Professional Cycling - Stage 21: Corbeil- Paris

Stage 21: Corbeil- Paris, 144 km

Last year's stage featured Lance drinking champagne from a glass while riding alongside the Postal car...

Despite UCI rules banning all glass beverage containers on the course!

Could have been one of those lexan 'glasses' that look just like glass. ;)

peace,
sam

Last year's stage featured Lance drinking champagne from a glass while riding alongside the Postal car...

Despite UCI rules banning all glass beverage containers on the course!

He said it was plastic.

Could have been one of those lexan 'glasses' that look just like glass. ;)

peace,
sam

I think you meant 'Texan" glasses. :p

60% chance of rain. Possible thunderstorms.

60% chance of rain. Possible thunderstorms.

Could have an impact on the sprinters and the Green Jersey.

He hasn't won a stage this year and Sunday's parade into Paris will be a formality. I contend that Saturdays Time Trial will be the last time we truly see Lance at his peak - both physically and emotionally.

Anybody willng to bet against him?

55/Rad

Not a chance!

I won't bet against him, but it does seem like he's just going through the motions. Wise choice for him to bid adieu to the TDF. Give someone else a chance, for a change.

I won't bet against him, but it does seem like he's just going through the motions. Wise choice for him to bid adieu to the TDF. Give someone else a chance, for a change.

How can killing everyone else in the race be going through the motions??? He just makes it look easy me thinks. Like Eddy Merckx says "no gifts". Or was that Benard Hinault that told that to Lance last year.

Lance always Jan is the man to beat.... at this point (i.e., after 6 going on 7 in a row TdF), it's just head games.

Though, I wouldn't put it past Jan to put in a Herculean TT effort to jump past Rasmussen onto the podium....

Nope.
All LA, all the time.

Next year will be very interesting to watch without him. Who will step up?

But for now, how fitting that LA's only stage win will be the solo TT?!

It doesn't matter, the man is a machine, will always be a machine!!!

It's perfectly fitting for Lance to win nothing but the ITT. Ask yourself this: How many stages have Ulrich and Basso won this year? Lance hasn't won any because he hasn't had to. His main rivals just haven't been up to the challenge.

I too assume LA will win the ITT. To me the interesting race will be Ullrich and Rasmussen. I can't wait to see those two guy ride.

It doesn't matter, the man is a machine, will always be a machine!!!

what she said ^

i find it interesting LA is very quick to credit the strengths of his rival and not their weaknesses. Modesty is a sign of true virtue

Lance Armstong - Winless Champion

It is a pretty interesting development in terms of what he has done in the past - I'm surprised he hasn't won a stage, but I'm not disappointed. This is a unique TdF in that the best cyclist (maybe athlete) in the world is retiring after this race.

Maybe another way to look at things would be from a team standpoint. As Armstrong has matured and grown with his celebrity and his own sense of self, maybe he doesn't really need to win a stage. Sure, it would be nice, but he can win the Tour without a stage win.

What has been interesting this year is the success of the Disco team - they have accomplished things that none of the other "Lance" teams have done, and I get the impression that he is as excited about that as he might be about a stage win for himself. The other day, an announcer was asking about the lack of stage wins and the supposed weakness of the Discovery team - Lance countered that they had the overall leader, a stage winner (Hincapie), took the team time trial, and had the White Jersey (best rookie) on the team - "Not too bad," he said.

For some reason, I think this last Tour is very different for Armstrong - he really has nothing to prove, and he seems to be solidly in control of the race. Maybe that's what his aim was.

At any rate, the lack of drama on Armstrong's part has allowed for some more interesting stories to develop. And he may just get that ITT win.

Dean

If it rains it will have a huge effect on the sprint considering it is all cobbles, also known as ice.

Does anyone know if they have still have the rule that if it is raining the time it taken on the first lap and the next bunch are just raced to finish the race and for the sprinters?

Is there any possibility of a Jan attack in some form on Basso? Or will the sprinters teams make such a move impossible?

Is there any possibility of a Jan attack in some form on Basso? Or will the sprinters teams make such a move impossible?

I dont know why, but lance is garunteed the win. But can someone explain why, thats another thing i dont understand.

I think it's simply bad form to launch an attack on the GC leader on this stage. Nothing stopping them, but they'd probably get beyatch slapped.

Imagine Lance sipping on champagne, and CSC launching an attack ... Won't happen ...

Lance even pulled over to take a piss last year!!

Has a tour ever been decided on the last day? Or is it mostly a ceremonial stage?

Not sure if a Tour has been decided on a regular stage on the last day, but the famous Lemond TT ride in '89 did gain him the Yellow Jersey over Fignon. Lemond said that on the penultimate stage that Fignon had congratulated Greg on a good tour as if it was already over.... Laurent didn't count on aero bars and missing 58 seconds on the last day.... classic case of underestimation.

As for Lance only winning the TT this year, I think he may have gotten more satisfaction that Georgie and Paolo won stages for Discovery this year than he would have gotten from taking a regular stage... just an impression, though. Lance seemed so resigned to marking Basso and the T-Mobile boys that any other breaks were just let go. Hey.... 7 overall wins ain't nothing to sneeze at...

Not sure if a Tour has been decided on a regular stage on the last day, but the famous Lemond TT ride in '89 did gain him the Yellow Jersey over Fignon. Lemond said that on the penultimate stage that Fignon had congratulated Greg on a good tour as if it was already over.... Laurent didn't count on aero bars and missing 58 seconds on the last day.... classic case of underestimation.


What a glorius day in American Cycling. :D In part giving birth to the domination we see today by Lance.

Right I wasn't saying that anyone would attack lance though, even though I guess an attack on basso is a de facto attack on lance. But with Ullrich now on 1:41 out of second place... Clearly Jan is a better Big Gear rider than Basso. I guess it's just tradition, but if the last day isn't over for the green, why does it have to be in the GC? I mean Vino will be attacking at least for sprint bonuses right?

It's perfectly fitting for Lance to win nothing but the ITT. Ask yourself this: How many stages have Ulrich and Basso won this year? Lance hasn't won any because he hasn't had to. His main rivals just haven't been up to the challenge.

Interesting point. By my recollection, you have to go to 6th & 7th places before you get a stage win...and those were breakaways that were "allowed" to go. Phil & Paul should point this out some time.

1 Armstrong Lance Dsc Usa 82h 34' 05"
2 Basso Ivan Csc Ita 04' 40"
3 Ullrich Jan Tmo Ger 06' 21"
4 Mancebo Francisco Iba Esp 09' 59"
5 Leipheimer Levi Gst Usa 11' 25"
6 Vinokourov Alexandre Tmo Kaz 11' 27"
7 Rasmussen Mickael Rab Den 11' 33"

-murray

Right I wasn't saying that anyone would attack lance though, even though I guess an attack on basso is a de facto attack on lance. But with Ullrich now on 1:41 out of second place... Clearly Jan is a better Big Gear rider than Basso. I guess it's just tradition, but if the last day isn't over for the green, why does it have to be in the GC? I mean Vino will be attacking at least for sprint bonuses right?

It's over in the GC because the only real way to gain time on GC is through dirty tactics (attacking when a rival crashes or something like that).

The effect of drafting in pro cycling is huge, and no rider could possibly stay away from that elite peloton if said peloton didn't want them to stay away.

I have to say that Im eager to see what trek/nike/giro will do with the whole victory set up.

Last year Simeoni attacked early on the last stage and USPS chased him down then Eki flashed him a hand signal which I am pretty sure meant that Simeoni had small gentials and could not satisfy his wife and therefore Eki is doig it. So much more elegant then the finger. So attempting a break on the final stage is a no no!

Here is the link to the talk about the incident. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=59135

That being said attempting to win sprints is not the same, In general it is not enough to matter but 12 seconds could be a huge difference for some of places. Vino could also attack claiming he wanted to move up in the green jersey currently 5th by one point. I would think that all teams will be attentive at the sprint points and maybe send out domestiques on mini breaks to eat up points. Also some people in the green jersey competition might want those points too.

Right I wasn't saying that anyone would attack lance though, even though I guess an attack on basso is a de facto attack on lance. But with Ullrich now on 1:41 out of second place... Clearly Jan is a better Big Gear rider than Basso. I guess it's just tradition, but if the last day isn't over for the green, why does it have to be in the GC? I mean Vino will be attacking at least for sprint bonuses right?

How much time for intermediate sprint bonuses?

lance has a premature celebration tonight and ends up too hungover to ride and/or sleeps through the start time. thus basso WINS!!!

maybe not.

i predict that lance wins the tour de france

what do i win if i am correct?

maybe a new pair of dura ace pedals? or maybe a peak bar?

is it raining over there?
'
It's raining at the cricket in England :(

So, just before the champagne busts out, Vino and Lance are posing together for photos by someone in the Discovery team car. Think that means anything?

Lance is being congratulated by many riders, he's sipping champagne with his Discovery Channel Teammates, posing for pictures and he's ridden by many teammates' cars to say goodbye...a nice touch

VINO ATTACKS! :p

27K $ on the line for vino if he gets 5th, wow, talk about instant paycheque

Well, Levi still holds the lead by thousandths of a second. He can't let Vino get any more bonuses or he's screwed.

Hincapie's rear tire slips on the paint, slips and falls, taking a couple of DC riders with him. They're rejoining a nervous peloton now

Officials announce that, due to the rain, the official race time is taken at the first lap

Kinda sucks that Vino would attack Levi. I don't blame him.
Is that $27k the prize money for 5th place? Where'd you hear that dollar figure?

omg, that looked like a slow motion shot, everyone took that turn soooo cautiously

Kinda sucks that Vino would attack Levi. I don't blame him.
Is that $27k the prize money for 5th place? Where'd you hear that dollar figure?

OLN said that was the difference in prize money between 6th and 5th

POINTS ARE CANCELED!!!!! ouch, that's gotta hurt vino... talk about JUST missing it

Yellow jersey competition is done. But how does the ruling affect the Green Jersey competition?

Is Thor the winner by default now that placings are intact?

Im not familiar with this rule.
I assume, Since time gaps in the next 57km are not valid, the next eight laps are a presentation for the sake of the throngs of spectators who have assembled in Paris. Due to concerns over the safety of the riders.

That kind of stinks for us as spectators, too.

Yellow jersey competition is done. But how does the ruling affect the Green Jersey competition?

Is Thor the winner by default now that placings are intact?

The final sprint still has full points up for grabs.

The final sprint still has full points up for grabs.

Then this will be interesting. We'll likely see the GC Teams falling back far and away from danger while the sprint teams slip n slide. McKwen really wants his fourth stage win.

points are there, but bonus's are gone

Vino still wants to fight! He's crazy.