Road Bike Racing - Question about Lance's sprint finish win...

I saw this pic the other day and I can't help wondering, is it some sort of optical illusion, or did Lance finish this race on a flat rear tire??...

I know it could really be ok, but I looked closely at the other tires visible in the photo, and they look ok.

I think its just the cobbles

kinda look's flat to me,but hey...after seeing this superman win the tour after what had all happened to him....no flat ain't gonna stop this guy! i shure hope he win's this year's tour! david from raleigh nc

I saw this pic the other day and I can't help wondering, is it some sort of optical illusion, or did Lance finish this race on a flat rear tire??

The white strip that runs the width of the finish line is a plastic-coated strip of white paper with a black line. It forms the background for the photo-finish cameras located above and on both sides of the start finish arch. It does not lay on the ground perfectly flat and Lance's rear tire is partially obstructed by one of the wrinkles in strip.

Weird.

I can't believe that Lance is wearing socks that go above his ankle! Someone call the fashion police! :)

I bet his brakes were dragging as well :).

Seriously though, unless they changed his wheel immediatelly after the finish I think livngood has the correct answer. From cyclingnews:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/apr04/georgia04/stage3/6709.jpg
"Big cheers and lots of camera-ready fans greeted the
man of the hour as he rolled back to the finish."
Photo ©: Mark Zalewski/Cyclingnews.com

/Csson

Those socks probably bring in an xtra mil a year...it pays to be different

One, even with out the second picture I would be confident in saying that he didn't have a flat tire because you don't throw your bike when you're going well over forty miles an hour on a flat. Two, its all about the sponsors.

-Matt-

I can't believe that Lance is wearing socks that go above his ankle!

Why? He's been wearing them like that for several years. See photo below from '02 TdF.

Pinky, there aren't cobble stones on the Champs Elysees. :)