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Tour News for July 27

Stage 18 - Live coverage
Stage 18 - Full results and report

Post-stage comments

Lance Armstrong
Photo: © AFP

Lance Armstrong (1st stage)

"Of course, I am tired. I rode a solid race, I gave the maximum. I am very satisfied with the time schedule that I followed. I knew the course very well. I went hard on the climb."

"The heat was a problem and the humidity even more. In training, the weather was too hot. I drank a lot before the start. But the conditions are the same for everyone."

"I have never felt as good in a time trial. I had felt super although the stage yesterday was difficult. Physically, the legs went round, everything responded to the heat very well."

"The course started with a false flat, it is essential to get into a rhythm. I did not have the idea to start so fast. But, when I was told of the first intermediate time check, I knew that that it would go well."

"Last year, before the last time trial, I felt as though I had missed something. A yellow jersey must show themselves to be the best and I was afraid to finish the Tour without winning a stage. This year, before the start, there was no question of making gifts to anyone. It was necessary to seize all the opportunities to win stages."

"Now I have to remain attentive of course, to keep my eyes open, to avoid falls. I have the impression that I am at the height of my career. Today, I felt unique sensations. Even Johan Bruyneel (USPS director) was astonished. For me, everything is running, all is well. My family is here. I am a fulfilled man."

Was it easier this year? "I did not encounter the difficulties that I had last year. Ullrich was at his best level, he was hard to beat. I was never in danger, but the Tour was not easier because of that. I avoided failures."

Can you get stronger next year? "I don't know. The success in the Tour depends on the course of the season, of the previous months. This year, I did not have any falls or sickness, no hitches. Next year, the same approach, the same program will be kept. Perhaps at 30 years, I will be better than at 29 years."

Jan Ullrich (Telekom, 3rd stage)

Jan Ullrich
Photo: © AFP

"I am not ashamed of finishing behind Lance Armstrong, who was truly the strongest in this Tour de France. I am content, becaues I went to the maximum. I fought like a lion."

"This time trial was hard, much more than I thought it would be. However, I do not have any raison to be disappointed because I paid for my efforts in the mountains. My goal was to preserve my second place. It is done ".

Atop Lux Ardiden on Sunday, "The match with Lance was finished, and it was for this reason that I grasped his hand at the finsh...I don't think I allowed Lance Armstrong to win easily. I was in combat with him at every moment."

"Finally, this second place gives me new motivation for the future."

Didier Rous (Bonjour, 4th stage)

"I am not surprised by my performance I realized this morning that I had really good legs after fifteen minutes on the trainer. I took a nap then. I used one tooth less to give more flexibility."

"I am disappointed not to finish in the top 10 on the general classification, but my 11th place was acquired with the pedals: I did not profit from favourable circumstances."

Joseba Beloki (ONCE, 6th stage)

"It was a special time trial. Above all, I wanted to make up for my lost time on Kivilev before the feed zone. For this reason I started very fast. I feared that he would profit from following Ullrich. This 3rd place, for the second consecutive year, confirms my possibilities in big tours. Now, I dream of winning the Vuelta."

Laurent Jalabert (CSC, 44th stage)

"I finished a little tired. I have found it hard to recover from the Pyrenees."

Armstrong speaks

Casual like
Photo: © CN

It was a warm, muggy evening when Cyclingnews.com and a select few other cycling journalists met with Lance Armstrong at the USPS team hotel in a chateau outside of Montluçon.

Lance was very relaxed and friendly; his wife Kristen (who is expecting twin girls) and son Luke were nearby and the two (soon to be three) time TdF champ was glowing with confidence and the expectation of his impending arrival on the Champs Elysées.

Here are some selected excerpts from the interview:

CN: Lance, how are you feeling?
LA: The last few days have been harder than I thought they would be. Hilly and tough.

CN: How do you view the possibility to win your third consecutive Tour De France?
LA: Well, the first was a surprise and the second was a confirmation - I wouldn't chose one (TDF win) over another. This is an event I love and a sport I love.

Other Reporter: What about Greg LeMond? How will your three wins compare to his?
LA: The way people view me and this race are different; the sport is different. I have a lot of respect for Greg and I can imagine what it was like - winning this race (TDF) by only 8 seconds.

Other Reporter: What about the brash, aggressive way you race? Isn't this just like an American - you don't race like a European?
LA: Not at all; it's like saying Eddy Merckx races like a Texan Because he took advantage of the situation, because the race was hard.

Other Reporter: Lance, you haven't mentioned cancer much this Tour De France?
LA: I am still connected to the cancer community. People ask me all the time; riders, journalists, people in race organizations to sign stuff for people who have cancer. I always said that people would talk about it less and less as time went on - but I do talk about being a cancer survivor every time I get a chance.

CN: Lance, what about about recent insinuations from Telekom Director Pevenage* and Kelme assistant DS Jose Labarta (L'Equipe 23 July) that you are above the other riders, but no one wants to say why?
LA: Well, maybe sometimes some people are sore losers. Telekom needs to take a look at their rider (meaning Ullrich) and their (winter training) program. I was at this same hotel (for a USPS training camp) in April when it was pissing down rain (for a TT test run) and I didn't see Jan Ullrich.

Andrew Hood/Dallas Morning Herald: What is the new Lance Armstrong you spoke about the other day in your press conference in Pau?
LA: I think I can work harder and do things better...(being in this place) feels very good. It's like things are on cruise control and there are not a lot of distractions. I love my job and I love to race my bike - literally I love to race the bike.

CN: In all the brouhaha about Dr. Ferrari, the World Hour Record attempt you spoke of has gotten lost.
LA: The where is the most difficult part; to find a good velodrome at altitude. I want to do it (WHR) one time, do it well and never do it again. But it's hard to find a fast indoor velodrome at altitude. One thing we've talked about is to build a track in America. It should be at about 6,000 feet altitude. I've talked to Tony Rominger; he's a good friend and he had told me it's (WHR) NOT fun!

Other Reporter: Lance, which was more significant to you, your win at l'Alpe d'Huez or Pla d'Adet?
LA: l'Alpe d'Huez is what is is - a legendary thing. I did it in training and saw all the names on the corners and wanted to see mine there. Pla d'Adet was a much more established situation, a more established race. I was really inspired that day, like I was in training.

Other Reporter: How much does it hurt when you are racing up, say l'Alpe d'Huez?
LA: When you are prepared, it doesn't hurt at all- this year I wanted to eliminate that bad last day I had...last year on (le col de) Joux Plane, that hurt!

Although the assembled media could have asked Lance Armstrong many more questions, his manager Bill Stapleton appeared to whisk the Maillot Jaune away to an interview with Peter Jennings of ABC-TV.

*Pevenage did clarify his comments later: "I simply indicated that there was a difference between the cadence of Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong, and that sometimes Jan had more problems on the climbs, that he opened his mouth to breathe," he said.

Thanks to Sophie Boulot, USPS Attache Presse and Bill Stapleton for the invite.

Italians struggling

Stefano Garzelli
Photo: © Sirotti

The world's top cycling country (in terms of UCI points) is having trouble winning even one stage in the world's biggest bike race, the Tour de France, with no success so far in 18 stages. The absence of Mario Cipollini and Marco Pantani, along with the withdrawal of Francesco Casagrande in the early part of the race, has not helped the Italians' cause. The last time no Italian rider won a Tour de France stage was in 1985.

In 2000, there were five Italian wins, including Marco Pantani's two stages, while in 1999 Mario Cipollini took four stages, with another three going to Italians.

Pantani's director sportif, Felice Gimondi commented to Darren Tulett (Bloomberg News) that it was "shameful that we've had such poor results. It made me sad going up the Alpe d'Huez this year and seeing no Italian contender." Gimondi won the Tour in 1965.

Former Italian national coach, Alfredo Martini, pointed towards Cipollini and Pantani's absence as well: "If Cipollini had been there, he would have won a couple of the first stages at least and only Pantani, at his best, can compete with Armstrong in the mountains. The others would have got a boost from them."

Although he had the desire to ride, Pantani was the first former Tour champion to miss out on selection when his Mercatone Uno team missed the cut in May this year. However Pantani has had a chequered career in recent years, dogged by drug allegations and court cases that saw him convicted for sporting fraud in Italy last year i.e. falsifying sports results through illegal performance enhancement.

Ballerini hatches another scheme
Photo: © Sirotti

Pantani's eight stage wins have been bettered by Mario Cipollini, who has won 12 Tour stages in his impressive sprinting career. The 34 year old "Lion King" won four stages in the Giro d'Italia this year, also after it was announced that his Saeco team was excluded from the Tour de France. However, Mario, being a sprinter, has never finished the Tour in seven attempts, and this was sufficient to annoy Tour boss Jean Marie Leblanc into refusing the team a start permit this year.

There are now just two stages left for the Italians to redeem themselves. Perhaps an attack by Mapei's Paolo Bettini will do it tomorrow, but it seems likely that sprint finishes will be the norm tomorrow and on Sunday. The best Italian sprinter is Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo), who certainly has potential but has been outclassed so far in this Tour.

Official communiqués

Weather forecast
Clouds at the beginning of day. The sky will remain very cloudy throughout the stage in spite of some tentative breaks. Downpours may become stormy locally. Weak wind with possibility of gusts in the case of a storm. Temperatures between 25 - 29 degrees.

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