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Go figure: Five days ago he was in 46th on GC and 28:50 out of first.

Look's setup

No doubt many a weary rider felt ready to check in here

Lance Armstrong is in no mood to forgive Tour de France race director Jean-Marie Leblanc. "The problems and the tension there are so deep," Armstrong said Tuesday. "I'm just not very optimistic." After the seven-time Tour winner retired from cycling last summer, Leblanc heralded a fresh start for cycling, predicting an exciting time for Armstrong's longtime rival Jan Ullrich of Germany and the promising Ivan Basso of Italy. But Basso, the 2005 Tour runner-up and 1997 Tour winner Ullrich were kicked out on the eve of this year's Tour, implicated in a Spanish doping

No one deserves the Polka Dot jersey more than Rasmussen after Wednesday's ride

The Ridley post

After his disastrous climb up La Toussuire on stage 16, fallen yellow jersey Floyd Landis entered his team car at the finish line without a word to the media. Asked by OLN commentator Frankie Andreu if he wanted to explain what happened to the viewers back home, Landis said simply, “No.” But a few hours later, word trickled through the press room that Landis was holding an impromptu press conference at 7:15, just two hours after he’d lost not only the race lead but any hope of winning the Tour de France. The decision was viewed unanimously as a brave move, and one that even his wife Amber

That's all she wrote: When Landis faded, he really faded.

Ag2r's B-Twin

“Brokeback Mountain’ star actor Jake Gyllenhaal prepared the best way possible to watch today’s stage from gap to l’Alpe d’Huez – he rode up the famed finishing ascent with friend and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong the day before. VeloNews.com: You rode l’Alpe d’Huez yesterday and saw it firsthand. Today you will see the riders race up it. Can you tell about what you think about it?Jake Gyllenhaal: I can’t wait. I have no idea what to expect. I have seen it on TV. This is a whole another deal. VN: What sort of appreciation dos that give you about the enormity of what

Landis back in yellow

Martinez and Hincapie join a big break before the Izoard

Three years ago Frank Schleck was close to becoming a cycling destitute when he couldn't find a professional team. On Tuesday, the first of three days of climbing in the Alps, the Luxembourger put his potential on display by claiming victory on one of the most famous climbs on the Tour de France. The CSC rider had been part of an early breakaway which was reduced to eight riders by the time they had reached the foot of the 14.9km climb to the summit finish. And after an attack by former Giro d’Italia winner Damiano Cunego, Schleck followed the little Lampre rider for most of the way

Going up . . .

Garzelli goes on the attack

Twenty-one leg-breaking switchbacks, with the hors categorie Col d'Izoard and Cat. 2 Col du Lautaret for a warmup – that's L'Alpe d'Huez, and our man Casey Gibson was there. Enjoy.

The top of the Col d'Izoard awaits

Rujano tries to make a mark on this Tour

WeatherSunny early in stage, building clouds, afternoon showers, highs 32C Stage winnerFrank Schleck (Team CSC), 4h52:22, 38.376 kph – The 26-year-old became the first Luxembourger to win atop cycling’s most famed climb. Schleck was part of the day’s winning move that also included Americans George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) and David Zabriskie (CSC). The Amstel Gold winner attacked Damiano Cunego (Lampre) with about 2km to solo in for the victory to score Team CSC’s second win in three stages. Race leaderFloyd Landis (Phonak), 2,866.1km, 69h00:05 – Landis nudged back into the jersey by

The leaders and the chasers are strung out

On the Lautaret

Stage 15: Gap to L’Alpe d’Huez - 187km

Landis stays frosty, taking time on his rivals

Landis rode a smart race

Stage 15: Gap to L’Alpe d’Huez - 187km

Pereiro fights to retain the jersey

Zabriskie did a big job delivering Schleck to the Alpe

Schleck celebrates atop L'Alpe d'Huez

Leipheimer battles into the top 10

Cunego and Schleck emerged from the break to lead up the Alpe

Schleck drops Cunego

Cunego and Schleck head for home

Pereiro faught valiantly to keep the jersey, but now trails by 10 seconds

Meet the Press: Armstrong speaks to reporters in Gap

Fans urge Horner along

Leipheimer is still making up time he lost with that awful TT

Meet the Press: Armstrong speaks to reporters in Gap

Long-time Tour fans watch the race unfold on TV

De la Fuente did what he had to to preserve his hold on the Polka Dot jersey

Meet the Press: Armstrong speaks to reporters in Gap

Zabel's group of sprinters make the final switchback

Landis was more concerned about his immediate rivals

Meet the Press: Armstrong speaks to reporters in Gap

Sastre struggles upward

Course: There’s no more spectacular finish than the 21-turn, 14km climb to L’Alpe d’Huez. This year it comes at the end of an already demanding 187km stage that climbs the hors-cat Col d’Izoard (14km at 7 percent) at 86km and Cat. 2 Col du Lautaret (12km at 4.4 percent) at 134km. Then comes more than 30km of mainly descending roads, which will likely see the race come back together before the assault on the Alpe (14km at almost 8 percent). History: This is the 25th time a Tour stage has finished at L’Alpe d’Huez since it was inaugurated — while still a dirt road — by Fausto Coppi winning a

Meet the Press: Armstrong speaks to reporters in Gap

Zabriskie's face says it all: 'Does this never end?'

American Floyd Landis (Phonak) may have started stage 15 of the Tour de France listening around him for the Russian inflection of Rabobank’s Denis Menchov, but after a dramatic 187km stage that featured three alpine climbs and ended in rain clouds atop L’Alpe d’Huez, the Phonak team leader will spend stage 16 paying closer attention to the German language of T-Mobile’s Andreas Klöden. Klöden, who finished second at the 2004 Tour de France, was Landis’s main general classification rival on the 21 switchbacks of the infamous Alpe, accelerating early on the climb behind teammate Andreas Kessler

On top of the World: Schleck makes his mark on cycling history

Stage Stats: Stage 15 by the numbers

1. Frank Schleck (Lux), CSC, 187km in 4:52.22 (38.376kph)2. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 00:113. Stefano Garzelli (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 01:104. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 01:105. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 01:106. Ruben Lobato (Sp), Saunier Duval, 01:147. Sylvain Chavanel (F), Cofidis, 01:188. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), T-Mobile, 01:289. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 01:3510. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 01:49 11. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 02:2112. Mickael Rasmussen (Dk), Rabobank, 02:2113. Pietro Caucchioli (I), Credit Agricole, 02:2114. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Caisse

Menchov lost 1:11 to Landis and Evans lost 1:39

Stage Stats: Stage 15 by the numbers

Lance Armstrong arrived in France on Monday and spent the rest day with old friends and teammates, shrugging off the chilly reception he received from the media, triggered largely by a comment he made while emcee-ing the ESPN ESPY Awards show last week. Tuesday, before the start of Stage 15’s epic ride to L’Alpe d’Huez, Armstrong met with a gaggle of reporters outside of the Discovery Channel team bus in Gap. VeloNews.com contributor was there and sends this transcript of a few of the questions posed. On his relationship with FranceQuestion: What can you say about your comments about the

Hincapie finishes 4:31 off the winner's time

Steven De Jongh hits the deck

The only time Floyd Landis has broken a sweat so far in this Tour de France is when he’s facing a dirty horde of journalists and television camera lights packed into a hotel lobby on rest day press conferences. The Phonak team captain remains calm as he enters the final week of the 2006 Tour de France in the driver’s seat, facing Tuesday’s grueling stage to Alpe d’Huez with trademark aplomb. "I don’t predict I will win the Tour, but I believe I can," Landis said during Monday’s rest day. "If we win the Tour, we’ll have to be the smartest racer, not the strongest racer." Second overall at

There have been some memorable finishes at L’Alpe d’Huez. But perhaps none of the 23 road stages that have finished atop the 21-turn mountain road has had as big an impact as that promised on Tuesday. With at least six riders still holding a serious chance of winning the 2006 Tour de France with six days of racing remaining, the hundreds of thousands of fans lining the 13.8km climb to the finish of stage 15 should witness a spectacular battle. Before the two Pyrenean stages last week, then race leader Floyd Landis (Phonak-iShares) was given the biggest chance of winning this Tour. For many,

Tour de France prize distribution up to and including Stage 14: Davitamon: 49,060 eurosRabobank: 38,970T-Mobile: 35,740Lampre: 32,720AG2R: 32,590Gerolsteiner: 31,520Discovery Channel: 27,300Saunier Duval: 26,560Bouygues Telecom: 26,500Cofidis: 26,280Crédit Agricole: 25,090CSC: 23,580Quick Step: 20,180Caisse d'Epargne: 19,610Liquigas: 18,950Francaise des Jeux: 18,910Milram: 18,860Euskaltel: 13,250Agritubel: 12,550Phonak: 10,180Source: ASO

Well, what can I say? I almost pulled something off yesterday that I didn't think was possible. Never say die and even the simplest concept can go a long way. I attacked on instinct yesterday with 1.5k to go and almost caught the two escapees. Another 300 meters and I would’ve caught them, but I am content with giving it a shot at the finish after one of the hardest – hottest – stages we’ve seen this Tour. Today we rested, have some interviews and rode 50 miles through the valley. For this rest day we did a little more than the last one since tomorrow will be a hard stage and you would

The guys riding the Tour de France for T-Mobile just can’t seem to be able to rid themselves of the omnipresence of Jan Ullrich, no matter how hard they try. On Monday afternoon, Andreas Klöden was just telling the press that he is beginning to adjust to his new role as a team leader. Fielding questions from the press, Klöden seemed at ease and even confident. Then, a fax from Ullrich’s manager Wolfgang Strohband landed on the table of the team hotel’s reception. Team spokesman Christian Frommert brought the note out to the terrace overlooking the little village of Sigoya and the majestic

Australians Robbie McEwen and Cadel Evans of the Davitamon-Lotto squad were a study in contrasts in Gap on Monday while discussing their outlook for the final six stages of the race. And perhaps rightfully so — the outspoken McEwen has a relatively tight grasp on the green points jersey, while the soft-spoken Evans, sitting fifth on GC, 2:46 behind leader Floyd Landis (Phonak), is far from certain to finish on the podium in Paris. At a rest-day press conference with McEwen, Evans and Davitamon team manager Marc Sergeant, the team’s patron said he’s not surprised at how well the Aussies have

A cheery greeting for Monsieur Armstrong

Fausto Coppi, on his way to becoming the Tour's first winner atop L'Alpe d'Huez

The 21 switchbacks of L'Alpe d'Huez

Try not to think about it.

Floyd Landis and team manager John Lelangue training on the rest day

McEwen and Evans, enjoying the last rest day before the Alps

Lance Armstrong can be assured of a red-hot welcome in the Alps when he joins up with his Discovery Channel team Monday. But this time, the 34-year-old Texan's exploits on the bike will not be the reason. The now retired seven-time winner hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons a few days ago when he labeled the French soccer team "assholes." And given some headlines and editorials in the French press ahead of his expected arrival, the American could find himself on a bumpy ride when he joins up with the team which he partly owns, Discovery Channel. The newspaper France Soir took

Whoever succeeds in succeeding Lance Armstrong as Tour de France champion will face a test of his individual climbing skills when the race heads high into the Alps on Tuesday. With three days of tough climbing (see below) to nearly 3000 meters in altitude, the four or five main contenders will have their work cut out on some of the legendary climbs which have etched pain on the faces of thousands of riders. The Col d'Izoard, the Alpe d'Huez, the Galibier and Joux Plane are among the race's most popular climbs with the fans, and the most feared by the peloton. But for the

I have had to pinch myself in the last few days. This the first time I’ve been on a successful Tour de France team. And after two weeks we have had a stage winner in Sylvain Calzati (stage 8 at Lorient), then a yellow-jersey wearer in Cyril Dessel. Everyone is on a high. Sure, when Francisco Mancebo left the Tour on the night before it started, it was a somber night; but then we had get up the next day and just move on. Since then we have all been focused on the job. And we will have to keep that focus, because have two riders who could finish in the top 10 at Paris when the race finishes on

1. Pierrick Fedrigo (F), Bouygues Telecom 180.5km in 4:14:23 (42.573kph)2. Salvatore Commesso (I), Lampre, 00:003. Christian Vande Velde (USA), CSC, 00:034. Christophe Moreau (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 00:075. Georg Totschnig (A), Gerolsteiner, 00:076. Stefano Garzelli (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 00:077. Michael Boogerd (Nl), Rabobank, 00:078. Cristian Moreni (I), Cofidis, 00:079. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 00:0710. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 00:07 11. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus), Credit Agricole, 00:0712. Christophe Rinero (F), Saunier Duval, 00:0713. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre,

Didi Senft is now a Tour de France regular

... resulting in expected damage to the tarmac.

Eddy Merckx, the world’s greatest ever cyclist, visited the Tour that he won five time for stage 14. His mission? To watch his son Axel race for Phonak, spend time with Merckx Jr. and his grandchildren on the rest day and to find out for himself who will join the family of our champions. Before stage 14 started at Montelimar on Sunday, Merckx spoke to Rupert Guinness to discuss how he saw the race unfolding VeloNews.co: How has the Tour changed since you raced? Eddy Merckx: Oh … there is a huge difference now, yes. It is a lot more publicized, There are more media. It has become so much

These guys may become fixtures as well

Commesso leads the break...

Some of our VN crew were out of the course today, a little too far ahead of the peloton, but they did get a chance to take in some of the sights along the way.

Well-tended trees

... Popovych leads the chase...