| 07/29/2001 | Racing News for 7/29/01 -- Tour de France Final+TOUR DE FRANCE
STAGE 20: No surprise today, that American Lance Armstrong (US Postal), has taken his third Tour in a row. Even though 5 years ago, cancer got a hold of his and he seemed to be headed for death, Armstrong beat the cancer and in the last three weeks has made it look “easy” to win the Tour. I will admit publicly, than in 1996, when Armstrong won the last edition of the Tour DuPont, a 2.1 category stage race in the US for the second time, I swore than Armstrong would NEVER win the Tour. Well, nobody knew that he was riddled in cancer, there is no way that anybody could know that he would not only survive, but become a dominant force at the Tour.
Today’s traditional stage into Paris was more exciting than usual, due to the infighting for the Green Jersey competition between Australian Stuart O’ Grady (C.A.), who held on to the jersey for most of the Tour and 5-time winner of the competition, Erik Zabel (Telekom). Zabel would take his Green Jersey when it counted, on the last day. The honor of winning the last stage into Champs de Elysses went to veteran sprinter, Jan Svorada (Lampre), who would take the stage, as a reward for surviving three weeks of very tough stages. The final podium in Paris, a predictable repeat of last year’s Tour: Armstrong, German Jan Ullrich (Telekom) and Spanish
Joseba Beloki (ONCE Eroski).
Armstrong joined Tour history today, by becoming a three-time Tour winner, which places him in the company of compatriot Greg LeMond, Frenchman Louison Bobet and Belgian Philippe Thys. Armstrong also finished with four stage wins, which exhibited his dominance of the Tour, taking two stages in the Alps (a road stage and a mountain time trial), one in the Pirenees and the individual time trial.
Today’s laid-back attitude by the riders was only interrupted by the battle of the Green at the intermediate sprints, with Zabel and O’Grady going at it at km 28 and 78. The German would show his strength and experience by winning both intermediate sprints and snatching the Green from the Australian’s back in the process, becoming the first rider to win the Green Jersey competition on six occasions. Later on at the Champs, seven riders tried their luck, including Vinokurov and Baldato, but Credit Agricole was pulling in mass at the front, looking for one last chance to regain the Green for O’Grady with a high finish at the line. The stage would be resolved in a bunch sprint, going the way of Svorada.
STAGE 20, Corbeil-Essones to Paris, 160 km:
1.SVORADA Jan (SLO/LAM) 3h 57:28
2.ZABEL Erik (GER/TEL) s.t.
3.O'GRADY Stuart (AUS/C.A) s.t.
4.TEUTENBERG Sven (GER/FES) s.t.
5.PETACCHI Alessandro (ITA/FAS) s.t.
6.NAZON Damien (FRA/BJR) s.t.
7.MIKHAILOV Guennadi (RUS/LOT) s.t.
8.CASPER Jimmy (FRA/FDJ) s.t.
9.VAN HEESWIJK Max (NED/DFF) s.t.
10.CAPELLE Christophe (FRA/BIG) s.t.
11.BETTINI Paolo (ITA/MAP) s.t.
12.VAINSTEINS Romans (LAT/DFF) s.t.
13.LOTZ Marc (NED/RAB) s.t.
14.AUGER Ludovic (FRA/BIG) s.t.
15.GUTIERREZ J. Enrique (ESP/KEL) s.t.
16.ODRIOZOLA Jon (ESP/BAN) s.t.
17.SIMON Francois (FRA/BJR) s.t.
18.FRUTTI Matteo (ITA/LAM) s.t.
19.BLAUDZUN Michael (DEN/CST) s.t.
20.AGNOLUTTO Christophe (FRA/A2R) s.t.
FINAL G.C.
1. ARMSTRONG Lance (USA/USP) 86h 17' 28"
2. ULLRICH Jan (GER/TEL) at 6' 44"
3. BELOKI Joseba (ESP/ONC) at 9' 05"
4. KIVILEV Andrei (KAZ/COF) at 9' 53"
5. GONZALEZ GALDEANO Igor (ESP/ONC) at 13' 28"
6. SIMON Francois (FRA/BJR) at 17' 22"
7. SEVILLA Oscar (ESP/KEL) at 18' 30"
8. BOTERO Santiago (COL/KEL) at 20' 55"
9. SERRANO Marcos (ESP/ONC) at 21' 45"
10. BOOGERD Michael (NED/RAB) at 22' 38"
11. ROUS Didier (FRA/BJR) at 24' 22"
12. CHAURREAU Inigo (ESP/EUS) at 28' 09"
13. MANCEBO Francisco (ESP/BAN) at 28' 33"
14. GARZELLI Stefano (ITA/MAP) at 29' 00"
15. HERAS Roberto (ESP/USP) at 30' 44"
16. VINOKOUROV Alexandre (KAZ/TEL) at 33' 55"
17. BOTCHAROV Alexandre (RUS/A2R) at 41' 15"
18. JULICH Bobby (USA/C.A) at 48' 04"
19. JALABERT Laurent (FRA/CST) at 50' 06"
20. SASTRE Carlos (ESP/ONC) at 50' 20"
GREEN JERSEY
During stage
Breux-Jouy (28.50 km)
1. ZABEL, Erik (GER/TEL) 6 points
Chatenay-Malabry (78.00 km)
1. ZABEL, Erik (GER/TEL) 6
Paris: Champs-Elysées (160.50 km)
1. SVORADA, Jan (SLO/LAM) 35
Final Classification:
1. ZABEL, Erik (GER/TEL) 252 points
2. O'GRADY, Stuart (AUS/C.A.) 244
3. NAZON, Damien (FRA/BJR) 169
POLKA DOT JERSEY
During stage:
Gif-Sur-Yvette (60.00 km)
1. BERTOGLIATI, Rubens (SWI/LAM) 5 points
Final Classification:
1. JALABERT, Laurent (FRA/CST) 258 points
2. ULLRICH, Jan (GER/TEL) 211
3. ROUX, Laurent (FRA/DEL) 200
BEST TEAM
During stage:
1. Francaise Des Jeux (FDJ) 11h 52:24
Final Classification:
1. Kelme - Costa Blanca (KEL) 259h 14:44
2. O.N.C.E. - Eroski (ONC) at 04:59
3. Team Deutsche Telekom (TEL) at 41:06
MOST AGGRESSIVE
During stage:
1. VINOKOUROV, Alexandre (KAZ/TEL) 12 points
Final Classification:
1. JALABERT, Laurent (FRA/CST) 94 points
2. ROUX, Laurent (FRA/DEL) 55
3. VOIGT, Jens (GER/C.A) 45
YOUNG RIDER
During Stage:
1. CASPER, Jimmy (FRA/FDJ) in 3h 57:28
Final Classification:
1. SEVILLA, Oscar (ESP/KEL) in 86h 35:58
2. MANCEBO, Francisco (ESP/BAN) at 10:03
3. JAKSCHE, Jorg (GER/ONC) at 47:32
+ TOUR NEWS
ARMSTRONG INTERVIEW: “Records are not my motivation, plus I’m not really interested in them. That is not what keeps me in cycling. The most important thing is happiness. Also, as a cyclist I consider myself to be at a lower level than riders like Miguel Indurain. I will come back next year, not to finish second, if there are no complications, for the fourth Tour. I’m very happy with this third Tour win for me, my family and my teammates, who have helped me so much. This is the greatest and the most beautiful. This is Armstrong’s time. I’m at the highest level of my career and I’ve never felt like I’v felt during this Tour. I’ve worked a lot, not only to win the overall, but also stages”. About a possible participation at the Vuelta a España: “I have a lot of links with Spain. Heras and Rubiera are in the team and I have a house in Gerona. It is a special country for me, but I haven’t decided if I will go to the Vuelta. I have to see how I rcuperate from this Tour and my plans for the next one”.
About cancer and his life: “I could still have problems, but the most important thing is to create awareness. I worry about myself and others. I think that it is great to be a cyclist and be able to contribute something towards the fight against cancer. Right now my life is complete. I have health, money, family, in December we will have twin girls. The truth is that there is very little that I would change in my life”. Armstrong talked about the possibility of making an attempt to beat the Hour Record.
RECENT TOUR WINNERS
OVERALL
1990. Gregory Lemond(USA), 2. Chiappucci (ITA) & 3. Breukink (HOL).
1991. Miguel Indurain (ESP), 2. Bugno (ITA) & 3. Chiappucci
1992. Indurain, 2. Chiappucci & 3. Bugno.
1993. Indurain, 2. Rominger (SWI) & 3. Jaskula (POL)
1994. Indurain, 2. Ugrumov (LAT) & 3. Pantani (ITA)
1995. Indurain, 2. Zulle (SWI) & 3. Riis (DEN)
1996. Bjarne Riis, 2. Ullrich (GER) & 3. Virenque (FRA)
1997. Jan Ullrich, 2. Virenque & 3. Pantani
1998. Marco Pantani, 2. Ullrich & 3. Julich (USA)
1999. Lance Armstrong (USA), 2. Zulle (SWI) & 3. Escartin.
2000. Armstrong, 2. Ullrich & 3. Beloki (SPA).
2001. Armstrong (USA), 2. Ullrich & 3. Beloki.
The maximum amount of Tours won by an individual has been five and there are only four riders that have accomplished this: Belgian Eddy Merckx, Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil & Bernard Hinault and Spanish Miguel Indurain.
MOUNTAIN
1990. Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA)
1991. Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)
1992. Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)
1993. Toni Rominger (SUI)
1994. Richard Virenque (FRA)
1995. Richard Virenque (FRA)
1996. Richard Virenque (FRA)
1997. Richard Virenque (FRA)
1998. Christophe Rinero (FRA)
1999. Richard Virenque (FRA)
2000. Santiago Botero (COL)
2001. Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
The most wins in the mountain competition total six by Spanish Federico Bahamontes and Belgian Lucien Van Impe.
REGULARITY
1995. Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
1996. Erik Zabel (GER)
1997. Erik Zabel (GER)
1998. Erik Zabel (GER)
1999. Erik Zabel (GER)
2000. Erik Zabel (GER)
2001. Erik Zabel (GER)
The most wins go to Zabel with six, followed with Irish Sean Kelly with four.
TEAM
1995. ONCE (SPA)
1996. Festina (FRA)
1997. Telekom (GER)
1998. Cofidis (FRA)
1999. Banesto (SPA)
2000. Kelme Costa Blanca (SPA)
2001. Kelme Costa Blanca (SPA)www.infociclismo.com
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