By James Raia
E-Mail: address@hidden
Web site: WWW.BYJAMESRAIA.COM
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STAGE 9 (Virenque/Voeckler Celebrate Bastille Day)
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 (McEwen Gives Aussies Fourth Yellow)
STAGE 2 (McEwen Wins; Hushovd Claims Yellow)
STAGE 1 (Kirispuu Claims Sprint; Cancellara Retains Jersey)
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PUBLISHER'S GREETING
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Finally, warm weather has returned to France, just in time for the "real" Tour to begin. While still mild compared to the 2003 conditions, the nine categorized climbs of the 10th stage provided a good preamble to the predicted warm stages ahead in the Pyrenees and the Alps.
Following the 11th stage from Saint Flour to Figeac, the event's two Pyrenees stages will occur Saturday and Sunday with mountaintop finishes in La Mongie and Plateau de Beille.
And it's about time. Many long-time Tour observers have commented that waiting until the race's second half is too long before the climbing begins in earnest.
NEW FEATURE
VIRENQUE/VOECKLER CELEBRATE BASTILLE DAY
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TOUR NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES
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Not since Bernard Hinault's final win in 1985 has the race's host country crowned a titlist. But Richard Virenque and Thomas Voeckler provided a nice Bastille Day celebration for France, respectively winning the 10th stage and retaining the overall title . . .
Virenque claimed his seventh career Tour stage win, riding more than the final 40 miles in a solo breakaway. Voeckler, meanwhile, kept the jersey for the sixth straight day. He faltered twice during climbs, but his team support brought him back to the main group. He placed fifth in the stage, one place ahead of Lance Armstrong . . .
Tyler Hamilton lost his "best friend" on Wednesday. Hamilton's wife, Haven, reported that the couple's dog, Tugboat, had to be put down in France. The golden retriever was the omnipresent companion of the couple while in the U.S. and in Europe . . .
Hamilton also lost seven seconds in the 10th stage when he was unable to finish with the first group of 14 riders who finished 5:19 behind Virenque . . .
Christian Vande Velde, the Lemont, Ill., rider who was a late selection for the Liberty Sequros squad, had his worst day of the race. He finished in a large group 24:24 behind the winner and fell to 109th in the remaining field of 169 @ 34:08 . . .
Levi Leipheimer, the Rabobank rider from Santa Rosa, Calif., has been selected to replace Lance Armstrong on the U.S. team participating next month in the Summer Olympics. Armstrong said early in the Tour he had decided not to participate in favor of spending more time with his three children . . .
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POSTCARD FROM LE TOUR
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Will return 7/15.
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AMERICANS IN THE TOUR DE FRANCE
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Individual Stage Results
Stage 10, Limoges-Saint Flour, 237.5 kilometers
6. Lance Armstrong, Austin, Texas (USPS) @ 5:19
17. Levi Leipheimer, Santa Rosa, Calif., (Rabobank), s.t.
18. Bobby Julich, Reno, Nev. (CSC) @ 5:26
26. Tyler Hamilton, Marblehead, Mass., (Phonak), s.t.
65. George Hincapie, Greenville, S.C., (USPS) @ 6:00
66. Floyd Landis, San Diego, Calif. (USPS), s.t.
139. Christian Vande Velde, Lemont, Ill., (Liberty Seguros) @ 24:24
General Classification
6. Armstrong @ 9:35
11. Hamilton @ 10:18
15. Hincapie @ 10:27
18. Julich @ 10:42
19. Leipheimer @ 10:43
21. Landis @ 10:53
109. Vande Velde @ 34:08
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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FLOYD LANDIS FEATURE
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
Everything offered by the internet's largest online retailer.
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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SPOKERADIO.COM
Get out there and ride.
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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 Kirispuu (AG2R), Estonia, 4 hours, 40 minutes and 29 seconds. General classification: 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 Prevoyance), 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, 1:12:03. General classification: Lance Armstrong (USPS), 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 Boulangere), 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. General classification: Voeckler
July 12: Rest Day: Transfer to Limoges
Stage 9 - July 13: St. Leonard de Noblat - Guéret, 160.5 km
Stage winner: Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), Australia, 3:32:55. General classification: Voeckler.
Stage 10 - July 14: Limoges - St. Flour, 237 km
Stage winner: Richard Virenque (Quick-Step-Davitamon), France, 6:00:24. General classification: Voeckler
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 - L'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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