By James Raia
E-Mail: address@hidden
Web site: WWW.BYJAMESRAIA.COM
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STAGE 2
STAGE 1
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PUBLISHER'S GREETING
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Welcome to Stage 3 of the Tour de France. The rain is gone and warm temperatures returned as the peloton entered France for the first time. The rise in temperature also provided more aggressive riding and the race's first major crash and injury.
The peloton lost Marco Velo (Fassa Bortolo) of Italy, who broke his collarbone as the riders approached the first cobblestone section of the route. Velo crashed with several other riders, fell into an agricultural canal and remained there for several minutes before medical personnel arrived. With Velo's departure and the non-start of Frederic Bessy (Cofidis) of France, the field is down to 184.
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TOUR NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES
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Jean-Patrick Nazon (A2GR-Prevoyance) of France claimed the third stage and Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) of Australia finished third -- his third top-three placing in three stages -- to become the third race leader of the Tour de France in the crashed-marred 210 km route from Waterloo to Wasquehal . . .
Lance Armstrong finished 54th with the first of several large groups five seconds behind the winner and dropped one place to fifth overall. He trails McEwen by 16 seconds. Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) of Santa Rosa, Calif., placed 12th as the leading American and moved into ninth overall @ 24 seconds . . .
Armstrong, prior to the stage, on the two cobblestoned sections of stage 3: "You have to be at the front. If you get stuck behind a crash or something like that, you can almost say your Tour is over." . . .
Armstrong's words proved prophetic: Several riders crashed as the peloton became animated while beginning its chase of then leaders Jens Voight (CSC) and Bram De Groot (Rabobank) as they neared the first of the two cobblestoned sections . The fallen riders included top overall contender Iban Mayo (Euskaltel-Euskadi) of Spain and the aforementioned Velo. Mayo finished 3:53 back and fell to 101st place overall at 4:23.
Waterloo and Wasquehal, the respective starting and finishing cities of Stage 3 have legendary histories. Waterloo, part of the Tour de France for the first time, of course, is famous as the site of the fall of the Napoleanic empire. Washquehal has hosted stage finishes twice. The Brit Sean Yates won in 1988 and Italy's Mario Cipolloni, the aging sprinter star (he's competing this year), was victorious in 1996. Wasquehal also celebrated its 900th anniversary in 1996, but hundreds of years ago its inhabitants often changed nationalities while sufffering through epidemics, faminine and epic battles . . .
Stage 4 is likely to provide the first substantial reshuffling of the overall standings. The field will compete in a 64.5 km team time trial from Cambrai to Arras. Look for the U.S. Postal Service and Phonak to post quick times. As a reminder, each team will send its riders out together. Each team will be given a finishing time as its fifth rider crosses the line . . .
There's a controversy "brewing" with the team time trial, however. A new rule instituted this year limits teams from losing no more than 2 1/2 minutes of time. Expectedly, many top teams don't like the rule and teams not expected to perform well like the rule. Said Johan Bruyneel, U.S.P.S. sports director: "It's not a rule I don't understand, but the organzation made it so we have to abide by it."
And, finally, Bruyneel on the stage results: "You couldn't win Tour de France on the pave, but you can lose it. And four minutes over Mayo is sizeable gap."
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POSTCARD FROM LE TOUR
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For several years, I've tried to approach the Tour de France with one omnipresent motto: "Spirit of the Adventure."
Last night, a new chapter was added when for the first time in my eight trips to the event, I rested for the night in a country gite in the village of Naninne, about 10 kilometers from the finish of stage 2 in Namur.
The accommodations were simple: a second-level room of a country home with a bath and shower down the hall. But the oddity of the situation was that I never saw another guest or the gite's owner. No one else was there for my entire stay.
I booked my room via a chamber of commerce representative from Namur. He made several phone calls to the owner and also escorted me the gite's location.
When we arrived the key was in the lock of a side door and I was told via interpretation to "make myself comfortable."
This morning, I left the gite before its owner's scheduled arrival. I left the key, a simple note ("Merci") and the fee of 25 Euros on the kitchen counter. And like the race itself, I began bid farewell to Belgium and began the two-hour drive to France.
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AMERICANS IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE
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Indvididual Stage Results
Stage 3, Waterloo to Wasquehal, 210 kilometers.
12. Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank), Santa Rosa, Calif., same time as the winner.
36. Floyd Landis (U.S.P.S.), San Diego, Calif., @ 5 seconds
42. George Hincapie (U.S.P.S.), Greenville, S.C., same time.
54. Lance Armstrong (U.S.P.S.), Austin, Texas, s.t.
62. Bobby Julich (CSC), Reno, Nev., s.t
63. Tyler Hamilton (Phonak), Marblehead, Mass., s.t.
142. Christian Vande Velde (Liberty Seguros), Lemont, Ill @ 3:53.
General Classification
5. Armstrong @ 16 seconds
9. Leipheimer @ 24 seconds
11. Julich @ 26 seconds
12. Hincapie @ 26 seconds
19. Landis @ 32 seconds
20. Hamilton @ 32 seconds
121. Vande Velde @ 4:34 seconds
For complete results, visit the web sites:
cyclingNews.com
letour.fr
procycling.com
velonews.com
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TFT'S QUICK PEDAL STROKES
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AMAZON.COM
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ENDURANCE SPORTS NEWS
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JAMES RAIA'S ONLINE STORE
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ROCK & ROLL BOB ROLL
Cycling's rebel announcer on Le Tour de France.
STRETCHING IS FOR CYCLISTS, TOO
Brad Walker is a long-time stretching expert.
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
The best cycling movie ever made?
THE TOUR WITHIN THE TOUR
Twenty-four essays about the cyclists, people & places of the Tour.
THE TOUR DE FRANCE AT A GLANCE
The Tour de France in facts and figures.
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2004 TOUR DE FRANCE SCHEDULE/RESULTS
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Prologue - July 3: Prologue Liege ITT, 6 km
Stage winner: Fabian Cancellara, Fassa Bortolo, 6 minutes, 30 seconds. General Classification: Cancellara
Stage 1 - July 4: Liège-Charleroi, 195 km
Stage winner: Jaan Kirsipuu (AG2R) 4 hours, 40 minutes and 29 seconds. General Classicifation: Cancellara.
Stage 2 - July 5: Charleroi-Namur, 197 km
Stage winner: Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), Australia, 4 hours, 18 minutes, 39 seconds. General classification: Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Norway.
Stage 3 - July 6: Waterloo - Wasquehal, 210 km
Stage winnner: Jean-Patrick Nazon (AG2R Provoyance), France, 4:36:45. General classification: Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), Australia.
Stage 4 - July 7: Cambrai - Arras TTT, 64.5 km
Stage 5 - July 8: Amiens - Chartres, 200.5 km
Stage 6 - July 9: Bonneval - Angers, 196 km
Stage 7 - July 10: Chateaubriant - Saint Brieuc, 204.5 km
Stage 8 - July 11: Lamballe - Quimper, 168 km
July 12: Rest Day: Transfer to Limoges
Stage 9 - July 13: St Leonard de Noblat - Guéret, 160.5 km
Stage 10 - July 14: Limoges - St. Flour, 237 km
Stage 11 - July 15: St Flour - Figeac, 164 km
Stage 12 - July 16: Castelsarrasin - La Mongie, 197.5 km
Stage 13 - July 17: Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille, 205.5 km
Stage 14 - July 18: Carcassonne - Nimes, 200 km
July 19 - Rest Day: Transfer to Nimes
Stage 15 - July 20: Valreas - Villard-de-Lans, 180.5 km
Stage 16 - July 21: Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez ITT, 15.5 km
Stage 17 - July 22: Bourg d'Oisans - Le Grand Bornand, 204.5 km
Stage 18 - July 23: Annemasse - Lons le Saulnier, 166.5 km
Stage 19 - July 24: Besancon - Besancon ITT, 55 km
Stage 20 - July 25: Montreau - Paris-Champs-Elysees, 163 km
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PUBLISHER'S NOTICES
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Tour de France Times (TFT), an electronic newsletter about cycling's pinnacle event and the cyclists who compete in it, is written, edited and published by James Raia, a journalist in Sacramento, California. Tour de France Times is published monthly, except daily during the three-week Tour de France.
Story links, race information, suggestions and letters to the editor are encouraged via e-mail. Please include your name and city and state of residence. Names held upon request.
Use of this newsletter is encouraged with the publisher's permission.
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