5:00am - It's official. I am now on Paris Time,
but not in Paris and
there is something severely fucked up about that
on every level.
Today is the final real stage (other than for
the sprinters) of the 2005 Tour de France,
and Lance's final Time Trial. Like the prologue,
every rider races against the clock.
It runs 55.5k from and back to Saint-Etienne.
It's far from flat, and oddly enough has
a feeding zone around the 32k mark. Each rider
begins in order of overall GC placement
in 3 minute intervals of each other. Lance is
the last rider on the course.
It's a lovely day, scattered clouds in the 80s.
I wonder what the humidity is?
Best time so far is Luke Roberts (CSC) at 1h15'33".
5:30am - We already have a crash - Santiago Botero
(PHO) missed a corner and went
into the crowd - not exactly a crash, he braked,
no one was hurt, and he rode away
laughing at what a dork he'd just been.
Pretty funny stuff!
This is Lance's last chance to win a stage in
this, his last Tour. His three kids are here,
and they're all hanging with Dad and Sheryl just
before Dad starts his warmup.
His son Luke looks like Mini- Lance
John Kerry is here to watch Lance and say hi to Sheryl
John, don't you have a surrender to get to somewhere?
6:07am - Best time: Sebastian Lang (GST) 1h15'12".
6:41am - Best time: Vladimir Karpets (IBA) 1h14'51"
7:21am - RASMUSSEN JUST WENT DOWN! HARD! Right
now he is in third
place, with Jan Ullrich a little over 2min behind.
He could hold onto
his podium place in Paris, if he isn't hurt too
badly.
7:23am - Lance has started - John Kerry is in
the team car following
him. Everyone but Lane has gone with a traditional
TT bike with a solid
disc for the back wheel, which makes taking turns
difficult. Lance has
a regular back wheel today - smart choice I think.
I wonder where Robin
Williams is? He's a close friend of Lance, and
is usually in France
this time of year to watch Lance and chase the
last few stages.
7:46am - Best time: Bobby Jullich (CSC) 1h13'19".
Ullrich is flying,
and is 6" away from over taking Rasmussen's 3rd
place in the GC.
7:47am - Lance has just gone thru the 17k time check at 7" behind Basso's time.
7:50am - Rasmussen just had problems with his
back wheel because of the
crash - and is now on a new bike - what a nightmare
of a day for him.
Basso has passed him on the road as well, with
Lance only 2min behind him.
8:00am - UNBELIEVABLE!!! RASMUSSEN HAS CRASHED
AGAIN! This time INTO A
DITCH!!!! He went completely over the handlebars,
and deserves a
special prize is he finishes at this point!!
Let's hope he doesn't go
over the cliffs that Basso just passed! He's
also had FOUR BIKE
CHANGES! He is still King Of The Mountains however,
as long as he
doesn't kill himself in this stage, and actually
finishes tomorrow in
Paris - even if he is last over the line! Poor
guy!!!!
8:15am - Vinokourov (TMO) BEST TIME - 1h13'03"
8:26am - Jan Ullrich (TMO) BEST TIME - 1h12'09"
LANCE WINS THE STAGE AND HIS 7th TOUR DE FRANCE
- time- 1h11'46"!!!!!
Rasmussen comes in finally..... but will be on
the podium for the King of the Mountains.
Podium in Paris tomorrow:
1 - Lance Armstrong (TDC)
2 - Ivan Basso (CSC) + 4'40"
3 - Jan Ullrich (TMO) + 6'20"
It is tradition to not attack the top GC positions
when the leaders are this far ahead,
(and über bad form) although not impossible.
But I think who ever tried would get the
shit beaten out of them along with receiving
ultra derision from every corner of the globe.
Tomorrow is a fun, champagne drinking bike ride
into the streets of Paris and onto the
Champs Elysees with nine times around and the
sprinters still competing for the final
standings in that competition.
OH YEAH!!!
WELL DONE LANCE!!!!!!