Armstrong, Vino, Levi group on Joux Plane

12.06.05. Etape 6 – Grenoble – Morzine – 219km

The final two days of this ‘mini’ Tour were brutal. The eventual winner Inigo Landaluze had performed superbly and almost without anyone noticing won his first major race, we didn’t even recognise him and I thought he was Iban Mayo, who wasn’t even at the race, he must have got a bit fed up with spectators shouting “Allez Iban!” yes if you’re reading it was me…

Morzine is nestled in the French Alps, a chocolate-box french town with Swiss chalet style architechture and no cafes… so needless to say we didn’t stay long, it’s the sort of place that is buzzing during the winter and pretty much dead for the rest of the year. That said when a race like the Dauphine comes to town all the restaurants are full and the Hotels ‘Complet’. Mountains are like a honey pot for cyclists and the French certainly like to dust down their bikes and ride to the top when the Tour comes to town. Huffing and puffing, pretty much all shapes, sizes and ages have a go at getting to the top, then spend the rest of the day eating, talking and dozing.

One big hill, one nice day

Surrounding this Ski Resort are some bloody massive mountains. Col de Joux Plane and Col de Joux Verte are the two with roads up them and so some sick bastard decided to send bike races over them. This mentality is typically French, it’s so they can then stand around watching (staring really), chatting and heckling as cyclists, like me, sweat and weeze their way up.

Lance Armstrong has said that all he’s being doing this week is following wheels. But he picked all the right ones to follow and all his TdF rivals spent their time trying to crack the Texan. OK so he wasn’t attacking the hills in his usual style, but he did look fit and hungry. Speaking of which I went for a ride up the less crowded Joux Verte earlier in the day, mainly because the road is essentially a dead end with the equally dead and bizarre looking ski resort Avoriaz at the top. Bernard Hinault raced up here 26 years ago and set a record of 33 minutes, all I’m saying is it took me 20 to descend it and the best part of an hour to get up again. Then got the hunger knock just as I started the stunningly scenic ascent of the Joux Plane, I wobbled up in about an hour. Hunger and Mountains just don’t mix well.

The disco boys had a good week

Armstrong is a bit like a cornered rat and most dangerous when he’s under pressure. I think he quite likes getting a kicking from his rivals, it seemed to grow his resolve as the week progressed. Although there were no surges from him the fact is he looks ready enough for a fight.

Botero is possibly the untidiest rider in the pro peloton. He climbs with his head down and his shoulders slumped over the bars as if he’s about to crack. At 32 he looks to be coming into his best form and this guy can descend like a rocket. Which is what he did today dropping his inal breakaway companion David Moncoutie (who is no slouch on a bike either) on the tight twisty run-in to Morzine.

Stage Result:
1. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 4.30.54 (34.33 km/h)
2. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 0.23
3. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d’Epargne 0.53
4. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole 0.58
5. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 2.27
6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 2.50
7. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.52
8. David Arroyo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d’Epargne
9. Jose Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
10. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner

Overall GC:
1. Inigo Landaluze (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 25.16.36
2. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.49
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 1.16
4. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 1.37
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 1.40
6. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 2.32
7. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems 3.13
8. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 3.58
9. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole 4.01
10. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Credit Agricole 4.07

Stage 7
Most final stages are processions or even a day for the sprinters. Not so at the 2005 Dauphine. Only 78 riders finished the final stage. Says it all really. George Hincapie, who looks in his best condition ever, led a Discovery 1-2-3. It was a Alpine criterium which probably put the fear of God into all the larger riders in the Peloton. Seven ascents of the Côte de Domancy split the field into bits. Hincapie added the victory to the Prologue he won at the start of the race and showed he is more than a pure Rouleur. He stayed away with team mate Yaroslav Popovych for a very hilly 2-up TT.

don’t look up, keep going, dig in, etc…

Landaluze had a weaker team than the big guns at the Dauphine but managed to stay in touch with the front group to hold onto the lead that he had snatched at Grenoble on Stage 5. It was a canny ride on the day that was dominated by Axel Merckx’s attack. Landaluze had stayed in the following group and the leaders seemed to have failed to miss the danger from the man who finished 10th in last year’s race. He climbed Ventoux conservatively and held a good pace at Morzine. Perfect GC riding from the Basque who’s team will only get stronger at the Tour next month. I don’t think the snazzy boys will let him slip into such a dangerous break again.

Results
1. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 3.07.10 (41.033 km/h)
2. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
3. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.22
4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team
5. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
7. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 0.24
8. Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
9. Jose Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.45
10. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d’Epargne 0.59

Final Overall
1. Inigo Landaluze (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 28.24.46
2. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.11
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 0.38
4. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.59
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 1.02
6. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 1.56
7. Jose Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3.54
8. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 3.58
9. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Credit Agricole 5.04
10. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d’Epargne 6.20

So who came out of the race the strongest? Possibly Botero, certainly Vinokourov and as for Armstrong, well remember last year at the Dauphine? He certainly looked more in control this time around, so look out Jan Ullrich.

what a spot for a picnic

The highlights for the RCUK travelling team were Axel Merckx’s excellent race winning solo break into Grenoble and Botero’s express train rides at the TT and down the scary fast roller coaster Joux Plane into Morzine. But above all and to use a football cliche ‘Cycling was the winner’ as all the top names made a bid to win this race. They did indeed look like they wanted to race one another, rather than play the usual game of chess that goes on a few weeks before the Tour de France. Great stuff, can’t wait for the 19km ITT at Fromentine on the 2nd of July.

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A race? Today? Formidable!

10.06.05. Etape 5 – Vaison La Romaine to Grenoble – 219km

Well yesterday was all about climbing and today was all about riding fast, both up and downhill, but also being able to keep a level head and a straight line through the twisty narrow roads of the Vaucluse. These riders are just as unbelievably fast through the tightest towns and villages as they were up Mont Ventoux. The stage from Vaison La Romaine to Grenoble took in some of the prettiest roads in the region and the most breathtaking scenery this side of the Alps.

I doubt the riders cared much for the view. The early sections were tricky and in parts dangerous, but as many riders say it’s all part of the job and after riding parts of toady’s stage it’s safe to say that they risk a lot more than missing out on a bit of sightseeing.
All bike races need smooth roads and no traffic. The roads in the early parts of today’s stage were far from smooth and in parts totally unmade, there were even road workers fixing pot holes as we drove the course in the morning. But the riders sailed across them.

Mud in road…

The Dauphine is a great race to watch the stars and not get stuck in too much traffic, there are plenty of spectators but far less than there will be at the Tour in three weeks time. If you can get the time and you want to see a pro race up close then try a stage or two of the Dauphine, it’s so much more accessible than the Tour and in many more ways friendly and welcoming. Riding the Parcours is easy too and the Gendarmes are far less anxious than when on Tour duty, so you can ride and watch, without the hassle of thousands of spectators and with much of the traffic avoiding the route, the roads are quiet too.

The chasing group on the Col de Banchet

As for the race it was certainly a day of perfect conditioning for Lance and co. Axel Merckx is without doubt a chip off the old block and today launched an audacious attack from a breakaway of 13 that had formed on the Col de Premol, the first real mountain of the day. This breakaway pulled a big lead out of the tired ‘Ventoux weary’ peloton with all the race favourites in it. On the following Col de Banchet, Merckx looked comfortable and in control. Interesting that he rides a Merckx bike and the rest of his team ride Ridley, such is the power of the name, I’m sure Axel gets fed up with the comparison to his father and he is a very different rider and personality. Today he showed he has the same ability to make a break stick, from a long way from home.

it’s going to get harder tomorrow

The chasing group didn’t seem to be bothered about him, more so about each other. As they followed him two riders escaped Mazzoleni and Landaluze. The bunch appeared at this point to have given up on the chase and Landis’s Phonak boys were well in control of things at the front of the main field. Merckx won a fantastic victory after a break of over 100 kms, he’s put himself in a great position overall, however more mountains tomorrow may spell the end for the big man from Belgium.

Levi Leiphiemer had a spill on the way into Grenoble but appears to be uhurt and finished in the main field. After riding some of these roads myself I’m amazed that he was the only casualty and as for how fast these boys go… you just have to see it to believe it, I am full of respect.

Stage Result:
1. Axel Merckx (DVL – BEL) 5:15:01
2. Inigo Landaluze (EUS – ESP) @ 2:15
3. Ben Nozal (DSC – ESP) @ 5:45
4. Eddy Mazzoleni @ s.t.
5. Paolo Bossoni (FAS – ITA) @ 6:15
Peloton @ 9:36

Overall GC:
1. Inigo Landaluze (EUS – ESP) 20:41:15
2. Axel Merckx (DVL – BEL) @ 2:32
3. Levi Leipheimer (GST – USA) @ 2:51
4. Lance Armstrong (DSC – USA) @ 3:12
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (TMO – KAZ) @ 3:17

Only in France

Leiphiemer, Landis, Vino, Botero, Armstrong and co are certainly working hard to win this race and looks as if tomorrow could be the chance for the Texan to attack his nearest rivals – tomorrow’s finish is perfect for a dig as only Armstrong can, from the front. He will be aware there is danger coming from several areas, areas he has never expected before and his team mates will certainly be busy fending off early attacks. Should be a good one.

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Bike racing on a working wednesday…

08.06.05. Etape 3 – Roanne to Roanne – 47km ITT

Another sunny day and another posting from the exam room. Today (well last night) we moved to the Rhone Alps region for a rather hilly time trial. The day was won by the untidy looking Colombian Santiago Botero, who looked his usual ragged self BUT was well ahead at our point about halfway. Lance Armstrong looked much slower than Vinokourov (who looked good on the hill too) and Leipheimer and certainly lost time on the climb of the day. He must have nailed the second half of the course.

We started the day by riding the course (rude not to really) and we found that the organisers had set out a testing test for the riders. The run out of Roanne was really rough although the bigger pot holes had been filled you still battered your way out of town. Then the road swept towards the Lake at Villerest. After this came the the 4 kilometre climb began and it was no easy task. Lastly the predominantly downhill run-in back to Roanne. It was a perfect course for time trialling, a bit of everything.

out of focus and unfocussed?

Much of the technical sections were fast and very tricky, they gave you little time to adjust your position on the road. The descent from the Cote was incredibly fast with banked cambers in the corners, riders would have been touching 100kmh+. But the better descenders didn’t make up time on the faster climbers. Armstrong, however, was down on the climb and made up on the run in, so don’t be too alarmed to see him blistering the Tour, he likes to hold his cards close to his chest…

The French enjoyed their day in Yellow and Samuel Dumoulin did his best to cling onto the yellow jersey. Sadly he dropped to 12th place on GC but is still the highest placed rider. How amazing for American cycling? they could easily have three riders in the top five by the finish ojn Sunday as they are all good climbers and will want to get one over on you know who. Could Armstrong be ‘bluffing’ his form?

Stage Result:
1. Santiago Botero (PHO – COL) 1:00:06.55
2. Levi Leipheimer (GST – USA) @ 1 sec
3. Lance Armstrong (DSC – USA) @ 26 secs
4. Floyd Landis (PHO – USA) @
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (TMO – KAZ) @ 1:00

Overall GC:
1. Levi Leipheimer (GST – USA) 11:11:20
2. Santiago Botero (PHO – COL) @ 12 secs
3. Lance Armstrong (DSC – USA) @ 30 secs
4. Frederic Bessey (COF – FRA ) @ 42 secs
5. George Hincapie (DSC – USA) @ 1:09

So now we are off to the Giant of Provence. Should get a chance to ride it in the morning and then wait for the big showdown… my money’s on Leipheimer. Check back for more tomorrow…

We meet this bloke (below) Emanuel who is riding the stages everyday after the rider and picking up their bidons… we’re not really sure why but he also has a megaphone and shouts at all the french riders (and us when we rode past earlier today). I think he’s doing it for charity and we ended up giving him a lift, will find out more for tomorrow…

Name your colours and your team

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07.06.05. Etape 2 – Givors to Chauffailles – 187km

Seems like we’ve been travelling for a few weeks not a day. Travelling overnight is a bit risky especially when the ferries are running late. But we got here with about enough time to run to the crowd barriers as we managed to ‘bump’ into the race at the last corner. Unlike the Tour this is pretty low key and the Gendarmes are way more relaxed about parking and where to stand.

I am working, honest…

We’re deep in the heart of Burgundy, where both the vines and the farmers are ruddy and windswept… through the idyllic countryside came a breakaway of 4 french riders, so the crowd (mainly of ruddy French farmers) seemed very happy.

Not so Lance, George and Discovery as they were chasing hard at about 3 minutes, hitting this corner at top speed… Pretty exciting stuff seeing as we just stumbled on it. So now in the press room which feels a little like I should be putting up my hand and asking for a fresh piece of paper. Exciting? oh yes. (BTW the picture is for the benefit of the slackers in the RCUK office who think I’m on a jolly, which of course I am)

Stage Result:
1. Samuel Dumoulin (A2R – FRA) 4:47:06
2. Anthony Charteau (BTL – FRA) @ st
3. Frederic Finot (FDJ – FRA)
4. Frederic Bessey (COF – FRA)
5. Robert Hunter and Peloton @ 3:16

Magnus Backstedt and Dimitri De Fauw came in last some 18:47 back.

Overall GC:
1. Samuel Dumoulin (A2R – FRA) 4:47:06
2. Frederic Finot (FDJ – FRA) @ 20 secs
3. Anthony Charteau (BTL – FRA) @ 20 secs
4. Frederic Bessey (COF – FRA ) @ 28 secs
5. George Hincapie (DSC – USA) @ 3:06

We’re off to the hills of Roanne and the Lac de Villerest for tomorrow’s 47 km ITT. Lance’s plan of winning are far from over, but never under-estimate the power of a yellow jersey on the back of a Frenchman. Check back for more tomorrow…

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