Sarà un gran campione ma è anche un emerito imbecille il 6° tour gli deve aver dato alla testa!!!!!
la cronaca:
13:51 CEST 36km/130.5km to go
The pace is still pretty furious behind the break, and there are already riders being dropped from the peloton. Phonak is riding hard on the front and have pulled back the leaders to 30 seconds.
The six in front: Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa Bortolo), Sébastien Joly (Crédit Agricole), José V. Garcia Acosta (Illes Balears), Dmitri Fofonov (Cofidis), Juan Miguel Mercado (Quick Step) and Marc Lotz (Rabobank).
Lance Armstrong and Filippo Simeoni (now there's an unlikely combo!) are 10 seconds behind the break after the climb, with the peloton another 15 seconds back.
13:53 CEST 38km/128.5km to go
Fofonov won the 3 points on the climb, followed by Flecha and Lotz.
Armstrong and Simeoni have closed the gap to the leaders. Simeoni was the first to try to bridge, with Armstrong getting on his wheel. Better to be safe in a stage like this.
The peloton is at 45 seconds. Surely there'll be a reaction...
13:55 CEST 39km/127.5km to go
The leading eight riders now have 55 seconds lead on the bunch, which is in disarray after seeing the maillot jaune go up the road!
<commentator throws script in waste bin>
13:57 CEST 41km/125.5km to go
The leaders are now approaching the day's first sprint at Saint-Jean-de-Gonville with a 1'50 lead on the US Postal controlled peloton. Quite a bizarre situation. Maybe Lance wants five stage wins in a row (presuming he'll win tomorrow)?
13:59 CEST
14 Riders were blood tested this morning before the start of stage 18 from the following teams: T-Mobile, Lotto-Domo, CSC, US Postal, Gerolsteiner, Alessio-Bianchi and Illes Balears. All riders were declared fit to start the stage.
14:00 CEST 45km/121.5km to go
Finally, T-Mobile mosey on up to the front of the peloton to see what's happening, and have pegged the gap at 1'50. "Lance is up the road? Nne told us!"
14:02 CEST 46km/120.5km to go
Fofonov again takes the points at the sprint, followed by Joly (4 seconds bonus. Think of the GC!) and Flecha.
Armstrong and Simeoni are off the back of the break it looks like. The gap is 2'20.
14:06 CEST 49km/117.5km to go
Armstrong and Simeoni are still at odds off the back of the break. Armstrong chased down Simeoni when he went after them. Simeoni is suing Armstrong for slander after Lance called Simeoni a liar, so the pair are not best buddies. And Lance is now behaving like a real patron, taking charge of the situation personally. Maybe he was talking to Hinault over a bottle of wine last night.
14:08 CEST 51km/115.5km to go
Armstrong and Simeoni have returned to the peloton, leaving the original six in front to their own devices and a 2 minute lead after 50 km.
la cronaca:
13:51 CEST 36km/130.5km to go
The pace is still pretty furious behind the break, and there are already riders being dropped from the peloton. Phonak is riding hard on the front and have pulled back the leaders to 30 seconds.
The six in front: Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa Bortolo), Sébastien Joly (Crédit Agricole), José V. Garcia Acosta (Illes Balears), Dmitri Fofonov (Cofidis), Juan Miguel Mercado (Quick Step) and Marc Lotz (Rabobank).
Lance Armstrong and Filippo Simeoni (now there's an unlikely combo!) are 10 seconds behind the break after the climb, with the peloton another 15 seconds back.
13:53 CEST 38km/128.5km to go
Fofonov won the 3 points on the climb, followed by Flecha and Lotz.
Armstrong and Simeoni have closed the gap to the leaders. Simeoni was the first to try to bridge, with Armstrong getting on his wheel. Better to be safe in a stage like this.
The peloton is at 45 seconds. Surely there'll be a reaction...
13:55 CEST 39km/127.5km to go
The leading eight riders now have 55 seconds lead on the bunch, which is in disarray after seeing the maillot jaune go up the road!
<commentator throws script in waste bin>
13:57 CEST 41km/125.5km to go
The leaders are now approaching the day's first sprint at Saint-Jean-de-Gonville with a 1'50 lead on the US Postal controlled peloton. Quite a bizarre situation. Maybe Lance wants five stage wins in a row (presuming he'll win tomorrow)?
13:59 CEST
14 Riders were blood tested this morning before the start of stage 18 from the following teams: T-Mobile, Lotto-Domo, CSC, US Postal, Gerolsteiner, Alessio-Bianchi and Illes Balears. All riders were declared fit to start the stage.
14:00 CEST 45km/121.5km to go
Finally, T-Mobile mosey on up to the front of the peloton to see what's happening, and have pegged the gap at 1'50. "Lance is up the road? Nne told us!"
14:02 CEST 46km/120.5km to go
Fofonov again takes the points at the sprint, followed by Joly (4 seconds bonus. Think of the GC!) and Flecha.
Armstrong and Simeoni are off the back of the break it looks like. The gap is 2'20.
14:06 CEST 49km/117.5km to go
Armstrong and Simeoni are still at odds off the back of the break. Armstrong chased down Simeoni when he went after them. Simeoni is suing Armstrong for slander after Lance called Simeoni a liar, so the pair are not best buddies. And Lance is now behaving like a real patron, taking charge of the situation personally. Maybe he was talking to Hinault over a bottle of wine last night.
14:08 CEST 51km/115.5km to go
Armstrong and Simeoni have returned to the peloton, leaving the original six in front to their own devices and a 2 minute lead after 50 km.