Stage Twelve (Abbreviated)...

Stage Twelve:
1st: Yaroslav Popovich - Ukraine - Discovery

Overall:
1st: Floyd Landis - USA - Phonak
2nd: Cyril Dessel - France - AG2R (+ :08)
3rd: Denis Menchov - Russia - Rabobank - (+ 1:01)
Other notables:
10th: Yaroslav Popovich - Ukraine - Discovery - (+ 4:30)

Yellow Jersey (Overall Leader): Floyd Landis
Green Jersey(Top Points Earner): Robbie McEwen (Austrailia)
White Jersey(Best Young Rider): Marcuz Fothen (Germany)
Red Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountain): David de la Fuente (Spain)
Yellow Numbers (Best Team): T-Mobile

Abandoned: Paolo Salvodelli and Ben Noval - both Spain - both Discovery

You thought I'd miss it. Ha. Ok, so this update isn't nearly as detailed as most, but as I haven't been online I didn't get to double check my facts, so I listed the ones I knew. Dammit, Discovery - talk about your mixed messages. Salvodelli dropped out at the beginning of the stage following his descent from the mountains of stage 11. He was riding downhill, as it was faster than waiting for a car and, sans helmet and AFTER the day's race was over...and he collide with a crazy french spectator. Fifteen stitches later, he can't pull through today. And who knows the deal with Noval. Honestly, guys - Armstrong beat cancer. CANCER. No excuses for you. Seriously, this would not have happened last year. Or any of the last seven years to be honest. ::sigh:: But then, you have Popovich, last year's most promising young rider, in a breakaway. One that Phonak didn't rush the Peloton to catch. So all of a sudden, it was the end of the race and the breakaway still had about four and a half minutes on the group. So Popovich attacks the other riders once, twice, three, and finally four times to get away and take the stage...and cut his time deficit in half, moving in to the top ten. Just when my hope was almost lost, he pulls me back. I can't deal. Landis stayed in yellow, comfortable currently. I love VCRs.