By James Raia
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Web site: WWW.BYJAMESRAIA.COM
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STAGE 8 (Hushovd Claims Stage; Voeckler Retains Yellow)
STAGE 7 (Pozzato In Sprint, Voeckler In Yellow)
STAGE 6 (Boonen Leads Group, Voeckler In Jersey)
STAGE 5 (O'Grady For Stage; Voeckler In Jersey)
STAGE 4 (Postal Takes TTT; Armstrong In Yellow)
STAGE 3 (McKwen Gives Aussies Fourth Yellow)
STAGE 2 (McKwen Wins; Hushovd Claims Yellow)
STAGE 1 (Kirispuu Claims Sprint; Cancellara Retains Jersey)
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PUBLISHER'S GREETING
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After 10 race days, one rest day and plenty of anticipation, the general classification riders will "begin" their Tour de France on Wednesday with the 237- kilometer 10th stage from Limoges to Saint Flour.
The stage will feature nine categorized climbs, beginning about 40km into the day. The race profile shows virtually no flat sections and the first severe climb of the 91st Tour will occur after about 108 miles. It's a 3 1/2-mile ascent with an average 8 percent grade.
NEW FEATURE
TOUR DE FRANCE PROFILE: FLOYD LANDIS
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TOUR NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES
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Australian Robbie McKwen, who held the leader's jersey after stage 3, won the ninth stage after long breakaway riders Inigo Landaluze and Filippo Simeoni were caught with 75 meters remaining. It was the first stage of the Tour without rain . . .
Italian Thomas Voeckler, who has held the Yellow Jersey since the end of the fifth stage, finished 29th in the same time as the winner and will take a 2:53 advantage over Stuart O'Grady into Wednesday's first mountain stage . . .
The top general classification riders, including Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton, Jan Ullrich, Iban Mayo and Oscar Sevilla, all maintained their positions Tuesday . . .
The ninth stage finished with 172 riders remaining from the starting field of 188. Among the departures was Jaan Kirispuu, the Estonian rider for the French team AG2R. Kirispuu has now participated in the Tour de France 11 times but has never finished . . .
It's no coincidence George Hincapie usually finishes just ahead or behind Lance Armstrong in flat Tour stages. It's part of the Hincapie's job to protect his team leader as the two riders approach the finish line. The scenario occurred again Tuesday. Hincapie, who has seven race finishes in his eight Tour participations, placed 43rd, with Armstrong nearby in 44th.
Tyler Hamilton and his wife Haven do not have children, but they do have Tugboat, their omnipresent golden retriever. The Hamiltons have been upset and Tyler said he was "praying each day" for the family pet. Earlier in the race, Tugboat was seriously ill, but the beast is now recovering.
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POSTCARD FROM LE TOUR
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Like many former cyclists, John Trevorrow remained in the sport following his competitive retirement. Nearly a quarter century since he rode as a Australian pro, Trevorrow now serves a guide for other Australians who wish to experience the Tour de France.
The former three-time Australian national road champion is attending this year's race with seven other compatriots -- some journalists, some age-group riders, some racing fans.
The Aussies watch the races and general carry on the unwritten quest of every Australian -- celebrate life, tell tales and have a few beers along the way.
Trevorrow likes to tell stories of his time as a pro. In 1981, for example, he received a call from his team director a few weeks before the start of the Tour of Italy. He wasn't in particularly good condition, and he also had a bad habit -- he smoked.
But his team needed him, so Trevorrow trained frantically for three weeks and began the Tour of Italy with no aspirations and without the ability to stop smoking.
One day early in the race, Trevorrow's assistant director visited the cyclist in his hotel room and caught him smoking. The assistant team director told the director and Treverrow thought he was in serious trouble.
Instead, the team director saw an opportunity. A day a so later, he had a meeting with Treverrow and told the rider he had good news. He had acquired a tobacco sponsor.
>From the beginning of the next day's stage until the end of the race, Trevorrow posed at the start of each stage with a buring cigarette in his mouth. Race photographers couldn't get enough pictures of Trevorrow, and the sponsorship was an unqualified success.
"I was smoking a pack a day at the time, so it wasn't a problem," said Trevorrow.
Now age 55, Trevorrow no longer smokes cigarettes. But in his year as the "Marlboro Man" of the Tour of Italy, he finished the race.
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AMERICANS IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE
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Individual Stage Results
Stage 9, St. Leonard de-Noblat to Gueret 160.5 kilometers
43. George Hincapie, Greenville, S.C., (USPS) same time as winner.
44. Lance Armstrong, Austin, Texas, (USPS) same time.
49. Levi Leipheimer, Santa Rosa, Calif., (Rabobank), s.t.
61. Tyler Hamilton, Marblehead, Mass., (Phonak), s.t.
73. Bobby Julich, Reno, Nev., (CSC), s.t.
82. Floyd Landis, San Diego, Calif., (USPS), s.t.
110. Christian Vande Velde, Lemont, Ill., (Liberty Seguros), s.t.
General Classification
6. Armstrong @ 9:35
7. Hincapie @ 9:45
11. Hamilton @ 10:11
12. Landis @ 10:12
22. Julich @ 10:35
23. Leipheimer @ 10:43
87. Vande Velde @ 15:03
For complete results, visit the web sites:
cyclingnews.com
letour.fr
procycling.com
velonews.com
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2004 TOUR DE FRANCE FEATURES
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WHY LANCE WON'T WIN THE TOUR DE FRANCE
LANCE DECIDES TOUR NO LONGER A PRIORITY
A CONVERSATION WITH LEVI LEIPHEIMER
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TFT'S QUICK PEDAL STROKES
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AMAZON.COM
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ENDURANCE SPORTS NEWS
Endurance news from around the globe. Timely, pertinent, free.
JAMES RAIA'S ONLINE STORE
Amazon to Rudy Project, Land's End to R.E.I.
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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TFT'S BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
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Tour de France Times acknowledges and encourages the support of its business partners:
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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), Italy, 6 minutes, 30 seconds. General Classification: Cancellara
Stage 1 - July 4: Liège-Charleroi, 195 km
Stage winner: Jaan Kirsipuu (AG2R), Estonia, 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 winner: 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 winner: U.S. Postal Service, 1 hour, 12 minutes, 3 seconds. General classification: Lance Armstrong (U.S.P.S.), Austin,Texas.
Stage 5 - July 8: Amiens - Chartres, 200.5 km
Stage winner: Stuart O'Grady (Cofidis), Australia, 5:05:58. General classification: Thomas Voeckler (Broiches La Boulangerie) France.
Stage 6 - July 9: Bonneval - Angers, 196 km
Stage winner: Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Davitamon), Belgium, 4:41:41. General Classification: Voeckler
Stage 7 - July 10: Chateaubriant - Saint Brieuc, 204.5 km
Stage winner: Filippo Pozzato (Fassa Bortolo), Italy, 4:31:34. General classification: Voeckler
Stage 8 - July 11: Lamballe - Quimper, 168 km
Stage winner: Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Norway, 3:54:22
July 12: Rest Day: Transfer to Limoges
Stage 9 - July 13: St. Leonard de Noblat - Guéret, 160.5 km
Stage winner: Robbie McKwen (Lotto-Domo), Australia, 3:32:55. General Classification: Voeckler.
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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