yellow, which was amazing

A castle overlooking the start in Foix.

One of the day's two biggies looked serious at the start

Frederick Guesdon leads two teammates through a turn on the first climb.

Euskaltel fans took over one entire climb of today's race. One entire mountain of crazy ... er enthusiastic Basques!

The incredible climb to the summit of Col de Val-Louron-Azet.

The village of Saint-Lary-Soulet below, and the day’s final climb to the Pla d'Adet ski area at the upper left.

Armstrong powering his way up a climb by himself is becoming a familiar sight at this Tour

Jalabert led the charge and then stayed out on his own almost until the end.

And again, it came down to a two-man battle

5:19 p.m. – (local time) Felix Cardenas (Kelme) won the 12th stage of the Tour de France, a tough 166.5km mountain stage from Perpignan to Aix les Therme on Friday. It was the first Tour de France victory for 28-year-old Cardenas and the tenth ever for a Colombian rider France's Francois Simon of the Bonjour team holds the overall leader's yellow jersey for the second day. Cardenas came in some 15 seconds ahead of Spaniard Roberto Laiseka and defending Tour champion Lance Armstrong of the U.S. Postal team who left Telekom's Jan Ullrich in the final 2km. At the finishing line Armstrong

Stop No. 4 of the NORBA National Championship Series kicks off Friday at Mammoth Mountain. It will mark the 13th time — every year of its existence — that the NORBA series has come to this growing four-season resort town, which sits high up in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada range. Friday’s action will feature cross-country racing with the pro women slated to get going at 11 a.m. local time, followed by the men at 2 p.m. The biggest challenge for all the competitors will be the thin air, as much of the cross-country course rises above 8000 feet.

On Friday, the Tour de France entered the Pyrénées, for the start of a weekend in the mountains that will most likely decide the final outcome of the Tour de France. After a day to fly from the Alps to the mountains that separate France from Spain, and to recover a little from the two mountain stages in the Alps, the Tour resumed with Kelme-Costa Blanca’s Felix Cardenas scoring the stage victory, but it also saw Lance Armstrong show off a little more of his arsenal as he again took time out of all his rivals. On the course profile, Stage 12 from Perpignan to Ax-Les-Thermes looked like the

Dutch cyclist Bram de Groot suffered severe concussion after a horrific crash during the 12th stage of the Tour de France from Perpignan to Ax-les-Thermes Friday. A medical source said that the 26-year-old Rabobank rider, who failed to negotiate a bend during the descent from Jau and crashed into a rock before colliding with a security barrier, was in a coma in hospital in Perpignan. Gerard Porte, the Tour de France's chief doctor, said: "Initial scanner and radiograph tests carried out have come back negative. The rider is currently undergoing further examination." "At 1800 (10:00

Stage Winner: Félix Cardenas (Col) Kelme, 166.5km in 5:03:34 (B) 4:35:47----------------------------------Overall Lead: François Simon (F) BonjourSprinter: Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit AgricoleClimber: Laurent Roux (F) Jean DelatourUnder 25: Oscar Sevilla (Sp) Kelme-Costa Blanca Click below for full results

From the start in Perpignan and on the road to Ax-les-Thermes.

For the second straight year Australian Mary Grigson (Subaru-Gary Fisher) blew away the field in the NORBA NCS cross country at Mammoth Mountain in California. Grigson finished the four-lap, 23.3-mile race around a windy, dusty track in 2:10:43, 1:42 ahead of second-place finisher and teammate, Chrissy Redden. GT’s Alison Dunlap was next across the line, 4:01 behind Grigson. Jimena Florit (RLX Polo Sport) and Ruthie Matthes (Trek-Volkswagen) rounded out the podium places. Friday’s win at the fourth of five NCS stops almost assures Grigson of her second straight NORBA series title because

After two very tough weeks, Roland Green’s string of bad luck came to an end Friday at NORBA National No. 4 at Mammoth Mountain in California. The Canadian Trek-Volkswagen rider took the front during the third of five laps, then pulled away from his pursuers to win the 29.3-mile race in 2:18:05. Countryman Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) was next across the line, 1:16 back of Green. New Zealand’s Kashi Leuchs (Volvo-Cannondale) was third, another :36 back. As Green crossed the finish line he pumped his fist emphatically, then told a gathering of reporters, "The curse is over!" Green’s

It was windy today (Friday, July 20). At the start (in Perpignon, on the southeastern coast), it was a head-crosswind. The attacks started before first climb. U.S. Postal and even some Bonjour riders took control of the race a bit. With the wind, groups went away, but kept coming back. On first descent, we caught that first group with Vinokourov in it. Despite the course profile, it was pretty uneventful today. We rode this stage once during training. I knew the first climb wasn’t very steep, and I could kind of picture happening what did. The climbs were short and weren’t steep enough to

Simon remains in the yellow jersey - despite losing four minutes today.

The Postal team kept the gaps to a manageable level

Armstrong stayed put for much of the climb to Aix-les-Thermes

Cardenes at the start. And how did Casey know to snap a shot of him? Beats us...but nice work.

This morning Armstrong was presented with a miniature reproduction of the Fabio Casartelli memorial -- a site the race will be passing tomorrow.

Though the stage was in France, the architechture reflects a strong Spanish influence.

And if the architechture wasn't a clue, the flags were a sure sign of who the fans are cheering for..

The flags say it all.

OLN and CBS commentator Jessie Greico shares a moment with George Hincapie. They were teammates on the 1991 world junior team.

For the first week of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong had little to say to the media, usually only a few brief words on leaving the team bus to go to sign-in in the morning, or after the race going from the bus to the car taking him to the team hotel. But after his consecutive stage wins in the Alps, the two-time defending champion spoke at length during the obligatory stage-winner’s press conferences. Among the issues that the U.S. Postal Service leader addressed were the upcoming stages in the Pyrénées, his continued improvement year after year, and his relationship with his former

It had been rumored for some time, and now it’s official: Mountain cross will be contested at the NORBA NCS finals at Mount Snow, Vermont. The four-rider, dual-hybrid event will take place on Sunday, August 19, after the downhill finals. Practice and qualifying is tentatively set for Thursday, August 16. Mountain cross made its primetime debut in March at the Sea Otter Classic and drew mostly rave reviews. At Mount Snow the jumps won’t be quite as big , but that should allow for tighter racing. As he did at Sea Otter, pro downhill/slalom racer Eric Carter will design the course at Mount

On the time trial stages in the Tour de France, journalists have the option of following behind one of the riders to get from the start to the finish of the stage. You might think that on the uphill test to Chamrousse, well, that’s a no-brainer. Follow Lance. Or Ullrich. Or Beloki. Of course, things are never so simple. For one thing, most of us would prefer to get to the pressroom at the finish before those big hitters have started, so that we can monitor their progress all the way up the hill. For another, when you follow the favorites, you get a good view of the team car, a couple of

As I've mentioned in previous years, rest days at the Tour de France are kind of a misnomer. You might think we get to sleep in, drag ourselves to breakfast and then hang out for the day. But as it turns out we do just about everything but rest. For starters, we usually have to make a transfer. Which we did today by plane from the Alps. This meant we got up at the crack of dawn so we could eat breakfast and have our bags packed well before departure time. The flight was an hour long and we arrived in Perpignan in the pouring rain. I don't know if the storm clouds are following us or if

Armstrong about former teammate Livingston: And it’s awkward to see him riding on the front in a pink jersey

Armstrong's dedication to the Tour looks to be paying off.

Drivers on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles give each other more space than what Pradera got from the Cochonou van.

By the top, Pradera even had his right thumb and pinky extended out, cocking his wrist in a drinking motion, hoping to bum yet another water from the crowd.

6:37 p.m. local timeQuite a few of you have asked that we not reveal the winner in the headline or first paragraph, so if you don't want be surprised as you work your way through our now-not-so-live updates click HERE to work up from the bottom and follow the race from the start. For the rest of you today's winner was ... 5:18 p.m. (local time) -- Armstrong has won by a big margin. Ullrich is a minute down, while the much-feared Kivilev has finished 6:07 behind Armstrong at 1:13:34. 5:14 p.m. (local time) -- It's not over yet, but no one still on the road looks able to challenge the top

Lance Armstrong had a smile on his face Tuesday evening after becoming the second American, nine years after Andy Hampsten, to win a stage of the Tour de France at L'Alpe d'Huez. In doing so he came within 26 seconds of equaling the record time of 37 minutes 35 seconds for the 14km-long climb set in 1997 by Italian super-climber Marco Pantani. Making such an effort after racing for six hours on a 209km course with more than 17,000 feet of climbing is a phenomenal athletic feat. And if Armstrong is to continue making up time he conceded in the Tour's first nine stages he will have to make a

Stage Winner: Lance Armstrong (USA) U.S. Postal Service, in 6:23:47---------------------------------- Overall Lead: François Simon (F), Bonjour Sprinter: Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Crèdit Agricole Climber: Laurant Roux (F) Jean Delatour Under 25: Oscar Sevilla (Sp) Kelme Click below for full results

For Lance Armstrong, the seemingly inevitable march toward the Tour de France yellow jersey and a third consecutive overall victory continued on Wednesday, as he took the air out of his rivals for the second day in a row in the French Alps. The day after his unstoppable ride on Alpe d’Huez, Armstrong won his second straight stage on Wednesday, this year’s Stage 11 hillclimb time trial from Grenoble to Chamrousse. Attacking the 20km climb up to the ski resort at Chamrousse, Armstrong posted the fastest time checks all day long, beating runner-up Jan Ullrich (Telekom) by a minute at the sunny,

More rain. More mountains. More time taken back by Armstrong.

Today's uphill time trial was just a day for me to get to the finish fast enough to secure a spot in the remaining stages of the Tour. You never know when you're going to have tired legs, and after yesterday's stage up L'Alpe d'Huez, I wasn't too excited about the time trial...but you don't want to miss the time cut. The stage was somewhat rolling, leading up to an Above Category climb. My plan was to arrive at the climb fresh and ride steady -- but quickly -- to the top of the mountain. Waking up to see rain -- again -- this morning was a bit tiring. The weather is amazing. Not just the

Here's a look at the bikes prepped in Grenoble for Stage 11. Lance Armstrong's uphill time trial bar was cobbled together by Louisiana aerodynamics guru John Cobb. They featured Profile Carbon-X extensions and hardware of his own making to position the pads out of the way of the hands, and the extensions at the right wrist angle. Note the non-STI left brake lever (he uses a down tube shifter for the front derailleur to save weight on his climbing bike). In the uphill time trial, Armstrong also used Munich-made Lightweight composite wheels, which have carbon-Kevlar spokes and carbon hub

Yesterday, Armstrong hoped he wouldn't lose two minutes today. He need not have worried.