Floyd Landis of the US, right, pedals past the Arc de Triomphe monument during the final stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, between Antony, south of Paris, and Paris, Sunday, July 23, 2006. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Posted on 07/23/2006 9:19:33 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
PARIS - Floyd Landis won the Tour de France on Sunday, keeping cycling's most prestigious title in American hands for the eighth straight year.
The 30-year-old Landis cruised to victory on the Champs-Elysees, a day after regaining the leader's yellow jersey and building an insurmountable lead in the final time trial.
Landis picked up where another American left off last year, when Lance Armstrong completed his seventh and final Tour triumph.
With the victory, Landis becomes the third American — joining Armstrong and three-time winner Greg LeMond — to win the Tour.
Sunday's champagne and Landis' fifth yellow jersey of the Tour were possible thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime ride Thursday in the Alps that put the Phonak team leader back in contention, one day after a disastrous ride dropped him from first to 11th, more than eight minutes back.
Oscar Pereiro of Spain finished second overall at 57 seconds back, and Germany's Andreas Kloeden was third, 1:29 behind Landis.
Sprinter Thor Hushovd won the final stage Sunday in the three-week race.
Floyd Landis of the US, right, pedals past the Arc de Triomphe monument during the final stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, between Antony, south of Paris, and Paris, Sunday, July 23, 2006. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Riders of the Phonak team, with overall leader Floyd Landis of the US, right, with yellow jersey, pedal past the Eiffel tower, along the Seine river, after entering Paris during the final stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Antony, south of Paris, and Paris, Sunday, July 23, 2006. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
Landis is quite a story, given his hip problems...
oh.. oh.. this is so sweet! did he get headbutted from the bicycle?
Floyd Landis of the US toasts with a glass of champagne as he pedals during the final stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, between Antony, south of Paris, and Paris, Sunday, July 23, 2006. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
So how long before the French claim he was using illegal drugs?
1..2..3...4.............!
lol..
No..
Watching some of the wipeouts tends to make we wince ,, the one of a guy going over a railing in slow motion, fortunately only into a ditch of weeds and not off a mountain road, makes me take comfort that I hung my bike up in the garage long ago. ;-)
ahhh, to be young and mobile again.
I just hope they imported the champagne in his glass from California.. but if there is one thing the FRench do well, it is make champagne.
If it weren't the only thing they have going for them ; the French would probably surrender and cancel the Tour.
Congratulations Greg and good luck with your surgery.
FYI, one can't import champagne from California. It would be sprakling wine. One can only can call champagne champagne if it's made in Champagne, France. Everyting else is sparkling wine.
Meant Floyd. LOL Too early, I guess.
Talk about playing with pain.. He can definitely afford surgery now, I guess his crashes aggravated his already arthritic condition.
You mean Floyd, unless Greg was shot in the back by Cheney (remember Greg Lemond was shot in a hunting accident too).
Lemond with the gun shot wound, Armstrong with the cancer, Landis ...hip problem....all winners. I bet the French are really going to be sick when the next American shows up in a wheel chair.
Since its pretty obvious now that we own the Tour, perhaps we should demand that the victory toasts be done with Budweiser.....
|
Thanks! Good point. Can we appeal to the WTO? ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.