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Post by webm@ster on Jul 2, 2005 17:29:05 GMT -5
US racers dominate opening Time Trial :
1. David Zabriskie, United States, CSC, 20 minutes, 51 seconds.
2. Lance Armstrong, United States, Discovery Channel, 2 seconds behind.
3. Alexander Vinokourov, Kazakhstan, T-Mobile, 53 behind.
4. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, 57 .
5. Laszlo Bodrogi, Hungary, Credit Agricole, 59 .
6. Floyd Landis, United States, Phonak, 1 minute, 2 seconds behind.
7. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Fassa Bortolo, same time.
8. Jens Voigt, Germany, CSC, 1:04.
9. Vladimir Karpets, Russia, Illes Balears, 1:05 .
10. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, Spain, Liberty Seguros, 1:06.
11. Bobby Julich, United States, CSC, 1:07.
12. Jan Ullrich, Germany, T-Mobile, 1:08.
13. Jose Enrique Gutierrez, Spain, Phonak, 1:12.
14. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Gerolsteiner, 1:13.
15. Michael Rich, Germany, Gerolsteiner, same time.
NOIRMOUTIER-EN-L'ILE, France (AP) -- No easing up for Lance Armstrong in his last Tour de France.
Armstrong took a huge step toward winning his seventh consecutive Tour on the very first day of the three-week race. He crushed his main rivals in an opening time trial Saturday, opening up early time gaps that may be big enough to carry him through to victory at the finish in Paris on July 24.
"I was hungry today," said Armstrong, who is 33 and has said he will retire after this year's Tour. "I didn't come to ride a retirement race. I came to win."
A bad crash, an uncharacteristic drop in his devastating form and the sheer unpredictability of a race that covers 2,242 miles, the Alps and the Pyrenees still could conspire against Armstrong, whose six titles are already the Tour record.
But this much is clear: Armstrong's challengers will need the race of their lives to catch him and -- if previous years are any guide -- that still may not be enough.
The only blot on an otherwise perfect Saturday for Armstrong? He was beaten by a fellow American and former teammate, David Zabriskie, by 2 seconds over the 11.8-mile course past oyster vendors and marshes from Fromentine to the island of Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile on western France's Atlantic coast.
But Zabriskie, for all his promise, is not considered a contender for the overall title at the still tender age for a cyclist of 26.
Armstrong, racing a special aerodynamic bike, helmet and suit, set out last of the 189 riders and had a minor mishap at the outset when one of his feet popped out of a pedal. But he quickly clipped it back and then pedaled relentlessly.
He dealt a severe psychological and racing blow to his main rival, Jan Ullrich, by overtaking him along the way -- even though the German had set out 1 minute earlier.
"The feeling of being passed by Lance is not good," Ullrich said later. He tried to put a brave face on the defeat, saying: "The Tour is still three weeks long. I'll battle."
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 2, 2005 17:41:20 GMT -5
i just saw a part of it tonight.  |
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Post by MG on Jul 3, 2005 16:00:30 GMT -5
does anyone know if UTV are doing their highlights this season,
haven't seen any of the race yet and I love this race.
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Post by Currian on Jul 3, 2005 16:53:34 GMT -5
Great. It'd be nice for Armstrong to win again, but I hope he finally gets beaten.
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Post by giggergrl on Jul 3, 2005 19:21:51 GMT -5
thanks webby, day 2... will start to matter next week eh ? GO LANCE ! Tam |
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Post by Currian on Jul 4, 2005 11:42:46 GMT -5
Woaah!!! Did you see Erik Dekker, the Dutch pride riding like hell today! He comes from the same city as me and we are at the same cycling club! He did almost everything those 190 km. And 2 kilometres before the finish he is swallowed by the peloton. I'm absolutely gutted.  But remember this, the Biking Dutchmen will take revenge! |
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Post by feckarse on Jul 4, 2005 13:07:07 GMT -5
 just a bit of nostagia for the Irish out there! |
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Post by Currian on Jul 4, 2005 13:35:01 GMT -5
Tomorrow is the time trial for teams. BORING! I'll be watching on wednesday again.  |
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Post by MG on Jul 4, 2005 19:05:50 GMT -5
just a bit of nostagia for the Irish out there! Good ol' Stephen Roach. Found out theres coverage on TG4, will start watchin 2moro |
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Post by giggergrl on Jul 4, 2005 22:03:16 GMT -5
what do you call the crew or team members/ the helpers ? it is derived from french word for "domestics ?" something like that. Oh I'll look it up.  |
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Post by Way Cool Jr. on Jul 5, 2005 0:16:46 GMT -5
good ol' uniballer will take it again more than likely
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Post by giggergrl on Jul 5, 2005 0:47:08 GMT -5
side note.. aol has EXCELLENT site on this and breaks it down day-by-day.... cool to look at the maps too. Tam |
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Post by maketradefair on Jul 5, 2005 5:44:48 GMT -5
channel 4 always show it. as do eurosport. ill be in paris on friday, so it will all over the papers. l'equipe is the best french newspaper.
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Post by webm@ster on Jul 5, 2005 10:16:49 GMT -5
Armstrong takes Tour de France lead as Discovery Channel wins team
time trial
BLOIS, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel squad
won the team time trial of the Tour de France on Tuesday, handing
the six-time champion the yellow jersey as overall race leader.
The 33-year-old Texan led his squad to victory for the third
straight year in the time trial, clocking 1 hour, 10 minutes, 40
seconds for the 41.85-mile trek from Tours to Blois. Team CSC was
second.
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Post by webm@ster on Jul 7, 2005 10:54:40 GMT -5
Overall Standings after stage 6
1 L. Armstrong DSC 17:58:11
2 G. Hincapie DSC + 00:00:55
3 A. Vinokourov TMO + 00:01:02
4 J. Voigt CSC + 00:01:04
5 B. Julich CSC + 00:01:07
6 J. Rubiera DSC + 00:01:14
7 Y. Popovych DSC + 00:01:16
8 B. Noval DSC + 00:01:26
9 I. Basso CSC + 00:01:26
10 K. Arvesen CSC + 00:01:32
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Post by Dominic on Jul 8, 2005 8:16:57 GMT -5
might as well sticky this while its going on
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Post by Currian on Jul 9, 2005 17:22:15 GMT -5
Yeah dutch victory!!! Peter Weening with 9,1 millimetres difference and he was also 0,0008 seconds faster! |
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Post by Currian on Jul 10, 2005 14:32:47 GMT -5
Wooh we strike again! A Dane in Dutch service! What a race! We have the sweater! Well it's not the yellow but okay.  |
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Post by shadowboxer on Jul 11, 2005 15:07:40 GMT -5
Didn't Lance drop to 3rd??
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Post by MG on Jul 12, 2005 6:39:07 GMT -5
Yeah dutch victory!!! Peter Weening with 9,1 millimetres difference and he was also 0,0008 seconds faster! saw how they did that, Weening winning by one computer pixal, lol |
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Post by webm@ster on Jul 12, 2005 10:58:58 GMT -5
Lance takes another 2 mins from arch rival Ullrich in todays mountain stage !
1 Lance Armstrong 37h11'04"
2 Mickael Rasmussen +38''
3 Ivan Basso +2'40''
4 Christophe Moreau +2'42''
5 Alejandro Valverde +3'16"
6 Levi Leipheimer +3'58''
7 Francisco Mancebo +4'
8 Jan Ullrich +4'02''
9 Andreas Klöden +4'16''
10 Floyd Landis +4'16''
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Post by webm@ster on Jul 14, 2005 0:51:37 GMT -5
 BRIANCON, France (AP) -- When Lance Armstrong takes it easy on a tough mountain stage at the Tour de France, it's a sign he's in control. As Alexandre Vinokourov outpaced Santiago Botero to the finish line in Wednesday's 11th stage, Armstrong saved energy in the chasing group of riders. Flanked by his Discovery Channel teammates, Armstrong minimized any serious time losses. "Our objective today was to stay together," Armstrong said. "We wanted to be as conservative and relaxed as possible and I think we did it." Sometimes Armstrong is happy for others to win -- providing they don't threaten his chances. The six-time champion generously called Vinokourov's win "impressive", but countered that by saying he is "no longer on our list of priorities" as a threat. Vinokourov, third in 2003, was seen as one of Armstrong's main challengers. But that changed in the first Alpine stage on Tuesday, when Armstrong crushed him by 6 minutes and 32 seconds. |
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Post by Currian on Jul 14, 2005 14:16:32 GMT -5
Seems like Lance is heading for victory again.
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Post by webm@ster on Jul 16, 2005 10:18:09 GMT -5
17:04 ARMSTRONG STOPPED FOR A WORD (IN FRENCH) ON FRENCH TV: "It was a very tactical day, with the operation launched by T-Mobile. It was also a very hard day, with the distance and the heat. Especially the heat, which was incredible. T-Mobile went all out and I found myself isolated. It was a tough day, it all worked out well..."
16:58 ULLRICH GETS MAD, when asked what he has in store for the rest of the race: "You ask me that question all the time! We'll keep fighting all the way to Paris. Ask that question as much as you want. That's the answer you'll always get..."
16:58 JAN ULLRICH: "When Armstrong went I had nothing left... I felt better in the Alps. We [T-Mobile] had to go on the attack, but it just didn't work out. Armstrong matched everything we did. Of course, I'm disappointed..."
16:52 STAGE WINNER GEORG TOTSCHNIG: "I've dreamn't of this moment since I was 15... I wasn't sure I could do it. I had a bad start to the race, but my team encouraged me and convinced me to carry on the fight. It's not likely that I'll be among the best some day. I can't go for the overall, so I'll go for stage wins. This is a dream. I can't wait to go home and share this with my family."
16:46 Lance Armstrong puts some cushion between himself and Dane Michael Rasmussen in the overall standings: 1. Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) / 2. Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) + 1 min 41 sec / 3. Ivan Basso (CSC) + 2 min 46 sec / 4. Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) + 4 min 34 sec / 5. Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) + 4 min 45 sec
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Post by Currian on Jul 17, 2005 9:08:13 GMT -5
Large group with 3 dutchmen were away for about 19 minutes, 2 of us had to give in 'cause they pulled the whole lot alone. Now Boogerd, two spaniards, a frenchmen and Hincapie are going for victory but Discovery Channel is trying to close the gap of 11 minutes. Go Boogerd!!
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Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5