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At the end of week one in the Tour de France, we introduced you to John Henderson a sportswriter on the Denver Post who has been covering the race for the very first time. As John revealed, covering the Tour is a lot different than reporting on football or baseball in the United States, foremost being the inter-stage transfers and logistical late night searches for hotel. One thing is sure for John, as the race nears it end with the final stage in Paris tomorrow, it has been a real adventure that he will never forget. We told John we would catch up for his final words on the Tour. And we

Armstrong knows he's won

Preparation can be like a security blanket. When you’ve done everything you can to be prepared, through training, reconnaissance, nutrition, hydration, and warming up, you feel safe and calm. When you’re not prepared, you feel naked and vulnerable. Lance Armstrong rolled into the start house this afternoon secure in his preparation, and ready for the time trial of his life. In the morning, Armstrong reviewed the time trial course one more time in the team car. Since it was raining, he was paying extra attention to things like road paint, manhole covers, rail tracks, and corners. He knew

Aussie Chris Kovarik surprised himself at Schweitzer

Rain showers and cool temperatures won’t dampen spirits in Paris Sundaywhen the Tour de France not only sees the conclusion of this year’s racebut also celebrates its 100 years of history with a spectacular show onthe Champs-Élysées.After the final sprint and the annual parade of the 22 participatingteams will come a tightly orchestrated Centennial Parade featuring a castof 1200, including all the living Tour winners (except for 1998 winnerMarco Pantani and three-time winner Greg LeMond, who sent their regretsto the organizers). There will be 12 tableaux retracing a century of theTour and

Ride the wrong tire in a wet stage and you might just wind up like this

Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc said he could not have hoped for a better race to celebrate the centenary of cycling's biggest event. "It was better than my expectations. What was unexpected was the quality of the race," he said on Saturday, the penultimate day of the Tour. "It was superb, the best race in 20 years or at least since 1989 when I took over as the Tour director.” Lance Armstrong, set to be crowned champion for a record-equaling fifth time in Paris on Sunday, was tested until the very end in the closest Tour for years, while crashes and attacks made it one of the

Bike waterfall along the course

The Team CSC mechanic-mobile

Camp Armstrong; two Brits that say they become Americans for three weeks every year, in July.

The 1903 Tour had its actual finish in Ville d’Avray, just outside Paris, whose mayor didn’t allow bike racing within the city limits. This year, Ville d’Avray, not far from the magnificent imperial palace of Versailles, sees the start of the final stage and an intermediate sprint after an initial loop of 31km in the western suburbs. The race then heads into the city with another loop via the Place de la Bastille before the final nine laps around the traditional circuit on the Champs-Elysées. 7/27/2003 Start Time: 1:38:00pm7/27/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:38:00pm HISTORYExcept for 1903,

Kiwi mechanic Craig Geater

Ekimov through the rain and fog

The anticipated Tour de France clash between Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich came to a soggy conclusion in Saturday’s 49-kilometer 19th stage from Pornic to Nantes. Armstrong all but sewed up his fifth overall title while Ullrich will settle for second a fifth time. Armstrong widened his margin to Ullrich to 1 minute, 16 seconds in the Tour’s penultimate stage and only has to avoid disaster Sunday before becoming the fifth man to win the Tour five times. Armstrong admitted this was the hardest Tour victory since his courageous cancer comeback in 1999. The 31-year-old Texan had to endure

A bus full of bikes

Haybale bike along the course

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?

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

With just three days remaining in the centennial Tour de France, Lance Armstrong has covered the 3023km to date at the highest average speed in race history. The current 40.478 kph (25.151 mph) is significantly faster than the record 40.273 kph set by Armstrong in 1999. And with two flat stages and a time trial to come, all of which will be raced at closer to 50 kph than 40 kph, the record is certain to be broken. One reason for the ultra-fast Tour has been the willingness of riders to attack from the start virtually every day — even in the mountain stages. On Thursday, for instance the

The race for green is getting tighter

Bordeaux. Vintage wine. Vintage cycling. Vintage memories. They all came flooding back in the Tour de France press center Thursday after stage 17 — but not in that order. In fact, while the vintage wine was a close second, the memories were first to return as we arrived and unpacked our laptops, as we have been doing for near-on three weeks now. Driving alongside the Garonne River, it was easy to recall the fond memories of American Davis Phinney, the man, the rider and his hallmark Tour stage win at Bordeaux in the 1987 Tour. It is easy to remember how he blasted away Dutchman Jean-Paul

On track for a record-setting Tour

Phinney after his win in Bordeaux

TIME TRIAL TIME BREAKDOWNS FOR TOP 5 TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS TEAM TIME TRIAL - STAGE 4 WASSY (Passage à niveau n° 32) - 18.0km1- TEAM TELEKOM 00:21:252- CREDIT AGRICOLE at 01"3- CALDIROLA - SO.DI at 07"4- IBANESTO.COM at 07"5- ONCE - EROSKI at 08" MONTIER-EN-DER - 44.5km 1- ONCE - EROSKI 00:51:002- US POSTAL - BERRY FLOOR at 06"3- IBANESTO.COM at 11"4- TEAM BIANCHI at 18"5- TEAM TELEKOM at 25" Eclaron (ECLARON-BRAUCOURT-SAINTE-LIVIERE) - 59.0km 1- US POSTAL - BERRY FLOOR 01:07:272- ONCE - EROSKI at 17"3- TEAM BIANCHI at 32"4- IBANESTO.COM at 35"5- QUICK STEP - DAVITAMON at 01'

Some guy from Massachusetts waiting for sign-in

Just too darn slick

Waiting for the stars

'It's memorable,' said Knaven