Tally's Tour de Lance  Stage 9

3:30am - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Whatthehell am I doing?

Today's stage runs 171k from Gerardmer to Mulhouse with CAT3 climbs at
6.5k, 22k, 32.5k; followed by a CAT 2 climb at 64k, another CAT 3 at
98k, then the first CAT 1 at 115k.  Weather is cloudy with
thunderstorms possible.

I seem to have slept thru the pre-show babble - they'll rerun that  later.

As for yesterday -  I think TDC threw out a line with Lance as the
bait, to see who would bite. The TDC boys bonking on a CAT 2 climb? No
way in hell. They now know who will be set to attack, and they know it
now, not a week from now in the serious mountains. The tour is a chess
match on wheels, with puking and blood of course, and this is supposed
to be the best team Johann has ever put together..... They left Lance
on his own to force the sharks out, and it worked beautifully.

3:55am- whaaa - cobwebs. Let's see - Zabriskie, the first guy in the
yellow jersey of the Tour, tried to start today, but has abandoned to
Tour. Very sad. But most likely because of his fall in the TTT, is
still hurt, and just can't manage the big climbs or keep up with the
pack. He was in 179th place out of 180 after yesterday's stage.

Several crashes at the beginning of the stage - one involving Igor Gonzalez
de Galdeano of Liberty-Seguros, who has abandoned after what might be
a fractured hip, and Jan Ullrich in another on the first descent, who seems
to have injured his left knee, but that doesn't seem to be a problem.

4:15am - Is it really 4:15????? There are two breakaways - Jens Voigt
(CSC) who is 1' behind Lance in the overall standings is in the 2nd
chase I think 2' ahead of the peleton. TDC is driving the peleton. Fuck
I'm tired. Mikael Rasmussen (RAB) is in the first breakaway waaay in
front. Did I mention I'm tired?

4:30am - Fuck it's fucking early. Along with Voigt in the chase team is
Christophe Moreau (CA) who is 2'48" behind Lance. These two might be
able to steal the yellow jersey away today, (and Lance has been trying
to give it away for days now), but doubtful if they'd be able to
maintain their lead over the Alps and Pyrenees mountains coming in the
next two weeks, (which Lance eats for breakfast.) They're climbing the
CAT 2 now, and with the pace TDC is setting at the front, there are
riders getting dropped off the peleton.

4:45am - Word has just come down that Jaan Kirsipuu (CA), who has
started the Tour de France 12 times, and never once finished it, has
just abandoned it once again.
I have no idea where the storms are - it's a gorgeous day.

5:30 - The lead breakaway is 8' ahead of the peleton with a CAT 3 and
the first CAT 1 still to come. Looks like the yellow jersey may go to
Voigt. There's been a crash in the feeding zone and it looks like a
Jose Angel Gomez (SDV) has broken his collarbone and may be out of the
tour. They're dropping like flies today.

5:50am -  Rasmussen, who is the current King of the Mountains, the lone
lead breakaway ahead of the 2nd chase group of Voigt, is now 9'30"
ahead of the peleton going into the CAT 1 climb. If he can keep up this
lead, he'll might even grab the yellow jersey. There is 63k to go in
the stage.

6:50am - I am fading. Unless something dramatic happens, Lance will
pass the yellow jersey to Jens Voigt, and CSC will take over some of
the work the next few days going into the Alps.

6:55am - Voigt has a flat and needed a tire change, and the leader of
team BTL, Didier Rous, has crashed at the back of the peleton, trying
to avoid a hay bail in a traffic island. Not sure how hurt he is.

7:20am - Rasmussen wins his first stage in the Tour de France, and is
way in front in the King of the Mountains competition.

7:23am - Voigt and Moreau are in. Voigt looks to be in Yellow.

7:27am - Lance & co cross the finish. Lance is now in 3rd place, 2'18"
behind. Perfect. As long as he doesn't get hurt or in a crash.

TDC were perfect today, and Lance has what he wants - out of the yellow
right before the Alps so another team will do some of the work. Very
few can keep up with Lance on the BIG climbs coming up on Tues/Wed
etc.... Being only 2'18" behind is no problem - as long as he doesn't
get hurt or get in a crash. The only other person in the top five who
is a threat and can keep up with Lance on the big climbs coming up is
Vino. Although Rasmussen is someone to be watched, and closely.

There is a rest day tomorrow (I'll probably wake up at 3am), followed
by several days of brutal climbing beginning with Tuesday's stage which
only has two climbs but they're both harsh CAT 1s.

I'm going to bed now.


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