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Lance In 2nd at the TdF, Pisses Off Even More Frenchies
Lance Armstrong took a big step toward a record sixth straight Tour de France crown on Friday by surging past key rivals on the first climb in the Pyrenees. The Texan moved from sixth to second in the overall standings following a ride in which he was runner-up to stage winner Ivan Basso of Italy. Jan Ullrich, Tyler Hamilton, Iban Mayo and Roberto Heras were among the pre-Tour contenders whose hopes of dethroning the five-time champion faded as Armstrong powered up the ascent ahead of them.Hamilton's the only one with a chance now; Phonak has 4 climbers; Ullrich and Heras, to an extent, are now solo acts; Mayo's too far behind to be a podium threat. Riders started the 12th stage under blazing sunshine, then got doused by rain before emerging into sunny weather again on the last of two major climbs on the 122.7-mile trek from Castelsarrasin to the La Mongie ski station. Anyone who remembers Lance going up Sestriere in 1999 (the single best example of hard core cycling I will ever see) and shredding the peloton knows he looooves bad weather; he even trains in rain to get the feel for it. "It was a great day, especially with the weather," Armstrong said. "First the heat, then the thunder, then the sun again. For the overall standings it is great." Unless your last name is Hamilton, Ullrich, Heras or Mayo, that is... Posted by: Raj 2004-07-16 |
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