Stage 14 results

"David Corsi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:J3ySa.105892$ye4.78131@sccrnsc01...

Quoted message said:

Lance is still the leader Jan trails by 15 seconds Vino trails BY 19 SECONDS (big 41 sec jump)

tommorow is D-day, Lance has to gain something on these guys. anything.

Lance seems to be playing "not to lose" vs. "to win". He's just not on form. He needs to attack
tomorrow, and then win the time trial, or he's toast. Jeff

18 secs!

Incredible comeback for Simoni. Yesterday his DS begged him to leave. He should have asked this
earlier :-)

"David Corsi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:J3ySa.105892$ye4.78131@sccrnsc01...

Quoted message said:

Lance is still the leader Jan trails by 15 seconds Vino trails BY 19 SECONDS (big 41 sec jump)

tommorow is D-day, Lance has to gain something on these guys. anything.

sorry... this is the official times:

Lance Armstrong is still 15" ahead of his nearest rival, Jan Ullrich. Alexandre Vinokourov is now
only 18" behind the four-time champion. The new top 10 after today's stage is:
1. Armstrong
2. Ullrich at 15"
3. Vinokourov at 18"
4. Zubeldia at 4'16"
5. Mayo at 4'37"
6. Basso at 7'01"
7. Hamilton at 7'32"
8. Mancebo at 10'09"
9. Moreau at 10'09"
10. Sastre at 12'40"

David Corsi said:

Lance is still the leader Jan trails by 15 seconds Vino trails BY 19 SECONDS (big 41 sec jump)

tommorow is D-day, Lance has to gain something on these guys. anything.

Lance is feeling on better form today after the 'disaterous' time trial and thinks he will go well
tomorrow with the uphill stage finish and thinks, going on past form, that he should be able to win
it in the final time trial.

[from interview at the finish]

David

1. Vinokourov :-)

David Corsi said:

sorry... this is the official times:

Lance Armstrong is still 15" ahead of his nearest rival, Jan Ullrich. Alexandre Vinokourov is now
only 18" behind the four-time champion. The new top 10 after today's stage is:
1. Armstrong
2. Ullrich at 15"
3. Vinokourov at 18"
4. Zubeldia at 4'16"
5. Mayo at 4'37"
6. Basso at 7'01"
7. Hamilton at 7'32"
8. Mancebo at 10'09"
9. Moreau at 10'09"
10. Sastre at 12'40"

Millar blew up on the first col, bronchitus I think. We are still waiting for him to finish, no news
of him abandoning but apparently he had severe breathing trouble.

Virenque is almost unassailabe in the polkadot jersey - his sixth

I think Armstrong must not feel strong enough to attack. Perhaps he wants to attack tommorow, maybe
gain 30 seconds to 1 minute (if he can) on Jan and Vino... and hope for a return to form in the
last ITT on Saturday. I mean he clearly has to do better in the last ITT because he will not enter
it in the lead by much *if at all*. Tommorow will be amazing, to bad I have to go to work in the
morning. :-(

Quoted message said:

Lance seems to be playing "not to lose" vs. "to win". He's just not on form.

No, as he is recovering from severe dehydration. It's wise for him not to attack at this point, even
though its frustrating to see him let his rivals at #2 and #3 eat away at his lead.

Quoted message said:

He needs to attack tomorrow, and then win the time trial, or he's toast.

I'd agree with that. The commentators say that he looked good today, so perhaps he will be ready to
finally launch an attack tomorrow? He'll certainly have time to recover for the final ITT.

BTW, in a post-stage interview today he described his ITT as a disaster (if the translation was
accurate).

that has got to be the plan... try to attack tommorow (for the first time this entire tour mind you)
and gain 30-60 seconds (no way he gets more unless Jan and Vino blow up) on them and then come in #1
in the ITT without a disasterous finish like in the last ITT. needless to say tommorow and next
Saturday will be some of the best bike racing we have seen in more than a decade. it should be
amazing, and *if* (and it is a big *if*) Lance wins this year no one dare question his heart, ever.

David Corsi said:

that has got to be the plan... try to attack tommorow (for the first time this entire tour mind
you) and gain 30-60 seconds (no way he gets more unless Jan and Vino blow up) on them and then
come in #1 in the ITT without a disasterous finish like in the last ITT. needless to say tommorow
and next Saturday will be some of the best bike racing we have seen in more than a decade. it
should be amazing, and *if* (and it is a big *if*) Lance wins this year no one dare question his
heart, ever.

To me Ulrich and Lance seem about equal on form. The Tourmalet will be difficult for both of them,
after rolling through the valley it is a steep series of hairpins to the summit.

Rogers did a fantastic job for Virinque today and may be someone to watch in coming years.

Virenque said he still feels good but did a lot of work today at the front. He was fed-up that
neither he nor his buddy Dufaux won, but Simoni did a lot of work on the climb so I think it was a
good result.

"David Corsi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:MfySa.106276$N7.13986@sccrnsc03...

Quoted message said:

I think Armstrong must not feel strong enough to attack. Perhaps he wants

to

Quoted message said:

attack tommorow, maybe gain 30 seconds to 1 minute (if he can) on Jan and Vino... and hope for a
return to form in the last ITT on Saturday.

I was thinking the same thing - today may have been one more 'recovery' day for him after the
dehydration. Tomorrow's the day though. There's really not much more time to lose to his opponents
(15 & 19 seconds!). He's got to put at least some breathing room between himself and them. While I
think he'll be in good form for the final TT, it's extreme pressure (for him and the others) for the
tour to boil down to the final TT. What a tour this is - riveting!! Jeff

Quoted message said:

I mean he clearly has to do better in the last ITT because he will not enter it in

the

Quoted message said:

lead by much *if at all*. Tommorow will be amazing, to bad I have to go to work in the
morning. :-(

David Corsi said:

and *if* (and it is a big *if*) Lance wins this year no one dare question his heart, ever.

You must be new to RBR.

Erik van Leeuwen said:

18 secs!

Incredible comeback for Simoni. Yesterday his DS begged him to leave. He should have asked this
earlier :-)

interesting they shelled off the entire team saturday working at the front... Who do you suppose
they made that deal with..

Erik van Leeuwen said:

18 secs!

Incredible comeback for Simoni. Yesterday his DS begged him to leave. He should have asked this
earlier :-)

He's just been intervied, he said that he came to the Tour to win, he now realises that he made a
big mistake but has learnt a lot from the his experience. Today's stage win makes up to some extent
for his shame in the Alps and hopes to do better next year.

Well, I think Simoni deserved to win, because he was the only one of the three (four at the first
attack) that tried to attack uphill. Pretty gutsy for a guy who looked pretty tired on the second to
last climb.

//M

"David Off" <[email hidden]> skrev i meddelandet
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

David Corsi said:

that has got to be the plan... try to attack tommorow (for the first

time

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

this entire tour mind you) and gain 30-60 seconds (no way he gets more unless Jan and Vino blow
up) on them and then come in #1 in the ITT

without

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a disasterous finish like in the last ITT. needless to say tommorow and

next

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Saturday will be some of the best bike racing we have seen in more than

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

decade. it should be amazing, and *if* (and it is a big *if*) Lance wins this year no one dare
question his heart, ever.

To me Ulrich and Lance seem about equal on form. The Tourmalet will be difficult for both of them,
after rolling through the valley it is a steep series of hairpins to the summit.

Rogers did a fantastic job for Virinque today and may be someone to watch in coming years.

Virenque said he still feels good but did a lot of work today at the front. He was fed-up that
neither he nor his buddy Dufaux won, but Simoni did a lot of work on the climb so I think it was a
good result.

people know he has heart etc. but many have said that in the last few years that with the help of
his team and early time gaps in the first set of mountains the Tour became less exciting and
Armstrong never had real pressure on his lead or ability to win. my point here is we have never seen
Armstrong holding a narrow lead like this over not 1 but 2 competitors so late in the tour. if he
pulls out the win this will only add to the legend.

Quoted message said:

You must be new to RBR.

"Erik van Leeuwen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

1. Vinokourov :-)

How often have you seen a guy go from the Tour podium to win the Vuelta in the same year?

Never. Ask Beloki what happens when he tries.

"Erik van Leeuwen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

1. Vinokourov :-)

Considering the season Vinokourov has had so far I would be seriously surprised if he contended for
the Vuelta.

Considering the season he had so far everyone is totally surprised that he's 3rd in the GC... So
what's next for him? Worldcup, Vuelta, Worldchampionship?

"Corey Green" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Erik van Leeuwen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

1. Vinokourov :-)

Considering the season Vinokourov has had so far I would be seriously surprised if he contended
for the Vuelta.