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2004-07-20 Europe
Armstrong wins 15th stage of Tour de France
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Posted by Dragon Fly 2004-07-20 11:00|| || Front Page|| [11136 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Basso is Armstrongs' only threat now. The stage tomorrow could go either way since both are climbing so well. The only other chance for Basso will be the time trial Saturday. This is how they signed off today at cyclingnews.com
"Although Basso, Ullrich and Klöden are certainly not yet beaten, it does seem that they will not be able to put time into the American unless they catch him on a jour non; if you're betting on it, make sure you get suitably long odds."
That just about sums it up.
Posted by Scott R  2004-07-20 11:47:27 AM|| [http://five24.net]  2004-07-20 11:47:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 My biggest worry now is that some "fan" along the road will pull a Tanya Harding on him.
Posted by PBMcL 2004-07-20 12:20:08 PM||   2004-07-20 12:20:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 I think Lance puts over a min on Basso in the TT.

Good to see Ullrich put on the line today.
Posted by Lucky 2004-07-20 12:59:09 PM||   2004-07-20 12:59:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 The only other chance for Basso will be the time trial Saturday.

Actually there are two chances, slim and none. Basso's not as good as Lance on a flat TT, and the length of it (55 Km / 34.1 M) does not necessarily favor Basso, spin notwithstanding:

Technically Basso has improved his time trialling to the extent that, though he lost 10 minutes against the clock in individual time trials in 2003, Riis believes he can restrict his losses from Armstrong to around two minutes over 55 kilometres at Besançon on Saturday. Wind-tunnel testing in Massachusetts this spring, weekly training sessions on his time trial bike and a new focus and motivation have all played their part. “In the final time trial freshness counts a lot more than specialist ability,” Basso added yesterday. “I have always done a lot better in the second long time trial at the Tour than in the first.”

Posted by Raj  2004-07-20 1:26:02 PM|| [http://angrycyclist.blogspot.com]  2004-07-20 1:26:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Great quote from the TdF story on www.espn.com:

"Once in the Pyrénées for two hard climbing stages, Armstrong punched the accelerator with his trademark high-cadence rhythm, and the favorites fell away like the French defending Paris."
Posted by Tibor 2004-07-20 9:37:57 PM||   2004-07-20 9:37:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Looks like his steroids are still evading detection. What the heck can he be using? This will make for one hell of a story someday.
Posted by gromky 2004-07-20 11:36:29 PM||   2004-07-20 11:36:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 hmmmm, gromky, could it be courage and cowboy genes? You know he's from Texas, right? What's so hard to understand about getting your ass kicked? Lance's team could make a fortune telling-all - why don't they? because?
Posted by Frank G  2004-07-20 11:48:04 PM||   2004-07-20 11:48:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 His secret? Riding the hell out of the hill country around Austin Texas in 100 degree weather.
Posted by ed 2004-07-20 11:57:17 PM||   2004-07-20 11:57:17 PM|| Front Page Top

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