Armstrong wins record 6th Tour de France

uberwolf

well not quite. But if he can stay upright between here and paris on Sunday he will confrim himself as the most successful rider in Tour History. Today saw the feared indiv time trial up the Famous Alpe D'Huez and as things stand Armstrong has obliterated the oppostion taking 2 mins out of Basso in second place overall over only 15kms!!!

Armstrong beats Ullrich with more than one minute. Basso finishes eight - Sastre 10th.

1. Armstrong 39.41
2. Ullrich +1.01
3. Klöden +1.41
4. Azevedo +1.45
5. S. Gonzalez +2.11

8. Basso +2.23
10. Sastre +2.27

Game over I'd say. Phenomonen

Trojan

Agreed.

There's no way the Posties will let anything happen to their captain between here and the Champs, and there's 2 chances of Ullrich or Basso pulling out the stops to reel him back in (there's noone else in GC who can do it either, but I think they're the 2nd and 3rd place contenders unless Ullrich rides for Kloden).

ednwireland

could still do a beloki (rain showers forecast tomorrow descending the glandon and madelaine in the wet !!!) though it would be a shame only 1 thing lets armstrong down the small number of races he does through the year looks like the rain in the first week did for ullrich and maybe it took his legs awhile to get over winning the tour of switzerland

Pherekydes

Another fine ride by Scanlon: ahead of Cancellara, Voeckler and Boonen, amongst others. Just to make it through that tour in any shape is supreme.

On another, related point, I see the Etape du tour was won in a time about half an hour slower than the last placed finisher in the Tour proper!! Puts the big boys in context, doesn't it?

uberwolf

Originally posted by ednwireland
looks like the rain in the first week did for ullrich and maybe it took his legs awhile to get over winning the tour of switzerland

I'd say that rain didn't allow him lose the weight he'd like to have done (and should have lost in January). By all accounts he trained on the rest day earlier this week!! - they all go for a spin, but he rode hard - trying to get into shape for yesterday.

ednwireland

i'm a lardy boy myself but i don't think one days training would get me in shape to ride up alpe d'huez, ullrich has always ridden better in the heat must be something to do with pushing a ridiculous gear uphill (makes my knees hurt just watching him)
actually i thought ullrich looked leaner than i've ever seen him at the start of the tour (maybe too thin?). anyway pretty academic now unless he gets 8mins. powers out at the house (esb must not watch the tour) so can't work from home ! and watch eurosport today have to watch the highlights.

anyway lance is a great tour rider i'd just liked to have seen him ride classics and maybe other tours but its not lance really is it . mind you wasn't he world road race chap in 1993 ?

uberwolf

he won the wolrds allright, and has a decent palmares besides. Interesting to see if he makes it to the olympics, he said its a possibility.