2006 Tour de France - Floyd Landis

Folanator · Jul 15, 2006

BB73 said:
A breakaway made up over 30 minutes today. Oscar Pereiro now leads the race, but he should once again lose big time when they get into the mountains.

Landis is no longer in yellow, but it's probably best for the Phonak team. They won't have to drive the peleton tomorrow, and can rest up for the Alps stages starting on Tuesday, where the race will be won or lost.

And the TT still to come....

Folanator · Jul 17, 2006

Anyone else pumped up about L'alpe D'Huez? i am taking off a half day and will be drinking expresso's from 6 am to 11. It will be like a meth high. SWEET!!!!!

tmporter · Jul 17, 2006

Still one of my all time favorite stages was the time trial up that climb. Lance was a machine that day, totally destroying the will of any and all that day. It really looks like a most horrible climb. But this should seperate the men from the boys. Hope Landis is ready.

Folanator · Jul 17, 2006

I still remember seeing Andy Hampsten ride some Euro off his wheel to win the stage at ADH. I bet I was maybe 16 and had no idea what a bike race was. But I knew that it was one cool thing to watch. Hampsten lives in Italy and is still treated like a god over there.

Taosman · Jul 17, 2006

Sunday's crash was ugly. 3 of the 6 breakaway group crashed hard. 2 guys seriously hurt.
The third guy finished the stage with rocks stuck in his helmet! Sick!

Tuesday the suffering begins in earnest!
21 turns(switchbacks) in 9 miles! :evil:

jlb1705 · Jul 18, 2006

Very entertaining stage today. Frank Schleck from Luxembourg took the stage for CSC. Landis finished fourth, just outside of the time bonus. It was good enough to regain the yellow jersey by 0:10.

A lot of guys (Kloden especially) spilled their guts out there, and there are still two more days of tough climbing to do. Landis raced a tactically superb stage, and expended minimum effort compared to other GC contenders like Kloden and Menchov. While the leaderboard may not show that any major separation took place today, I think the next two stages will show that Landis won the tour today with the effort he was able to save.

I'm amazed that the guy with the bum hip had the easiest climb today.

BB73 · Jul 18, 2006

It will be interesting to see how many guys are able to stay in the lead pack up the Col du Galibier, which comes early in the stage tomorrow.

Menchov looked completely gassed near the top of l"Alpe D'Huez today. Cadel Evans didn't have a real good day either. But sometimes the first day after a rest day is an aberration.

Landis only needs to keep in contact with the handful of guys that still have a shot: Kloden, Sastre, Evans, and Menchov. Pereiro and Dessel should fade tomoorrow.

tmporter · Jul 18, 2006

I would have to agree. If you look at the past tours that have gone up L'Alpe du Huez, the man in the yellow is something like 20 for 25 to top the podeum in Paris. Landis did ride a near perfect race, and I would agree he will see the benefits over the next 2 days. Should be a good one, and this might come down to the wire and be very close or Landis might blow it open.

On a side note, will this be Phonak's only GC win? I forget what their team name was before Phonak.

Folanator · Jul 18, 2006

From a personal standpoint I hope that Landis tries to deliver the knock out punch mano a mano and not do it in the TT. I would really like to see him blast off the front on one of these Mountain top finishes and crush Kloden and Evans. It would make him a greater champion in my eyes.

ScriptOhio · Jul 18, 2006

Did anyone else notice that Frank Schleck peddled up the entire mountain with his shirt open;
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however, he takes time to zip up his jersey just before he crosses the finish line so everyone could photograph his sponser (CSC)?

I wonder what his penality would be if he crossed the finish line in first place with his shirt unzipped.

Tomorrow's stage doesn't look any easier:
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Folanator · Jul 18, 2006

ScriptOhio said:
Did anyone else notice that Frank Schleck peddled up the entire mountain with his shirt open;
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however, he takes time to zip up his jersey just before he crosses the finish line so everyone could photograph his sponser (CSC)?

I wonder what his penality would be if he crossed the finish line in first place with his shirt unzipped.

Tomorrow's stage doesn't look any easier:
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No penalty, just is customary so the sponsor that spends millions can get a good pic for publicity ads. Believe me these dudes are freeken scrawny and you do not want to see a picture of them with their shirt open. It would make Mili want to kick sand in their face.

As was said before the two guys that raced for the win are the future of the Tour. They are both young and very good.

Torrow is the stage that I have thought will be the back braker. The final TT will be just icing on the cake.

Taosman · Jul 18, 2006

Tomorrow will be the toughest day of the Tour!
It will all be about just surviving tomorrow! :evil:

:dead: Muhahahaha!

buckeyeboy · Jul 19, 2006

Folanator said:
From a personal standpoint I hope that Landis tries to deliver the knock out punch mano a mano and not do it in the TT. I would really like to see him blast off the front on one of these Mountain top finishes and crush Kloden and Evans. It would make him a greater champion in my eyes.

I would like to see Landis do this as well. I was waiting for him to do it yesterday, but he did not. It seemed he was content to simply make sure none of the other GC contenders beat him up the hill. However, I am beginning to wonder if it's strategy or simply the fact that he cannot step on the pedals and crush his opponents up the hill whenever he wants to a la Lance.

BB73 · Jul 19, 2006

Too bad for Landis, he cracked on La Toussuire, the last climb of the day. He's now 10 minutes behind Pereiro, who surprisingly hung tough today. Now it will be CSC and T-Mobile that are sorry that he gained about 30 minutes on the field a few days ago.

Kloden and Sastre looked OK today, but Pereiro just needs to stay with them for one more day in the Alps, and then have a decent TT. Of course, that's what it looked like for Landis before the last climb.

Leipheimer made a bold move today, but he got caught by the contenders with only a couple kilometers left. Rasmussen certainly earned the stage win, he was on his own most of the day.

Oh8ch · Jul 19, 2006

Did anyone else notice that Frank Schleck peddled up the entire mountain with his shirt open;

No, but then I'm straight.

2006 Tour de France - Floyd Landis

Folanator

Brawndo's got electrolytes...

Folanator

Brawndo's got electrolytes...

tmporter

All-American

Folanator

Brawndo's got electrolytes...

Taosman

Your Cousin In New Mexxico

jlb1705

hipster doofus

BB73

Loves Buckeye History

tmporter

All-American

Folanator

Brawndo's got electrolytes...

ScriptOhio

Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.

Folanator

Brawndo's got electrolytes...

Taosman

Your Cousin In New Mexxico

buckeyeboy

Still fortitudinous

BB73

Loves Buckeye History

Oh8ch

Cognoscente of Omphaloskepsis