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Postal compound deserted before the start

Individual Results for Stage 191. David Millar (GB), Cofidis, 54:052. Tyler Hamilton (USA), CSC, 00:093. Lance Armstrong (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 00:144. Jan Ullrich (G), Bianchi, 00:255. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun), Quick Step-Davitamon, 00:266. Vjatceslav Ekimov (Rus), U.S. Postal Service, 00:567. Pena Victor Hugo (Col), U.S. Postal Service, 01:008. George Hincapie (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 01:089. Sylvain Chavanel (F), Brioches La Boulangere, 01:1210. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, 01:2611. Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Credit Agricole, 01:3812. Michael Rogers (Aus), Quick Step-Davitamon,

Armstrong stayed focused and took no risks

The umbrella crowd along the route, still in the tens of thousands

And Hamilton powered into second on the day and fourth overall

Village are of all team jerseys

Greg LeMond

Police finally arrive to snare horned-helmet guy... but it may be too late. He's reproducing.

The Tour de France nearly passed without one finish line exploding into mayhem. But then along came Friday’s finish to stage 18 with a violent clash between police and media. The chaos really started moments before Spaniard Pablo Lastras led home the first three riders into St. Maixent-l’École, just as the traditional jockeying for positions began between officials, media, team soigneurs in the finishing area. To be fair, the local police are unaccustomed to Tour finishes — especially ones in such a tight areas as Friday’s. But experienced or not, they were not going to be compromised.

Aussie' reporter Rupert Guinness and me at yesterday's start

It all comes down to these two.

The Tour is up for grabs. And to add to the drama, a storm is blowing in off of the Atlantic. Just in time for the battle between Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich in their stage 19 duel on Saturday. It will take place in conditions that Méteo France is predicting will be wet and windy. At the 4 p.m. start times of the American and German (they will be separated on the road by three minutes), the forecast calls for heavy rain, tail winds averaging 15 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. The only good news is that the rain might let up before they finish. If there’s ever going to be a course that

Bid now or miss your chance!

Our three German runway queens had an easier time of it on the road to Luz Ardiden

For mom

Strawberries and Cream in the village

A little French bread and cheese in the village

Not in the yellow jersey, Ullrich has to ride in his team kit. Of course, it worked last time.

A family of mannequins made by a local artist

Nike customized the cut to suit Armstrong's position

Nike reports that dehydration was not caused by the suit.

If there’s ever going to be a course that favors someone beating Greg LeMond’s Tour time-trial speed record of 54.545 kph (33.892 mph), this is it. Starting at the old fishing port of Pornic on the Atlantic coast, the 49km route heads due east on flat, wide roads, with very few turns. If the prevailing west wind is blowing, riders will be able to pedal 55- or 56-tooth chainrings all the way. 7/26/2003 Start Time: 10:45:00am7/26/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:03:00pm HISTORYThree previous Tour time trials have finished in Nantes. Two were on rolling point-to-point courses starting at towns

An unshaven rider with Cytomax dried onto his Pinarello makes a break for it in the Lakefront Road Race

The 2003 Tour de France is barreling down to a dramatic showdown between Big Jan and Big Tex in Saturday' decisive time trial, but the Tour's two strongmen had one more surprise in store during Friday's 203.5km stage 18 from Bordeaux to St. Maixent-l’École. Jan Ullrich grabbed back two seconds on a bonus sprint to trim his margin to Lance Armstrong to 1:05 going into Saturday's duel, and gave notice to the world that the 1997 Tour winner will fight to the very end. Spain’s Pablo Lastras of ibanesto.com won an emotional stage victory that he dedicated to his recently deceased mother after

New wheels for Lance's bike?

Bergman drives the break through the feed zone

The domination of American Lance Armstrong and Spaniard Miguel Induráin on the Tour de France in the past decade had made the last time trial of the race a mere lap of honor for the yellow jersey. But on Saturday, the second timed test in the race, over 49km between Pornic and Nantes, should decide the final outcome and crown either Armstrong or Jan Ullrich champion. Four-time champion Armstrong leads 1997 winner Ullrich by 65 seconds, but the German beat him by one-and-a-half minutes in last week's time trial between Gaillac and Cap Decouverte, and an overhaul on the penultimate day

Lance's new bike at sign in?

The break descends the fabled Watertower Hill

Individual Stage Results - Stage 181. Pablo Lastras (Sp), iBanesto.com, 4:03:182. Carlos Da Cruz (F), FDJeux.com, 00:003. Daniele Nardello (I), Telekom, 00:004. David Canada (Sp), Quick Step-Davitamon, 00:045. Massimiliano Lelli (I), Cofidis, 00:196. Andy Flickinger (F), Ag2R Prevoyance, 00:197. Thomas Voeckler (F), Brioches La Boulangere, 00:198. Paolo Fornaciari (I), Saeco, 00:199. Fabrizio Guidi (I), Bianchi, 00:3510. Vladimir Miholjevic (CRO), Alessio, 00:3511. Davide Bramati (I), Quick Step-Davitamon, 00:3512. Javier Pascual Llorente (Sp), Kelme - Costa Blanca, 00:3513. Christophe Brandt

Lance and his security prepare to meet the crush of media

These girls have discoed their way across France

To see how Stage 17 of the Tour unfolded live, just go to our Live Update window and follow the action all the way to the finish.

Jean Robic

Its a digital world; our hotel room in the morning

The battle to win this year's Tour de France is one of the closest in more than a decade. Indeed, this year is only the sixth time in the post-war era that the yellow jersey could possibly be decided on the final days of the three-week Tour de France. Germany's 1997 winner Jan Ullrich is currently trailing American four-time winner Lance Armstrong by just 1:05 ahead of Saturday's 49-kilometer race against the clock where the time gaps could again change. The 29-year-old Bianchi rider, whose return to the race has given Armstrong a real run for his money, beat the American in the 12th

Jacques Anquetil

We’re 18 stages down and still racing at break-neck speed. After near on three weeks and there’s no let up. I couldn’t believe it today when I looked at my computer after the first hour of racing in the third last stage to see we had flown over nearly 53kph. You’d reckon that riders who were not there at the Tour start in Paris were joining the race fresh, sneaking into the bunch rather than dropping like flies as the result sheets shows. You can imagine my shock when a little over four hours later when we sped into the finish the stage average was 49.938kmh – the second-fastest stage in

Jan Janssen

Ohhhhhh Cañada.... caught just before the line.

By now, most of you know the way this column works. Something comes acrossmy desk, and I write about it. Well, the latest tidbit to come in acrossthe vast Internet was a press release from Threshold Sports, trumpetingthe availability of VIP tickets for the upcoming New York City CyclingChampionship for the low, low price of, take a deep breath now … $125.U.S. Now, if you’re like me, this sort of item raises all sorts of questions:Are people actually buying these tickets? What do you get for you $125?Who’s buying these tickets? A quick read of the press release answers a few questions.

Stephen Roche

How do you like them... oranges?

Just too darn slick

Waiting for the stars

'It's memorable,' said Knaven

Coffee server in the Village Departe

Somehow, these shoes make you look much taller

This is wine country, with the early kilometers through the Bordeaux vineyards, followed by the brandy town of Cognac halfway though the stage, and a finish not too far from the muscadet-producing areas of the Loire. The stage is mainly over rolling terrain on small roads, which could favor small breakaway groups. The finish town of St. Maixent-l’École is the smallest of this Tour, with just 8600 residents. 7/25/2003 Start Time: 12:15:00pm7/25/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:20:00pm HISTORYThe Tour has often passed through the Deux-Sèvres department, but only once before did it have a stage

Michael Rogers chats with Aussie journo' Rupert Guinness

Servais Knaven (Quick Step) and nine other riders derailed the sprinters’ chances of snagging another stage win at the Tour de France Thursday as they scampered off in a break just meters from the start of a pancake-flat 180.5km race from Dax to Bordeaux. This city is typically the domain of the fast-twitch men and the last time the Tour came here in 1999, Tom Steels of Belgium took the mass gallop. But this year a 10-man move scooted up the road moments after the start in Dax, and with Austrian Peter Lüttenberger (CSC) the highest-ranked rider (18th, 26:52 back), no one in the main bunch

David Millar

Celebrating another local favorite pastime

North American Riders in boldNorth American Teams in ItalicsIndividual Results from Stage 171. Servais Knaven (Nl), Quick Step-Davitamon, 3:54:232. Paolo Bossoni (I), Caldirola, 00:173. Christophe Mengin (F), FDJeux.com, 00:174. Leon Van Bon (Nl), Lotto-Domo, 00:175. Salvatore Commesso (I), Saeco, 00:176. Vicente Garcia Acosta (Sp), iBanesto.com, 00:177. LÜttenberger Peter (A), CSC, 00:178. Clain Médéric (F), Cofidis, 00:179. Bram De Groot (Nl), Rabobank, 00:1710. Ivan Parra (Col), Kelme - Costa Blanca, 01:5511. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Lotto-Domo, 08:0612. Erik Zabel (G), Telekom, 08:0613.

Lance's day at the office

Dear Bob;I don’t know if you can help me, but I am an employee at a large independentbicycle shop in the northwest. I love my job and most of the other employees.But, there is a manager who, after I turned down his offer to go out ona date, has been very vindictive and unfair towards me.What can I do to stop his harassment and what are my rights?L- SeattleDear L,I assume that by large, the shop has more than 15 full-time employees,which qualifies you for protection under both federal and state law againstthis type of sexual harassment. I am not sure exactly what kind of treatmentyou are being

Avoiding the traffic hazards

To see how Stage 17 of the Tour unfolded live, just go to our Live Update window and follow the action all the way to the finish.