Carlos Sastre stormed the Alpe d'Huez in 39'31, almost two minutes slower than the course record set by Marco Pantani in 1997 (37'35). But for Sastre the stage win and the yellow jersey was worth much more than a debatable record. Sastre stormed away virtually from the bottom of the climb. His closest rival, Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), was 2'03 back.
There has been (and always will be) discussions about comparing Alpe d'Huez performances. Besides the obvious differences each year in distance, terrain, weather and other factors, there has been a constant change where the timing starts. See the note at the bottom of Armstrong's 2004 time trial win.
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