Vino, wow. It was first Vino vs. 4 Gerolsteiners (including Leipheimer) at the first intermediate sprint bonus, a battle that Vino won through pure power. That little victory pulled him within hundredths of a second of fifth place behind Leipheimer, but then the rain struck, and Team Disco had a little crash. The race organizers decided fresh rain and the cobblestones of the Champs-�lys�es were too treacherous and announced that the end of the race was going to be neutralized: the finishing time would be taken on the first circuit of the Champs-�lys�es and there would be no more sprint bonuses. Bad news for Vino, who just need one more bonus to move up a place.
Perhaps annoyed that he thought his shot at fifth place was ruined by the rain, Vino's next act was to start stirring things up on the Champs-�lys�es. He helped get the pace moving as the sun started to dry the cobblestones, and with about 2 miles to go he made his final move. He duked it out with McGee, darting back and forth across the wide Champs-�lys�es boulevard, and with a final sprint he took the stage win. To win on the Champs-�lys�es is honor enough, but the judges thought better of the stage neutralization and awarded Vino the time bonus, moving him into the top five, where he certainly belonged after a great Tour showing: two stage victories and aheckalotta attacks on Armstrong for T-Mobile.
The Tour was over long before Vino crossed the finish line. With the race neutralization, Armstrong's victory was official as soon as they hit the Champs-�lys�es, which had to calm Team Discovery's nerves after Hincapie and Popovych crashed on the way in, and with Armstrong narrowly avoiding the same crash.
This was it folks. Armstrong's farewell ride. A parade into Paris. Glasses of champagne. Half a million people along the course to wish him goodbye -- wow the cheering was loud. Some bumps and scratches for his teammates and some momentary stress, but otherwise full of smiles, holding up 7 fingers, shaking hands, and mugging for the camera.
For the first time in a couple years, Armstrong's team was successfully challenged. Armstrong called his fourth victory the Year of the Team, and since then his opponents had found Armstrong+8 an impenetrable wall. This year's team was considered by many to be the strongest team ever to support Armstrong: the current Giro di Italia winner, Armstrong's hand-picked successor, etc... T-Mobile, though, had Team Disco figured out, repeatedly putting in the one-two-three attacks with Vino, Kloden, and Ullrich, and it was up to Armstrong to deal with his opponents without the domestiques.
[
][pass]Armstrong, by himself, never gave his opponents an opening. He started by passing Ullrich in [Stage 1][s1], psychologically eliminating his hand-picked rival on the very first day. There seemed to be a couple minutes during [Stage 14][s14] when it seemed that he was going to be attacked succesfully as his major opponents put some road between them and Armstrong. The chink in the armor was illusory: Armstrong, patient, stood up on his pedals and stomped his way back to the front, in control, and, as was his way this Tour, led all his contenders uphill. He was The Boss.
It's hard to imagine another athlete with such a dominating legacy. Jordan ruined his by coming out of retirement and showing the weakness that came with age. Gretzky was great, but even in his Oilers heyday never dominated for seven consecutive years. Joe Montana? Nope? Tiger Woods once seemed that he might, but that no longer looks possible. And then, of course, there's the whole cancer thing. Most legacies end on such a note; Armstrong's began.
[
][arm5]In terms of other ways to view this year's Tour, I think this could be deemed the Year of the Americans. From stage 1, with Dave Zabriskie's time trial victory into the yellow jersey, Americans have made their presence felt: the yellow jersey spent all but one day in the hands of an American, Hincapie got a stage victory, and Leipheimer and Landis rode high in the overall standings. Horner and Julich also made good showings and Freddie Rodriguez led out McEwen for his victories. I cannot recall so many American riders riding so prominently in a Tour, and I hope the upward trend will continue. I expressed [some worry][worry] about the future of cycling in America with Armstrong leaving the sport, but this year's Tour shows that Armstrong has left a positive national legacy in the sport. Now Armstrong's off to be a father and the rest of the%
TiVo-delayed Stage Log
Prediction: Robbie McEwen
Stage coverage:
Armstrong and Ullrich are riding at the front of the peloton. Chatting, posing, shaking hands, smiling. Ullrich showed some good form this Tour. If only there hadn't been those first two time trials -- stage 1 and stage 4 -- we might have seen a closer competition between the two. There was also the rear car window that Ullrich put his head through the day before the Tour and the tumble he took on the road. Ullrich made no excuses, though, and I think showed the his best character.
Lots of chatting. Armstrong is shaking hands with all the team directors, surrounded by a phalanx of photographers on motorcycle.
Team Disco are collecting the glasses of champagne. Team Disco has special yellow sleeve jerseys. It's a bit tricky riding in formation with a glass of champagne while dodging motorcyles and medians.
Luke Roberts of CSC was involved in a crash, showing that even at a slow pace you're not safe.
Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile are moving to the front, foreshadowing the Leipheimer/Vino battle to come.
Vino attacks with 71k to go to try and get the intermediate sprint bonus. Vino's got 4 Gerolsteiner riders including Leipheimer on his tail. Can Vino take on all 4 Gerolsteiner riders? He's shed two of the Gerolsteiner riders, so it's Vino, Leipheimer, and another Gerolsteiner rider moving towards the sprint. VINO WINS THE SPRINT! That's amazing. Vino dragged Leipheimer and another Gerolsteiner rider down the road, and neither could come around.
Vino sticks out his tongue with fatigue, makes a slashing motion across his neck, and smiles.
Leipheimer is still in 5th by hundredths of a second.
Ronnie Shultz of Gerolsteiner is on a break now. He may try to reach the next sprint way in advance of Vino to protected Leipheimer.
Hincapie and Popo have just crashed. Armstrong is slowed up. Everyone is holding up for them. Hincapie's wheel just slid out on a turn. Armstrong barely avoided that one.
The race officials have decided to neutralize the Champs-�lys�es portion of the course. Once the riders hit the Champs-�lys�es, they will all be given the same time. With the rain so fresh the course is far too dangerous.
The riders are on the Champs-�lys�es approach. Popo is back up with Armstrong, the others are said to be okay.
TEam Discovery is taking a ceremonial position at the front. The crowds are enormous and loud. Hincapie is at the front. They're about to go under the banner that officially marks the end of the race because of the rain neutralization. Armstrong has now officially won the Tour, but there's still the circuits of the Champs-�lys�es to complete, where Vino and Leipheimer will have to duke it out, and McEwen will get his chance to tally up another win.
They're going REALLY slow around the turn at the top of the Champs-�lys�es. Can't imagine those cobbles feel good with a fresh coating of rain.
The sprint bonuses have been cancelled. Poor Vino, who had made such a good show earlier.
Da Cruz is going and lots of riders are following.
Nicolas Jalabert is leading the attack now of 9 riders that have gotten clear.
Vino is trying to stir things up. Probably upset at the neutralization and wants to make sure that everyone knows that he's better (which he is)
Da Cruz's bike is stucked up somehow. Some riders are down and a Gerolsteiner rider is pissed.
The course is starting to dry.
Knaven is now trying to solo to victory, but there are two riders attaching to his back. There's a chase group of 7 behind them, and then the peloton.
Chris Horner is in a two-man break now with Quick Step's Tamkink. Not sure how he got up there but it looks like the other breaks got pulled back.
20k to go
3 laps of the Champs-�lys�es
Horner and Tamkink are still leading it with 17k to go. 0:16 lead.
10k to go. Lotto and Cofidis are trying to bring this back. 8 seconds.
Horner looks back and knows he's going to be caught. And there's the catch. Horner reintegrates near the front of the pack.
A CSC rider is attacking, but he's not getting away.
7k to go.
Phil Liggett keeps pointing out Armstrong's hotel along the course. They're going to need extra security tonight.
Vasseur attacks. A Saunier Duval rider counterattacks.
The break didn't last very long
I see Vino getting into position.
It's Brochard and Vino attacking. 2 miles to go
2k to go
There's two riders with Vino with 1 mile to go.
1k to go and the attacks are everywhere. McGee is attacking with Vino matching.
It looks like it's going to be McGee or Vino on this.
Vino's attacking McGee!
Vino WINS! WOW!
