BadBadNeil

I'm back after spending two weeks in Puerto Rico (in which my family had OLN TV!!!!!). I finally got to see the glorious mountain stages and the Hincapie win was great. We were all sitting around cheering him on. Now back at home I miss the Time Trial and the final Champs for Lance.

Great week for discovery.

I wish Lance wouldn't retire from cycling altogether (just from the tour) and take a stab at the 1hr time record and perhaps try his hand in such races as the Giro, Dauphine, Vuelta, for a couple more years.

Mike

how's it going to play out tomorrow?

1st place lance and 2nd place ullrich or the other way around? i'm betting that lance will still take it.

TLover

I think Lance is going to go all out on his final time trial.

cusdaddy

I agree. I think he really wants to win at least one stage himself this year. Should be interesting to watch

TLover

LONDON -- Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov told his T-Mobile team on Wednesday that he would leave at the end of the season.

"Alexander wants the chance to try and win the Tour de France as a team captain," said team manager Olaf Ludwig on the T-Mobile Web site. "We regret this decision, but we can fully comprehend his motives."

The team, currently racing in the Tour de France, is led by German Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner.

astro

i really want Jan to win in Lance's last tour.

FastAcura

Rassmussen just crashed, but got right back up. I feel bad for that guy, Ullrich will catch him.

FastAcura

Ullrich has almost caught up to Rasmussen in third. But Ivan Basso is a whole 17 seconds faster than Jan after 17K.

Come on Jan, you big German pussy!

EDIT: Armstrong just came through about 7 seconds behind Basso. Wow, Basso has really gotten good at time trialing.

EDIT: Rasmussen with a flat tire.

EDIT: Not a flat tire, but he needed his wheel replaced.

BadBadNeil

What a collapse for Rasumussen, I feel bad for the fellow, he had 3rd locked up if he just rode a half decent time trial.

FastAcura

Rasmussen changed bikes and then crashed ONCE AGAIN! UNBELIEVABLE!

Mike

Rasmussen may not be remembered as the KOM after this

FastAcura

I feel bad for that guy. Yeah I want Ullrich to catch him, which I think he would have anyway, but not like this.

FastAcura

YES! Basso fell behind Ullrich by 34 seconds. That means that Ullrich almost gained a minute on him during the second timecheck.

Mike

lance is up 19 seconds on jan @ 35k!

Mike

no surprise that lance is about to catch rasmussen

Mike

great ride by vino!!

FastAcura

32 seconds ahead of Ullrich now.

FastAcura

Ullrich finishes almost a minute ahead of Vino. Just shows that the accident before the tour had an effect on him. I bet if Armstrong hadn't passed him back then the tour would be a lot closer.

Mike

yeah buddy! lance wins!

FastAcura

Wow, only 23 seconds ahead of Ullrich, he lost 12 seconds over the last few kilometers. I wish Ullrich would have had this form during the whole tour.

BadBadNeil

Yeah!!! Go Lance!

Mike

2 americans in the 1st 5 and 3 in the top 10! plus hincapie @ 14 and julich @ 17!

1 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 82.34.05
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 4.40
3 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 6.21
4 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 9.59
5 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 11.25
6 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 11.27
7 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 11.33
8 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 11.55
9 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems 12.44
10 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 16.04

Beelzebub

Looks good for the future of American cycling post Lance.

Poor Rasmussen. That was just a crappy way to loose, although he was probably going to loose 3rd to Ullrich anyway it still sucked.

Mike

if disco can win the vuelta that would be something.

FastAcura

Vino wins @ Champs Elysees! Wow, I surely thought that the sprinters would catch up to him.

astro

AMAZING FINISH VINO!!!

that guy has some HEART.

I wanted McEwen to get teh green jersey, but when Vino pulled at a mile to go, i knew he had it, i was out of my seat screaming him on

scary to see PoPo and big George crash tho!

virtualbong

Great Tour this year!

FastAcura

I hope it continues to be the same way even after Armstrong. I think it might actually get better since there won't be anyone unbeatable.

Chopsie

Congrats to Lance, and happy retirement

Beelzebub

I like the way Armstrong basically said that Bosso will be the man to beat next year.

astro

Vino signs with Liberty Seguros for 2006. he brought another Kazakh with him, Sergey Yakolev.

BadBadNeil

I laughed at that too, he said something like "basso is the man to beat, oh and you too Jan will be there too"

FastAcura

This should make it a lot more Interesting. I predict Jan, Bosso and Vino in the top 3.

Mike

i believe jan will find new motivation next year. wonder how the officials will lay out the course and if they'll setup for Jan? Hope there are more mt stages.

astro

I am pretty sure what Lance was saying in his speech was that Basso is definitely the man of the future, but Jan still has a win left in him as well.

Dan Martin

I don't know much about the sport but is there a cash prize for winning? I assume most of the money will come from endorsements, but does the event itself payout?

astro

yup, the prize for first in the TDF is $1million Euros.
Lance keeps none of it, and divides it between the entire team.

NYZGREATST

damn did lance win?

Dan Martin

Wow that's pretty damn good.

Beelzebub

He doesn't need it, he made 28mil last year anyway. And it is his way of saying that he couldn't have done it without his team.

And everyone gets some part of the winnings. From the riders to the mechanics and even the cooks.