This was the first mountain stage last year! The gaps back to LA´s team was bigger this year because there were attacks but the Disco boy continued on at there own pace because there was nothing they could do so far back and it wasn´t a good stage to take out a lot of time!limerickman said:Err, Popovcyh was dropped on stage 8, as was the rest of the Discovery riders.
What version of the TDF are you watching anyhow ?
The alternative version perhaps ?
This TDF is far from over : it's all to play for as I said last week when some of the other wafflers were posting their pearls of wisdom, after stage 1.
Two stages later in ´04 LA began his methodical disection of his main contenders! It is errily similiar to this year so far!
"If it ain´t broke don´t fix it!"
You really think the only guy capable of hanging with LA on the first mountain stage this year was Savoldelli? "Bait, line and sinker!" They were all resting!
Tomorrow when Lance yells "all aboard!" we´ll see who follow who´s tracks!
1.Richard Virenque (Fra) en 6h00'24" (moy : 39.456 km/h)
2. Andreas Klöden (All) à 5'19"
3. Erik Zabel (All)
4. Francisco Mancebo (Esp)
5. Thomas Voeckler (Fra)
6. Lance Armstrong (Usa)
7. Georg Totschnig (Aut)
8. Kim Kirchen (Lux)
9. Michele Scarponi (Ita)
10. Pietro Caucchioli (Ita)
11. Iban Mayo (Esp)
12. Michael Rasmussen (Dan)
13. Ivan Basso (Ita)
14. Carlos Sastre (Esp)
15. Jan Ullrich (All)
16. Denis Menchov (Rus)
22. Jose Azevedo (Por) à 5'26"
43. José-Luis Rubiera (Esp)
65. George Hincapie (Usa) à 6'00"
66. Floyd Landis (Usa)
67. Benjamin Noval (Esp) à 6'04"
116. Manuel Beltran (Esp) á 24´24”
121. Vjatcheslav Ekimov (Rus)
124. Pavel Padrnos (Tch)