Stage Fourteen...
Stage Fourteen:
1st: Pierrick Fedrigo - France - Telecom - 4:14:23
2nd: Salvatore Commesso - Italy - Lampre - 4:14:23
3rd: Christian Vandevelde - USA - CSC - 4:14:26
Overall:
1st: Oscar Pereiro - Spain - Caisse d'Epargne-Illes - 64:05:04
2nd: Floyd Landis - USA - Phonak - (+ 1:29)
3rd: Cyril Dessel - France - AG2R (+ 1:37)
Other notables:
5th: Cadel Evans - Australia - Lotto - (+ 2:46)
7th: Andreas Kloden - Germany - T-Mobile (+ 3:58)
11th: Yaroslav Popovich - Ukraine - Discovery (+ 5:44)
15th: Levi Leipheimer - USA - Gerolsteiner (+ 7:08)
19th: Jose Azevedo* - Portugal - Discovery (+ 9:11)
34th: George Hincapie - USA - Discovery (+ 24:28)
Yellow Jersey (Overall Leader): Oscar Pereiro
Green Jersey(Top Points Earner): Robbie McEwen (Austrailia)
White Jersey(Best Young Rider): Marcus Fothen (Germany)
Red Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountain): David de la Fuente (Spain)
Yellow Numbers (Best Team): CSC
Red Number (Most Competitive): Salvatore Commesso
What a stage. It was much harder than one would think at first glance. With two big climbs and another hot day, many were looking to ust get to the rest day. Pereiro's team set the pace today, choosing a tactic different than Phonak's, to keep the yellow jersey through the rest. A breakaway of six occurred, but the only got about five and a half minutes on the Peloton at the most. That was before the crash however. I can't even put into words how horrific this thing was. Of the six riders in the lead, one went down on some loose gravel as he came around a corner and hit a baracade. Matthias Kessler, who won a stage earlier braked to try and avoid him, but couldn't and flipped over the barrier into a ditch. Then, I hadn't even noticed, but in watching the replay, a third memeber of the breakaway went over the rail further down the road. Absolutely terrifying. My words don't do it justice - so watch here. Click on the heading "Three Crashes." Kessler was the only one who managed to get back on his bike. One apparently injured his arm or collar bone and the other, the one who went over the rail had a suspected broken leg. Shaken, the race officials warned the others to slow down. There were no major crashes on the rest of the day, thank goodness. The breakaway group - rather what was left of it - managed to hold on and take the win, just ten seconds before a diminished Peleton. Vandevelde, an American, was a surprise attack off the front just as the group came down to the line. Discovery appeared to be organizing for an attack, but it fell through...surprise. Notice that Martinez and Zabriskie have fallen from my list of contenders. Today was a rest day and tomorrow presents the Alps. Get pumped!
1st: Pierrick Fedrigo - France - Telecom - 4:14:23
2nd: Salvatore Commesso - Italy - Lampre - 4:14:23
3rd: Christian Vandevelde - USA - CSC - 4:14:26
Overall:
1st: Oscar Pereiro - Spain - Caisse d'Epargne-Illes - 64:05:04
2nd: Floyd Landis - USA - Phonak - (+ 1:29)
3rd: Cyril Dessel - France - AG2R (+ 1:37)
Other notables:
5th: Cadel Evans - Australia - Lotto - (+ 2:46)
7th: Andreas Kloden - Germany - T-Mobile (+ 3:58)
11th: Yaroslav Popovich - Ukraine - Discovery (+ 5:44)
15th: Levi Leipheimer - USA - Gerolsteiner (+ 7:08)
19th: Jose Azevedo* - Portugal - Discovery (+ 9:11)
34th: George Hincapie - USA - Discovery (+ 24:28)
Yellow Jersey (Overall Leader): Oscar Pereiro
Green Jersey(Top Points Earner): Robbie McEwen (Austrailia)
White Jersey(Best Young Rider): Marcus Fothen (Germany)
Red Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountain): David de la Fuente (Spain)
Yellow Numbers (Best Team): CSC
Red Number (Most Competitive): Salvatore Commesso
What a stage. It was much harder than one would think at first glance. With two big climbs and another hot day, many were looking to ust get to the rest day. Pereiro's team set the pace today, choosing a tactic different than Phonak's, to keep the yellow jersey through the rest. A breakaway of six occurred, but the only got about five and a half minutes on the Peloton at the most. That was before the crash however. I can't even put into words how horrific this thing was. Of the six riders in the lead, one went down on some loose gravel as he came around a corner and hit a baracade. Matthias Kessler, who won a stage earlier braked to try and avoid him, but couldn't and flipped over the barrier into a ditch. Then, I hadn't even noticed, but in watching the replay, a third memeber of the breakaway went over the rail further down the road. Absolutely terrifying. My words don't do it justice - so watch here. Click on the heading "Three Crashes." Kessler was the only one who managed to get back on his bike. One apparently injured his arm or collar bone and the other, the one who went over the rail had a suspected broken leg. Shaken, the race officials warned the others to slow down. There were no major crashes on the rest of the day, thank goodness. The breakaway group - rather what was left of it - managed to hold on and take the win, just ten seconds before a diminished Peleton. Vandevelde, an American, was a surprise attack off the front just as the group came down to the line. Discovery appeared to be organizing for an attack, but it fell through...surprise. Notice that Martinez and Zabriskie have fallen from my list of contenders. Today was a rest day and tomorrow presents the Alps. Get pumped!
posted by Pam @ 11:40 PM
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