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The Postal posse in Paris
It was the day that everyone knew was coming for some time now. But the sight of American Lance Armstrong finally standing atop the podium as the first rider to win the Tour de France six times, gave everyone a chance to take in the history that he had now made real. Obviously, one of the first to be swept up by the occasion was the person who called Armstrong on his mobile telephone just as he stepped off the winners' podium. Tongues were wagging like new-born puppies as to who it could be. “Winning my first Tour (in 1999) was special; but this is unbelievable,” said Armstrong. So happy
The jersey winners
OVERALL STANDINGS - FINAL1. Lance Armstrong (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 83:36:022. Andréas KlÖden (G), T-Mobile, 06:193. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 06:404. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, 08:505. Azevedo José (P), U.S. Postal Service, 14:306. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears-Banesto, 18:017. Georg Totschnig (A), Gerolsteiner, 18:278. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 19:519. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Rabobank, 20:1210. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Phonak, 22:54 11. Pietro Caucchioli (I), Alessio-Bianchi, 24:2112. Christophe Moreau (F), Crédit Agricole, 24:3613. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Illes Balears-Banesto,
Racing in the shadow of the Arc d'Triomphe
Leblanc: Armstrong big, but Tour is biggerTour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc paid homage to record six-time winner Lance Armstrong but insisted the world's most famous cycling race was bigger than the men who have won it. Asked if Armstrong was the greatest Tour champion ever, Leblanc said: "Figures say yes. He's the only one to have won it six times. He won stages of all kinds, time trials, mountain stages. He's an accomplished champion, but he's not invincible. "Except for last year, he has never showed any signs of weakness. His reign can be explained by his individual strength
Only a few corners to go
Lance Armstrong never stops learning, and the 2003 Tour de France taught him what it’s like to struggle. He’d battled back from cancer and adversity before, but hadn’t struggled like that during any of his four prior Tour wins. Last year, Armstrong never really had full control of the race, was vulnerable to attack and on the edge of losing the yellow jersey every day. Coming back to the Tour in 2004 was never a question, and from the moment he started training, he focused on regaining an undisputed position as the strongest man in the Tour de France. The tests we did with Lance in the
Five-time winner Bernard Hinault congratulates the six-time champ
Photographer Casey Gibson followed this year's Tour de France from the prologue in Liège to the finale in Paris – here's a sampling of what he saw through the lens on the Champs-Élysées as Lance Armstrong scored his historic sixth consecutive victory.
The anthem
Australian Robbie McEwen couldn't hide his joy after holding off the threat of Norwegian Thor Hushovd as he claimed back the Tour de France green jersey for the race's points competition on Sunday. McEwen, flanked by his wife and his son Ewan, admitted he'd missed his family over three weeks of tough racing at the end of which he picked up two stages and the green jersey he won for the first time in 2002. "It's really special. It's been a few week and I miss them. I've been looking forward to this day to see my wife and my son, and to top it off I win the green jersey," said McEwen.
McEwen's main concern was Hushovd's location in the sprint
Standing-room-only downtown pub crowds wildly cheered hometown hero Lance Armstrong here Sunday as the American captured a record sixth consecutive Tour de France. In an otherwise empty city center, the Texas capitol came alive in late morning as supporters watched live television coverage of the final stage of the epic showdown in sports bars. Cyclists in yellow jerseys glided down Fourth Street while a city bus, painted bright yellow, featured a portrait of Armstrong and the words, "Tour de Lance" while newspaper racks featured the phrase of the hour - "Go Lance Go!" At Fado, an Irish
Ten days in the yellow jersey, Voeckler became the new darling of France
STAGE 20 July 25 Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Paris Champs-Élysées (102.531mi/165km)
STAGE 20 July 25 Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Paris Champs-Élysées (102.531mi/165km)
STAGE 20 July 25 Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Paris Champs-Élysées (102.531mi/165km)
Boonen gets the stage, but McEwen stays in green
McEwen must be pooped after winning another green jersey – he had to put both feet on the ground to pop a final wheelie
Lance totes 'em up
Leblanc and Armstrong chat
Robbie McEwen does not now have to be asked how he is feeling every year on the eve of the final Tour de France stage which brings the peloton into Paris. The 32-year-old Lotto rider, for the third year in a row, will ride around the chic quartiers surrounding the Champs Elysees knowing that at the end of the day he could pull on the green jersey for a second time since 2002. McEwen won the points classification's coveted prize two years ago before losing it on the final stage to Baden Cooke last year. This year, he will have to defend a small lead, of 11 points against Norwegian Thor
Can someone please tell Robbie McEwen to retire the Big Fat Helmet™ thathe and his teammates wore during Tour de France time trials? It is physically painful for me to look at that thing. Not only is his helmet just plain dorky looking, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that it is an extremely slow helmet and ultimately is a detriment to his time-trial performance. What would make me say such a thing? Well, I was recently lucky enough to spend some time in the Allied Aerospacewind tunnel where I got to tunnel test some one-piece aero bars.During that entry I also got to stick my long-legged and
STAGE 19 July 24 Besançon - Besançon (TT) (37.284mi/60km)
STAGE 19 July 24 Besançon - Besançon (TT) (37.284mi/60km)
STAGE 19 July 24 Besançon - Besançon (TT) (37.284mi/60km)
Armstrong powers to yet another victory in the final time trial
Armstrong powers to another stage win and virtually cinches a sixth straight Tour
Ullrich finished second to Armstrong, but will miss the podium
Basso gave it his all, but slipped back a spot on GC
Landis had the best time before the big dogs started barking
COURSE: This is the Tour’s most difficult final time trial since1994, when stage 19 went over two Cat. 3 hills and finished atop the Cat.1 climb to Avoriaz. None of the climbs on this circular course at Besançon is categorized, but the constant ups and downs, and the frequent turns, could cause large time gaps. FAVORITES: Armstrong, Ullrich and Hamilton will be vying to winthe stage (and the Tour), while Mayo, Basso and Menchov will be tryingto hang on to their GC positions. HISTORY: In 1963, Jacques Anquetil clinched his fourth Tour victoryby winning the 54.5km stage 19 time trial from
Vande Velde's Tour: Venga! Venga! Venga!
Victory for Lance Armstrong in Saturday's stage 19 time trial at Besançon was a fait accompli. So much so, that at his press conference afterward, the man behind what has been dubbed by at least one media outlet as the “Texas Chainring Massacre” was not asked one question about his terrific ride in the 55km time trial. There was really no explanation needed about Armstrong's winning ride over the T-Mobile pairing of Germans Jan Ullrich and Andreas Klöden, who placed second and third on the stage at 1:01 and 1:27 respectively. It was expected. It was provided. And it was so very conclusive.
Figure 1 In the tunnel at Allied Aerospace.
STAGE RESULTS1. Lance Armstrong (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 1:06:492. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, 01:013. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 01:274. Floyd Landis (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 02:255. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, 02:486. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 02:507. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, 03:198. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Illes Balears-Banesto, 03:339. Rubiera José Luis (Sp), U.S. Postal Service, 03:4010. Azevedo José (P), U.S. Postal Service, 03:49 11. George Hincapie (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 03:5612. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Rabobank, 04:0613. Santos Gonzalez (Sp), Phonak, 04:1714. Aitor Gonzalez (Sp),
Figure 2. The photo studio and Lucho
Dear fellow cyclists and cycling fans,Like many of you, I have read Greg LeMond's recent comments regardingdoping in cycling and his interactions with Lance Armstrong. Forthose not up to speed, see thisconcise account of Greg’s statements in English.The originalcomplete text in French appears in Le Monde.I admire Greg's courage to speak his mind on the doping problems thatstill plague cycling. Like him, I feel that this problem is out of hand.Something needs to be done to clean it up, not only for the sake of theriders’ health, but also for the sake of returning our sport to the truthsof
Figure 3. L to R: no helmet, 1994 Specialized, 1998 Giro.
Five stage wins - six if you include the team time trial - and a 6:38 lead going into the final day; Lance Armstrong and his team have dominated the 2004 Tour de France to a greater degree than ever before. Stage 19 showcased the collective strength of the U.S. Postal Service team yet again, with four riders in the top ten and another two in the top twenty. Of the day’s great performances, those from Floyd Landis and George Hincapie stand out. After shattering the lead groups on climbs while setting pace for Armstrong, Landis had the power left to finish fourth in today’s 55-kilometer time
Figure 4. Big helmet on the left. Big Fat Helmet™ on the right
Saturday night. The mini-bar is out of beer, I'm hungry, kinda buzzed and ready to go home. Lance smashed everyone today. Jeez, men and boys … well, a few big boys and then the rest of us pre-pubescent kids. Impressive. First the Postal team. The dogs were all let out of their respective cages today and got to give it a go, which led to four Posties in the top-10! There was a lot of barking going on. Klöden jumped over Basso, which I expected, but it was close. Basso ended up doing a great ride and didn't let Ullrich come close, benne Basso. Anyway, who cares about the results? Lance
The Mail Bag is a Monday-Wednesday-Friday feature on VeloNews.com, but will appear daily during the Tour. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your FULL NAME, HOMETOWN and STATE, or NATION if you live outside the United States. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.The code of OmertaEditors,Has the “Blue Train” turned into the “Blue Wall of Silence?” Armstrong should not be making "zip the lips" signals in the pelotonregarding Simeoni. If
Armstrong was not going to allow Simeoni to go anywhere unchallenged
Looking at the route of the 2004 Tour de France last fall, team directors and riders knew Stage 18 would be the last chance for opportunists to take a stage win. Covering small mountains and situated between the final big Alpine stage and the last individual time trial, today’s stage was tailor-made for a breakaway. Once the composition of the breakaway was finalized, the six-man group rode away to fight for the stage win. Back in the peloton, there wasn’t much incentive to chase or race aggressively. T-Mobile wasn’t going to be able to attack and isolate Ivan Basso to gain time on him
Armstrong was not welcome in the break, but he wasn't leaving until Simeoni did.
At a meeting in Salzburg, Austria, Friday the management committee of the UCI gave final approval to an agreement committing the organization to sign anti-doping protocols created by the World Anti-doping Authority nearly four years ago. On the eve of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the UCI becomes the last international governing body to sign the rules. The committee’s failure to sign would have prevented cycling events from taking place in Athens this year. UCI president Hein Verbruggen has expressed concern on several occasions that cycling would be treated unequally because of its
Armstrong awaits the peloton after snuffing Simeoni's plans
STAGE 18 July 23 Annemasse - Lons-le-Saunier (103.152mi/166km)
Carl Decker's homemade time trial helmet
STAGE 18 July 23 Annemasse - Lons-le-Saunier (103.152mi/166km)
Armstrong had the firepower to back up any threats
STAGE 18 July 23 Annemasse - Lons-le-Saunier (103.152mi/166km)
Mercado wins
Tour de Tech: Questions about Clothing, Giants and that little bag
Phil Zajicek
Tour de Tech: Questions about Clothing, Giants and that little bag
Jonas Carney
Tour de Tech: Questions about Clothing, Giants and that little bag
Tim Johnson and Lyne Bessette
Tour de Tech: Questions about Clothing, Giants and that little bag
Simeoni has a dig - and Armstrong was having none of it
COURSE: This stage has five climbs but none are particularly steep;the Col de la Faucille, which overlooks Lake Geneva, is the longest, butcomes before halfway. The small Nogna hill and fast descent to the finish offer some chances for a late break. FAVORITES: The sprinters that have survived three difficult daysin the Alps will covet this stage. If someone like Bettini fails in a latemove, the field sprint will favor the talents of a Cooke or Zabel. HISTORY: Two stages have finished at Lons-le-Saunier. In 1937, the fifth stage was held in three parts: a 175km road race from Belfort
We'd like to have been able to listen in on that chat
It was meant to have been a day for the minnows in the 2004 Tour de France peloton to fight for the scraps. And whoever won the stage could steal some thunder from the Armstrongs and Ullrichs of the race. But instead, the 166.5km stage 18 from Annemasse to Lons-le-Saunier became the platform for an ugly and bitter dispute between the biggest name in cycling, the overall race leader Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) and one of the lesser known names in the sport, Italian Filippo Simeoni (Domina Vacanze), who has won only seven races in his 11-year pro career. For a race that is now 48
With the Armstrong-Simeoni thing resolved, the break proceeds
It’s been nearly two weeks since my last column, so I suppose I got some ‘splaining to do. Let’s just say that with the VeloNews editorial staff spread out across France, Italy and the United States, we’ve been running a skeleton crew here at the office putting together our 132-page Tour de France issue. Example: On Monday, July 12, our industrious intern Brock Adams, a junior at the University of Florida, brought his mother into the VN office, video camera and all, to say a round of goodbyes to the editorial staff before they made the drive back home. Sadly, every single member of our
Armstrong and Simeoni exchange compliments
STAGE RESULTS1. Juan Miguel Mercado (Sp), Quick Step-Davitamon, 4:04:032. Vicente Garcia Acosta (Sp), Illes Balears-Banesto, 00:003. Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz), Cofidis, 00:114. Joly Sébastien (F), Crédit Agricole, 00:115. Marc Lotz (Nl), Rabobank, 00:116. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo, 00:117. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Crédit Agricole, 11:298. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Lotto-Domo, 11:299. Danilo Hondo (G), Gerolsteiner, 11:2910. Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Cofidis, 11:29 11. Carlos Da Cruz (F), FDJeux.com, 11:2912. Erik Zabel (G), T-Mobile, 11:2913. Serguei Ivanov (Rus), T-Mobile, 11:2914. Karsten
Armstrong on the podium
Lance Armstrong dealt sharply with an off-the-bike rival and the press on Friday, chasing down Italian Filippo Simeoni’s attempt to join an early breakaway and chiding the media for only being interested in “part of the story.” The 32-year-old U.S. Postal captain, who leads the race by more than four minutes and has won four stages, chased down the 32-year-old Domina Vacanze rider as he sought to join a break of six riders, hoping for a stage win. Simeoni is a key witness in the pending trial of Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari, with whom Armstrong has worked in the past. He also has
COURSE: This is statistically the hardest day of the Tour with 16,827feet of climbing over five mountain passes in 205km. The 25km haul up theGlandon, followed by the 20km of the steeper Madeleine, will soften thingsup before three difficult climbs in the last 70km. There are 13-percentslopes on the narrow Col de la Forclaz above Lake Annecy, while the Croix-Frysummit is just 13km from the line. FAVORITES: A breakaway by men lower down the standings is likelyin the early kilometers and could gain enough time to stay clear all theway. Perhaps Carlos Sastre or Juan Mercado will win the