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Sebastian Moll caught up with Phonak chief Andy Rihs for a chat about the team’s ups and downs, drugs in cycling and the ProTour. And some of the things Rihs had to say, particularly as regards doping, may surprise you. Here’s a transcript. VeloNews: After six years with many ups and downs Phonak is racing for the Tour victory. Is that a happy ending for you? Andy Rihs: For me a Tour victory would count more than 1000 Olympic gold medals. People remember a Tour winner for 100 years. If I would tell reporters about hearing aids, they wouldn’t be interested. That’s why I need cycling as a

Stage Stats: Stage 18 by the numbers

Caisse d'Epargne’s Oscar Pereiro is already preparing to part with cycling's biggest prize ahead of a 57km time trial on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France on Saturday. However, he's hoping against hope that he can produce the performance of a lifetime to save his yellow jersey. After one of the most dramatic and entertaining races in years, the Spaniard goes into the decisive race against the clock with a 12sec lead on CSC's Carlos Sastre and a 30sec advantage on Phonak's Floyd Landis -and knowing his back is against the wall. The American is the big

Do you need a hand? I've put a few of these on before.

WeatherSunny to partly sunny all day, highs 30-34C Stage winnerMatteo Tosatto (Quick Step), 4h16:15, 46.127kph – The Italian veteran edged compatriot Cristian Moreni (Cofidis) and Ronny Scholz (Gerolsteiner) in a three-up sprint after counter-attacking a 15-man breakaway that pulled away about 50km into the transition stage over the Jura Mountains of eastern France. It was the first stage-win for Italy and Tosatto’s Quick Step team. Race leaderOscar Pereiro (Caisse d’Epargne), 3,445.8km, 84h33:04, 40.748kph – There were no major changes in the top 12. American Levi Leipheimer

No stage win, but Levi gets the prize for being aggressive

A hot day in the sun, as race favorites allow a break to move ahead in a hunt for glory - at least a day's worth. From start to finish, our guy Casey Gibson was there.

Millar and Popovych tried an early escape

Stage 18: Morzine-Avoriaz to Mâcon - 197km

The peloton was more intent on staying cool than catching the break

Stage 18: Morzine-Avoriaz to Mâcon - 197km

One more day in yellow for Pereiro

After the second major shake-up in the overall standings of the Tour de France in as many days, Saturday's 57-kilometer individual time trial from Le Creusot to Montceau les Mines takes on even more importance. Indeed, it could be the most significant Tour de France time trial since the final stage showdown between Laurent Fignon and Greg LeMond in 1989. Perhaps the best indicator of how current race leaders may fare on Saturday is how they performed in Stage 7's 52km TT from St. Gregoire to Rennes. That stage was, of course, won by Sergei Gontchar of T-Mobile, who covered the

Saturday Time Trial takes on added significance

Landis on the Aravis: Still making time on the peloton, with Sinkewitz and O'Grady in tow.

Acclaim was universal for Floyd Landis and his heroic attack across the final hard climbs in the 2006 Tour de France. Everyone agreed it was something unseen in recent Tour history. Here’s a sampling of what some of the key players thought: Juan Fernandez, sport director Phonak“What he did today was make everyone stand on the edge of their seats because it was a tremendous, tremendous demonstration. He knew he wanted to try from the first climb and give everything. If they caught on the Joux-Plane, so be it, but he dared to do something others would be afraid to try. He was riding with

Santa? There were no gifts for anyone on Thursday.

Gontchar drives hard at the front

Leave it to a photographer to put all of us self-styled wordsmiths to shame in a single e-mail. In the frantic rush for post-race superlatives and pithy descriptions of what many regard as one of the most impressive performances in modern Tour de France history, it was photographer Casey Gibson who managed to sum up the past two days most succinctly: "Wow... again," Gibson wrote in the e-mail accompanying the collection photos from today's stage. Like the man said, "Wow... again."

A seemingly idylic day on to Col des Saisies with Mt. Blanc in the background

Menchov lost time on the Joux Plane

American Floyd Landis, who suffered such a spectacular implosion on Wednesday, is once again the yellow-jersey favorite after claiming a first-ever stage victory in the race following a third straight day of drama in the Alps. And Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, whose son Axel rides in Landis's Phonak team, played a part in his resurrection. Landis started the day with a deficit of eight minutes and eight seconds to Caisse d’Epargne’s Oscar Pereiro, having lost the yellow jersey to the Spaniard during his stunning collapse on stage 16. But thanks to some personal faith, and a telephone

Landis knows how to make up for an off day: Follow it with an on day

Stage 17 was not Klöden's best day

Andréas Klöden saw third place in the 2006 Tour de France slip away from him during Thursday's 200.5km stage from St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine as American Floyd Landis (Phonak) staged an astounding comeback from his collapse of the day before, winning the last Alpine stage and bumping Klöden down into fourth with just three stages remaining. Sebastian Moll caught up with the German T-Mobile rider for a quick chat; here's the transcript. VeloNews: How are you feeling at the end of three weeks of the Tour de France? Andréas Klöden: I'm pretty much at my limit, like everyone

The chase begins

WeatherSunny to partly sunny all day, highs 30-34C Stage winnerFloyd Landis (Phonak), 5h23:36, 37.176kph – Landis soloed to victory and vaulted back into contention overall in one of the most remarkable comebacks in cycling history. Less than 24 hours after tumbling out of the top 10 while bonking in the yellow jersey, the gritty Pennsylvanian refused to give up. Attacking at the base of the Col des Saises, Landis reeled in and then dropped an early break. The others left the chase too late and he soared down the Col de Joux-Plane to win his first career Tour stage, just the ninth American

Landis on a nice little 150km individual TT

Stage 17: St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine-Avoriaz -200.5km

Menchov was among the day's most notable victims

Stage 17: St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine-Avoriaz -200.5km

Leipheimer joins the Discovery gang on the final climb to Joux-Plane

Landis punches the air in exultation as he wins the stage and climbs back into third place overall

It was an especially long day in the saddle for some

Phonak steps up the pace on the Col des Saisies...

Sinkewitz drops back to help Kloden.. and looks a little worried about the guy. Is Kloden smiling or is that a grimace?

We got your panache right here, pal. Whether he intended to or not, Landis offered up a good answer to his critics.

Hincapie looks for the top of the climb

Course: This is almost identical to the stage in 2000 when Marco Pantani attacked on the first climb (the 15km, 6.4-percent Saisies) and forced Armstrong’s U.S. Postal squad to chase for 100km over the Aravis, Colombière and Châtillon climbs to the foot of the day’s main obstacle: the mighty Col de Joux-Plane (11.7km at 8.7 percent). It was partway up the Joux-Plane that Armstrong bonked and could only watch as Ullrich and others rode away from him, and he conceded almost two minutes by the finish in Morzine. History: Morzine has seen 13 finishes of the Tour, including that one six years

T-Mobile and CSC had to take up the chase after Pereiro's Caisse d'Epargne team evaporated before the Joux Plane.

Chris Horner has fans out there

In one of the most audacious and bravest rides seen in the modern era of the Tour de France, Phonak’s American rider Floyd Landis turned the despair of his stage 16 implosion into a stage-winning breakaway that put him back into the role of favorite to win this extraordinary race. Landis stunned Tour de France observers when he lost more than 10 minutes on the slopes to La Toussuire on Wednesday; but they were floored by his performance in Thursday’s 200.5km stage from St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine, the last day in the Alps. Heading into the Tour’s three-day finale, Spaniard Oscar

Landis sets off on his own.

Whew! Pereiro holds on to his jersey with 12 seconds to spare

1. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 200.5km in 5:23:362. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 05:423. Christophe Moreau (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 05:584. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 06:405. Michael Boogerd (Nl), Rabobank, 07:086. Frank Schleck (Lux), CSC, 07:087. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., 07:088. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 07:089. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 07:0810. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 07:20 11. Mickael Rasmussen (Dk), Rabobank, 07:2412. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 07:2413. Patrik Sinkewitz (G), T-Mobile, 07:2414. Tadej Valjavec (SLO), Lampre,

Pereiro fought valiantly and keeps the jersey another day

What a difference a day makes: Landis, after Wednesday's devastating loss, found new resolve...over a quiet beer with team director John Lelangue

The German winner of the 1997 Tour de France and his Spanish teammate were suspended by their T-Mobile team just before the current Tour after being linked, with more than 50 other cyclists, to the Operation Puerto investigation. The prosecutor's office here, where T-Mobile has its head office, said it had opened its own investigation into the matter in response to a fraud complaint lodged by an academic and former athlete. "The procedure arises following the lodging of a complaint for fraud and breaches of the law concerning medications," said prosecutor Monika Nostadt-Ziegenberg.

Landis nears the top of the Joux Plane

Sastre is 12 seconds out of the lead... with Landis 18 seconds behind.

Dear readers;Last column, in "TheBUI Blues", we had a letter from J.C. in Oregon, who asked about the difference in penalties between a DUI and a BUI. This column, we have more letters from readers about DUIs. It’s gotta be the hot days and cold beers and stiff penalties.Don’t Fence Me InFirst, R.S. wrote from South Dakota to sayWhew! After reading the latest information regarding those poor souls who live in CA and OR, I'm glad our State legislators (South Dakota) have the common sense to realize that BUI is only a threat to the rider, and not to society at large, and is not an crime,

Saturday Time Trial takes on added significance

Halgand emerged at the front of the break... but faltered later when caught and passed by Landis

After a terrific ride in Wednesday’s 16th stage to La Toussiere, Cadel Evans showered, ate a snack and then invited the media to his team hotel to answer questions about how one of the most astonishing finale’s in modern Tour de France unfolded for him and what he expects in the crucial days ahead. VeloNews.com contributor Rupert Guinness was there VeloNews.com: How did you feel today, Cadel? Cadel Evans: Good, today was a much better race for me. Yesterday (stage 15) when we hit the bottom of the climb, you saw the size of the peloton. It wasn’t a very hard race until that point whereas

... and then heads to his hotel when he does.

Landis leads on the Galibier . . .

I am cooked, twice, maybe three times. I am still trying to get my breath back from today’s stage. I'm not joking. Or, maybe it is from the three plates of pasta I just put down. I - we - are all hurting, but tomorrow somebody will attack from kilometer 0. I don't know why and I don't know how it is possible, but some people are stupid. What can I say? We worked hard today and Carlos delivered what we thought he could. The last climb wasn't really steep enough for him to keep the chasers at bay, but tomorrow the last few climbs will be hard, so we still have one more day

Not a pleasant task

. . . only to suffer on the ascent to La Toussuire

It was a disastrous day for Floyd Landis, but a spectacular race nonetheless, and Casey Gibson was there to bring it all home to you.

Lelangue and his team leader admit to having a tough day.

Going backward

Stage 16: Bourg d’Oisans to La Toussuire -182km

Keeping it in perspective

Schleck and Fothen leave the yellow jersey in their wake

Stage 16: Bourg d’Oisans to La Toussuire -182km

David Z's new ride

Leipheimer has a go

The Dane celebrates the end of a long day's work

The view from the driver's seat

What photogs do to pass the time while waiting for the race

A clearly shattered Landis

Head tube

A fan enjoys a long view of the break on the Galibier

With 4km to go, Klöden, Pereiro and Evans put the big hurt on their rivals

Seat tube

Discovery on the long ride in

Course: If L’Alpe d’Huez does not decide the Tour’s likely outcome, then this even tougher day in the Alps should do the job. The survivors first ride the 34km back to the top of the Lautaret, where a left turn takes them another 8.6km at 6.7 percent to the top of the Galibier — the Tour’s highest point at 8681 feet above sea level. After the 35km descent of the Galibier and intermediate Col du Télégraphe, the next 23km is down the Maurienne Valley. Of the remaining 79km, some 47km are uphill, in three separate climbs: the 23km Col de la Croix de Fer, the 6km Col du Mollard and the 18km

Landis had little to say at the end of the stage, which he finished 10 minutes behind Rasmussen

Drive train